Table 4.

Items that compose the scales and subscales

Keeping It Together scale
1. Despite my drug use I manage to lead a ‘normal’ life.	0 nevera
2. In the last six months, I have managed to keep myself from getting too dirty.	1 rarely
3. I wear long sleeves so others will not see my track marks.	2 some of the time
4. I try to avoid abscesses (e.g. avoiding dull needles or use needles once).	3 most of the time
5. I avoid track marks (e.g. using cream, rotating where I inject).	4 all the time
6. I avoid injecting cocaine/crack because it hurts my veins
7. I avoid letting non-injectors see me inject.
8. I avoid letting other injectors see me inject.
9. If I borrow money I always pay it back.
10. I have time to think about things other than getting money, drugs, using drugs, and physical survival.
11. I never hang around known injectors in my neighborhood, so that I am not labeled.
12. I take care of myself better than “junkies” who don't take care of themselves.	0 strongly disagreeb
	1 somewhat disagree
	2 neither disagree or agree
	3 somewhat agree
	4 strongly agree

Withdrawal Prevention Tactics scale
In the last six months have you done any of the following to avoid withdrawal episodes?
1. Saved a bag for the next morning	0 neverc
2. Put aside additional drugs (e.g., stashing heroin not as a wake-up bag) to resort to in an emergency	1 rarely
	2 sometimes
3. Stored methadone	3 often
4. Put aside money for getting the next bag in an emergency	4 very often
5. How many times did you use other substances (painkillers, other drugs) to see you through until you could get drugs?	0 neverd
	1 once
	2 two to five times
	3 six to ten times
	4 eleven or more times

Homeless Safety Tactics scale
1. Do you have a place where you store clean needles?	Yes/no
2. Do you have a place where you safely store drugs?	Yes/no

Embedding Safety within Network scale
1. In the last six months how often did you talk with the people you inject with about the need to inject safely?	0 nevere
	1 rarely
2. How often did you supply sterile syringes to the people you inject within the last six months?	2 some of the time
	3 most of the time
3. When you inject with others, how often, in the last six months, have you made sure you have had enough sterile syringes with you so you can provide anyone who needs one with one?	4 all the time

Access to Resources scale (consists of three subscales:)
Support from Relatives/Non-using Friends, and Neighbors subscale
How often, in the last six months, have your relatives, non-using friends and neighbors...
1. ...let you have a place to sleep?	0 neverf
2. ... given you money with no strings attached on how you would use it?	1 once
3. ...lent you money expecting you to pay back?	2 two to five times
4. ... emotionally supported you when you have been feeling down or otherwise unhappy?	3 six to ten times
5. ...been there for you when you have been in trouble with the law (bail, lawyers, incarceration)?	4 eleven or more times
6. ... recommended places where you can go to for work?
7. ...recommended where you can go to for help in dealing with your drug use (e.g., detox, MMTP, SEP)?
8. ...helped you cope with drug sickness/withdrawal?
9. ...given or supplied you with sterile syringes?
Support from Drug Users subscale
How often, in the last six months, have drug users you know.
1. ...let you have a place to sleep?
2. ...given or lent you money?
3. ...given you drugs?
4. ...emotionally supported you when you have been feeling down or otherwise unhappy?
5. ...been there for you when you have been in trouble with the law (bail, lawyers, incarceration)?
6. ...recommended where you can go to for help in dealing with your drug use (e.g., detox, MMTP, SEP)?
7. ...helped you cope with drug sickness/withdrawl
8. ...allowed you to inject at their place (apartment, room etc.)?
9. ...given or supplied you with sterile syringes?
Support from Program Staff subscale
How often, in the last six months, have program staff.
1. ...recommended places where you can go to sleep?
2. ...given or lent you money?
3. ...emotionally supported you when you have been feeling down or otherwise unhappy?
4. ...been there for you when you have been in trouble with the law (bail, lawyers, incarceration)?
5. ...recommended places where you can go to for work?
6. ...recommended where you can go to for help in dealing with your drug use (e.g., detox, MMTP, SEP)?
7. ...helped you cope with drug sickness/withdrawal?

The right-hand column entries describe the response categories used for each item, with footnotes to each scale describing this more fully

^aThese response categories were used for items 1–11 of the Keeping it Together scale

^bThese response categories were used for item 12 of the Keeping it Together scale

^cThese response categories were used for items 1–4 of the Withdrawal Prevention Tactics scale

^dThese response categories were used for item 5 of the Withdrawal Prevention Tactics scale

^eThese response categories were used for items 1–3 of the Embedding Safety within Network scale

^fThese response categories were used for all items and subscales of the Access to Resources scale