Definition:

The Early Persuasion Stage of Treatment is the third stage in the Substance Abuse Treatment Scale (SATS).

This scale is for assessing a person's stage of substance abuse treatment, not for determining diagnosis. The reporting interval is the last 6 months. If the person is in an institution, the reporting interval is the time period prior to institutionalization.

  1. Pre-Engagement: The person does not have contact with a case manager, mental health counselor or substance abuse counselor, and meets criteria for a substance use disorder.
  2. Engagement: The client has had only irregular contact with an assigned case manager or counselor, and meets criteria for a substance use disorder.
  3. Early Persuasion: The client has regular contacts with a case manager or counselor, continues to use the same amount of substances or has reduced substance use for less than 2 weeks, and meets criteria for a substance use disorder.
  4. Late Persuasion: The client has regular contacts with a case manager or counselor, shows evidence of reduction in use for the past 2-4 weeks (fewer substances, smaller quantities, or both), but still meets criteria for a substance use disorder.
  5. Early Active Treatment: The client is engaged in treatment and has reduced substance use for more than the past month, but still meets criteria for a substance use disorder during this period of reduction.
  6. Late Active Treatment: The person is engaged in treatment and has not met criteria for a substance use disorder for the past 1-5 months.
  7. Relapse Prevention: The client is engaged in treatment and has not met criteria for a substance use disorder for the past 6-12 months.
  8. In Remission or Recovery: The client has not met criteria for a substance use disorder for more than the past year.
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addiction SUD Substance Use Disorder treatment SATS Substance Abuse Treatment Scale