Treatment or prison: Service user and staff experiences of drug treatment and testing orders

Abstract

Aims and Methods: The drug treatment and testing order (DTTO) is a treatment option imposed by courts and the first multiagency initiative in the treatment of substance misuse in the UK. We used separate focus groups for service users and staff involved with DTTOs in Hertfordshire to qualitatively investigate their experiences of the orders. Interviews were recorded and analysed using grounded theory methods. Results: Analysis highlighted areas of concern related to the central issue of forced treatment, which was more challenging for staff than for service users. The area of most concern was multiagency collaboration. Clinical Implications: Multi-agency initiatives require extensive liaison across agencies.