Readiness to Change - "Motivation is a critical factor in the desistance process, and involvement with the phone may be a signal of readiness to change."

"The messages build self-esteem and provide assurance that behavior change is possible. An ideal way to boost the participants’ self-esteem is to help them experience success. When the participants are achieving their goals, each phone call provides another opportunity to experience success and a feeling of personal accomplishment."

Motivation - "Achieving a goal creates feelings of intrinsic satisfaction that are highly motivating. In addition, there are extrinsic rewards in the form of praise from significant others. To illustrate, one youth said, ‘It was good to be able to hear inspiring messages people left for me like my mom when I was doing good; in some ways it helped me meet my goals.’” 

"Even among highly motivated persons, their motivation often wanes if they do not have adequate support. Support may help individuals maintain motivation, especially during stressful times or when faced with temptation. However, support from significant others may not be available at critical decision times. The phone mentor appears to have potential as a tool that can help reinforce goals and provide support at critical decision points even among those who are highly motivated." 

Goal Setting - "In addition to providing aftercare, the phone-coach program contributes to the rehabilitation process by monitoring and reinforcing the goal-setting process. Regular phone calls appear to facilitate change by creating positive behavioral intentions and holding people accountable to the decisions they made when they set meaningful personal goals."

"The phone mentor program requires participants to move from general goals to specific objectives. When starting a change program, people often set goals that are perceived as too large and hopeless. The phone mentor program helps participants break large goals into manageable parts and achievable time frames."

Feedback - "Daily feedback about even small successes is uplifting. One participant said, ‘It’s difficult being out of jail; you have such low self-esteem. The phone calls are helpful because it’s like you’re learning to walk again. It kept reminding me that I was doing better.’ Although the phone calls cannot build self-esteem, they serve as a reminder of positive goals and provide helpful feedback. When failure occurs, the phone messages encourage participants to keep going, and it puts the failure in context."

Followup/Aftercare - "The findings suggest that cell phones may be an efficient way to provide follow-up after treatment. Research has demonstrated that aftercare is a crucial component to treatment, yet it is often overlooked in the development and implementation of treatment programs"

"The phone mentor program provides a low-cost method of aftercare by encouraging participants and providing support when they are most at risk. Contact and encouragement can be timed to come at the most vulnerable times to strengthen a participant’s resolve. The participant can choose not to answer the phone, but even if the call is refused, it is a reminder of previous decisions."