Contingency Management can be deployed both in-person and remotely, and has been shown to be effective across a wide range of healthcare settings. CM is most commonly used in outpatient or intensive outpatient addiction specialty treatment programs that serve persons with stimulant and/or opioid use disorders. In the largest national rollout of CM, it was offered across the Veterans Health Administration in intensive outpatient treatment programs. In an ongoing rollout of CM across the state of California, CM is being implemented in outpatient, intensive outpatient, and/or partial hospital treatment programs; many programs are offering CM alongside medications to treat substance use disorder, like methadone or buprenorphine. CM has also been shown to work in residential treatment centers, recovery housing programs, and a variety of settings outside of the healthcare system, such as homeless shelters, drug courts, and recovery courts.

CM should only be implemented in settings where monitoring the target behavior will not lead to negative effects. For instance, patients under strict legal supervision who are likely to be punished if they test positive for specific substances would not be ideal candidates for CM targeting abstinence, as the frequent toxicology screens could increase their risk of getting into trouble with the law.