Date: 6/14/2007
Media Contact: SAMHSA Press Office
Telephone: 240-276-2130
Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities Provide Programs to
Fit Clients
The vast majority of substance abuse treatment facilities
are providing special programs tailored to such clients as
adolescents, seniors, post-partum mothers and people with
HIV/AIDS, according to a 2005 survey by the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration. Nearly
three-quarters of even the smallest facilities offered at
least one special program or group.
The most commonly reported special program in the
National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services in
2005 was for clients with co-occurring psychiatric and
substance abuse disorders (38 percent). About one-third of
the 13,371 facilities that responded to the annual survey of
public and private facilities in the United States offered
special programs for adult women (33 percent) or adolescents
(32 percent).
“Treatment programs designed around the specific needs
and concerns of women, teens, people with co-occurring
disorders and others can help improve the outcome,” said
Terry Cline, Ph.D., SAMHSA Administrator. “To help
individuals seeking treatment, SAMHSA offers an online
Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator that allows users
to search for facilities that are close to home, or
individuals can call 1-800-662-HELP for telephone
assistance.”
About 83 percent of all responding facilities reported
offering at least one special treatment program. The
percentage was slightly higher (88 percent) for large
facilities, which treat 120 or more clients, although 72
percent of facilities that treated fewer than 15 clients
also offered a special program.
The special programs or groups reported in the survey
varied by the type of care—hospital inpatient, outpatient
and non-hospital residential—but programs for those with
co-occurring disorders or for adult women were consistently
among the most frequently reported.
Other special programs addressed the needs of those arrested for
driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or driving while intoxicated
(31 percent), other criminal justice clients (28 percent), adult men
(25 percent), pregnant or postpartum women (14 percent), people with
HIV/AIDS (11 percent), seniors (7 percent) and gays/lesbians (6 percent).
While the type of organization running a facility—private
non-profit group, private commercial group, or government
entity—did not affect whether a special program would be
offered, the primary treatment focus of a facility did.
Those facilities that offered substance abuse and mental
health services or solely substance abuse treatment were
more likely than other facilities, at 87 percent and 83
percent respectively, to offer a special program. Less
likely to offer a special program were general health care
and mental health facilities.
Facilities Offering Special Treatment Programs or
Groups: 2005
- Obtained free of charge from SAMHSA’s
Health Information Network. Request inventory number
DASISRPT07-0614.
- Telephone: 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727)
For related publications and information, visit
http://samhsa.gov/data/.
Related SAMHSA Resources:
SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department
of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving
the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance
abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health services
delivery system.