[MAil] Liberal cities are using cash and gift cards as an incentive for meth addicts to maintain their sobriety - but these programs may be in jeopardy under the Trump administration. Addiction treatment facilities in cities including San Francisco and Portland, Maine, have been implementing contingency management (CM) techniques to keep patients clean and on the path to recovery.
Contingency management is a decades-old strategy that positively enforces sobriety by rewarding negative drug tests with prizes such as vouchers, gift cards and debit card cash valued.
The longer someone is able to stay on the straight and narrow, the heftier the pay - though maximum payouts vary from clinic to clinic.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is funded by taxpayers, allows patients to be awarded up to $750 each year through its vouchers.
Other programs, such as ones in Pennsylvania's Allegheny County, reward participants up to $1,000 annually.
Treatment plans generally span anywhere from eight weeks to a year in duration and are most commonly used for treating stimulant addictions.
While experts have praised the method as an effective way to combat drug dependencies, it has sparked fierce criticism for its transactional nature - with skeptics saying unhealthy habits re-emerge once the money stops coming.