Chapter 5 presents data on the reason for discharge and median length of stay (LOS) in treatment for the 138,068 discharges aged 12 and older from long-term residential treatment in 2008. Forty-six of the 47 reporting States and jurisdictions had discharges from this type of service [Table 5.1].

Reason for Discharge

Table 5.1 and Figure 5.1. Of the 138,068 discharges aged 12 and older from long-term residential treatment in 2008:

• 46 percent (n = 63,066) completed treatment
• 16 percent (n = 21,927) were transferred to further treatment
• 25 percent (n = 35,093) dropped out of treatment
• 8 percent (n = 11,116) had treatment terminated by the facility
• 5 percent (n = 6,866) failed to complete treatment for other reasons
  

Median Length of Stay (LOS)

Table 1.4 and Figure 5.2. The median LOS in 2008 for long-term residential treatment discharges aged 12 and older was 59 days. By reason for discharge, the median LOS for long-term residential treatment discharges was:

• 90 days among those who completed treatment
• 38 days among those who transferred to further treatment
• 29 days among those who dropped out of treatment
• 48 days among those whose treatment was terminated by the facility
• 45 days among those who failed to complete treatment for other reasons

Characteristics at Admission

Table 1.6. Long-term residential discharges aged 12 and older displayed some major differences from all discharges aged 12 and older combined. Of long-term residential discharges aged 12 and older:

• 20 percent reported cocaine as the primary substance of abuse compared to 12 percent of all discharges; 16 percent reported stimulants compared to 8 percent of all discharges; 30 percent reported alcohol compared to 41 percent of all discharges
• 68 percent had been in treatment one or more times compared to 57 percent of all discharges
• 25 percent were individually referred to treatment compared to 33 percent of all discharges
• 92 percent were unemployed or not in the labor force compared to 73 percent of all discharges

Treatment Completion

Tables 5.2 and 5.3. Table 5.2 enumerates the characteristics at admission of discharges aged 12 and over from long-term residential treatment by reason for discharge. Table 5.3 is based on Table 5.2. It presents two related proportions: a) the percent distribution of characteristics at admission among discharges completing treatment or transferring to further treatment compared to those who did not complete treatment, and b) the combined rate of completion or transfer to further treatment by characteristic at admission. Table 5.3 also provides the median LOS among long-term residential treatment discharges aged 12 and over that completed treatment.

Completion/Transfer Rates and Characteristics at Admission

Tables 5.2 and 5.3. The overall combined treatment completion/transfer rate among long-term residential treatment discharges aged 12 and over was 62 percent.

• Among variables whose categories represented a continuum—age, frequency of use, number of prior treatment episodes, and level of education—higher completion/transfer rates among long-term residential treatment discharges aged 12 and over were associated with:
  • Older age—the completion/transfer rate fell from 70 percent among discharges older than 50 years to 59 percent among discharges aged 12 to 30
  • Less frequent use—the completion/transfer rate fell from 66 percent among discharges who reported no substance use in the month before treatment entry to 55 percent among discharges who reported daily substance use
  • No prior treatment episodes—the completion/transfer rate was 65 percent among discharges with no prior treatment episodes compared to 58 percent among discharges with one or more prior treatment episodes
  • Higher educational level—66 percent of discharges with more than 12 years of education completed treatment or transferred to further treatment; the rate fell to 58 percent among discharges with fewer than 12 years of education
• Among other characteristics (race/ethnicity, primary substance, treatment referral source, employment status), the completion/transfer rate among long-term residential treatment discharges aged 12 and over ranged from:
  • 56 percent among non-Hispanic Black discharges to 66 percent among discharges of race/ethnicities other than Hispanic, White, or Black
  • 54 percent among discharges who reported opiates as the primary substance to 71 percent among those who reported stimulants as the primary substance
  • 59 percent of discharges who were referred to treatment by a health care or community provider to 65 percent of discharges who were referred to treatment through the criminal justice system
  • 61 percent among discharges who were unemployed or not in the labor force to 72 percent among discharges who were employed

Median LOS among Discharges Completing Treatment

• The median LOS was longest among non-Hispanic Black discharges (102 days) and among discharges who reported opiates as the primary substance (96 days)
• The median LOS was shortest (58 days) among discharges who were employed at admission

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