Racial and ethnic differences in substance abuse treatment initiation and engagement

This study examined variations by race and ethnicity in initiation and engagement, two performance measures of treatment for substance use disorders that focus on the timely receipt of services during the early stage of substance abuse treatment. Administrative data from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services were linked with facility-level information from the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services. We found that Black clients were least likely to initiate treatment, but no race or ethnic differences in treatment engagement were found when compared by race or ethnicity. Most client and facility characteristics' association with initiation or engagement did not differ across racial or ethnic groups. Increased attention is needed to understand what may contribute to the differences and how to address them. This study also offers an approach that state agencies may implement for monitoring treatment quality and examining racial and ethnic disparities in substance abuse treatment services.