A profile of the substance abuse treatment industry: organization, costs, and treatment completion

Nationally representative data from the Alcohol and Drug Services Study, conducted between 1996 and 1999, are used to explore the structure and operation of the substance user treatment industry in the United States. The empirical relationship among client (N=4945) retention and completion, types and use of counseling and medical personnel, diagnostic mix, client demographics, the level of services used, and the cost of treatment in different treatment settings is discussed using tabular presentation and tests of significance. Limitations of the analysis are outlined. This information and analysis are expected to help the research community understand the potential of the ADSS data in addressing many important questions about substance user treatment.