Program for Addictions Consultation and
Treatment
(PACT)
The Program for
Addictions Consultation and Treatment (PACT) is a collaborative
program of the Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) and the Psychological Clinic of
the Graduate School of Applied Psychology (GSAPP). PACT was begun in 1984 as a collaborative
program of CAS and St. Peter’s
Whom do We Serve?
PACT provides outpatient services to
adults and adolescents who have problems with alcohol or drugs, and to
individuals concerned about the alcohol or drug use of a family member or loved
one. We are happy to see clients from
any background, and do not discriminate based on sex, race, age, ethnicity,
religion, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristics. We accept clients referred by the courts,
through probation or parole officers, or by Intoxicated Driver Resource Centers
(IDRCs).
Clients who receive our services must be able to function outside of an
institutional setting. We do not provide
detoxification, inpatient, residential, or intensive outpatient services, and
clients who need these kinds of services will be referred. We do not offer methadone maintenance or
other medication-based treatments.
What
Services do we Offer?
PACT believes that each client is
unique, and that treatment should be planned for the needs of each
individual. Our treatment program is not
a fixed length of time, and we do not require any specific treatments or
recovery activities for all clients. We
provide comprehensive assessments of drinking and drug use as well as other
psychological problems. We offer
individual therapy, couples/family treatment, and group therapy. PACT is the host for a SMART recovery
group. Space is also provided at
What is our
Treatment Philosophy?
We recognize that there are multiple
pathways to successful change, and believe that each client needs to find just
the right combination of ingredients to be successful. We conduct an individualized assessment of
each client, and plan treatment based on the results of that assessment. Clients have an active role in the planning
of their treatment.
Scientific research has taught us a
good deal about how to assess clients and provide treatment. Whenever possible, we use approaches to
assessment and treatment that are backed up by good research. We believe that successful change requires
active effort on the part of the client to learn new ways of thinking, coping
with emotions, and changing ingrained habits and patterns. The support of others is often an important
part of the change process. We use
cognitive-behavioral techniques to help clients learn these new ways of
thinking, feeling, and acting, and often involve loved ones in the treatment to
provide support. We encourage the use of
self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, or SMART,
if the clinician and client believe that these programs will be a helpful
source or support or inspiration.
We believe that abstinence is the
safest choice if a person has developed an alcohol or drug problem. We recognize, however, that not all clients
are ready to stop using completely, and we will work with clients who are not
certain about their goals.
Who Provides
Services?
Treatment is provided by clinical
psychologists in training. All
clinicians are supervised by doctoral level clinical psychologists who
specialize in the assessment and treatment of alcohol and drug use
problems. The program director is
Barbara S. McCrady, Ph.D. Dr. McCrady is
a clinical psychologist with almost 30 years of experience in the alcohol/drug
field. She is the Clinical Director of
the