Drug treatment services: funding and admissions

Data from SADAP indicate that total alcohol and other drug treatment monies expended during FY 1988 in programs that receive at least some State funds were more than $1.6 billion. Also, data from NDATUS for the fiscal year encompassing October 30, 1987, demonstrate that total monies from all sources for drug abuse treatment (excluding alcohol, but including non-State-funded programs) exceeded $1.3 billion. Total other drug client treatment admissions as reported in SADAP for FY 1988 were 518,851; the number of other drug abuse clients in treatment as reported in NDATUS as of October 30, 1987, was 260,151. From a meeting of experts convened by NASADAD on September 2, 1987, the annual estimated cost of drug treatment (excluding detoxification) for needle users at that time ranged from $2,300 for outpatient drug-free, to $3,000 for outpatient methadone maintenance, to $14,600 for adult nonhospital residential drug-free, to $18,000 for adolescent nonhospital residential drug-free. The above data and lack of data point to the need for more extensive well-designed data collection studies on the cost, capacity, and utilization of drug treatment services. Today, significant information gaps exist. Such data are required for the administration, Congress, and States to better plan for the availability, accessibility, and support of expanded alcohol and other drug dependency treatment services for persons in need of such treatment services.