Date of Conferral
9-10-2026
Date of Award
September 2026
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Tracy Masiello
Abstract
African American males between the ages of 18 and 29 have lower rates of successful completion in drug court programs compared to other populations, increasing their risk of incarceration and recidivism. This study examined whether participation in the Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (HEAT) program, a culturally responsive intervention, was associated with improved drug court graduation outcomes among African American male participants. Guided by cognitive behavioral theory, a quantitative retrospective causal-comparative design was used to analyze archival data from 96 African American male participants enrolled in a drug treatment court program in Columbia, Missouri. A chi-square test of independence was conducted to examine the relationship between HEAT participation and graduation outcomes, and an odds ratio was calculated to assess effect size. Results indicated that 83.3% of HEAT participants graduated compared to 62.5% of non-HEAT participants. The chi-square analysis approached statistical significance, χ²(1, N = 96) = 3.57, p = .059. The odds ratio (OR = 3.00) indicated that participants enrolled in HEAT were approximately three times more likely to graduate than those not enrolled. Although statistical significance was not achieved, the findings suggest a meaningful practical association between HEAT participation and improved graduation outcomes. These results support the potential value of culturally responsive interventions in reducing disparities in drug court outcomes among African American males.
Recommended Citation
President, Tierney, "Drug Court Graduation Rates of African American Males Attending Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20803.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20803
