Treatment Initiation and Alcohol Use Violations Among Adults With DWI Arrests Who Received a Tailored Brief Intervention

Objective: This program evaluation examined rates of treatment initiation and alcohol-related violations among adults who completed a brief motivational interviewing (BMI) session after a driving while intoxicated (DWI) arrest. Method: Adults attending orientation for pretrial bond supervision were assessed for eligibility to receive services by counselors in an outpatient clinic. A total of 118 male and female adults with DWI arrests completed a single BMI session. Treatment initiation was assessed 1-week after the BMI session and alcohol-related violations were assessed 6 months later. Results: Fifty-three percent of those with DWI arrests who received the BMI session-initiated treatment and of those who initiated treatment, alcohol-related violations were significantly lower than for those who did not initiate treatment. Conclusions: The results provide preliminary support that a single session BMI delivered soon after arrest and before pretrial conditions are implemented has promise for spurring clients to take steps to initiate treatment and is related to better rates of compliance with alcohol-related pretrial conditions.