An implementation analysis conducted as part of a 2-year experimental study of residential and
nonresidential treatment programs for the dually diagnosed homeless found significant differ
ences in client engagement and retention, as well as unexpected variations in the treatment
conditions. Fully 40% of subjects assigned to either treatmentfailed to become engaged for even
one day, although a significantly higher percentage of those assigned to the residential program
than the nonresidential program graduated from the first 3-month phase of treatment. The
analysis revealed significant differences in the type and amount of services provided by the two
treatment programs, as well as potentially important difficulties in program management. Such
process data are valuable toolsfor understanding client outcomes and interpreting experimental
results.
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