Chapter 5

Client Characteristics

Facility Operation and Primary Focus
Type of Care
Substance Abuse Problem and Co-occurring Mental Health Disorders
Clients under Age 18

This chapter describes key characteristics of the 1,175,462 clients in substance abuse treatment on March 31, 2010. Clients in treatment were defined as: 1) hospital inpatient and residential (non-hospital) clients receiving substance abuse treatment services on March 31, 2010, and 2) outpatient clients who were seen at the facility for a substance abuse treatment or detoxification service at least once during the month of March 2010, and who were still enrolled in treatment on March 31, 2010.

Facility Operation and Primary Focus

Table 5.1. Facilities were asked to designate the type of entity responsible for the operation of the facility. They were also asked to designate the facility's primary focus of activity.

• The proportions of clients in treatment on March 31, 2010, by facility operation were:
  

• The proportions of clients in treatment on March 31, 2010, by facility primary focus of activity were:¹⁹

Type of Care

Tables 5.2a, 5.2b, and 5.2c. Facilities were asked how many clients in treatment on March 31, 2010, received specified subcategories of type of care within three broad categories.

• On March 31, 2010, the proportions of clients receiving different types of care were:

• As shown previously [Table 5.1] the majority of clients (53 percent) were in facilities operated by private non-profit organizations. The majority of clients in most of the individual types of care were also in private non-profit facilities. However, the majority of clients in outpatient methadone/buprenorphine maintenance (54 percent) and in outpatient detoxification (53 percent) were in facilities operated by private for-profit organizations.
• More than three-quarters (76 percent) of clients in residential (non-hospital) treatment were in facilities operated by private non-profit organizations.

Substance Abuse Problem and Co-occurring Mental Health Disorders

Table 5.3. Facilities were asked to estimate the proportions of clients in treatment on March 31, 2010, by substance abuse problem treated (alcohol abuse only, drug abuse only, or both alcohol and drug abuse).

• On March 31, 2010, 43 percent of all clients were in treatment for both alcohol and drug abuse, 39 percent were in treatment for drug abuse only, and 18 percent were in treatment for alcohol abuse only.
  • By facility operation, the highest proportion of clients in treatment for abuse of both alcohol and drugs was in local government-operated facilities (51 percent). For abuse of drugs only, the highest proportion of clients was in private for-profit facilities (52 percent); for abuse of alcohol only, the highest proportion was in tribal-operated facilities (32 percent).
  • At facilities with a primary focus of substance abuse treatment services, 39 percent of clients were in treatment for abuse of both alcohol and drugs. Facilities with other foci of services reported very similar proportions of clients in treatment for abuse of both alcohol and drugs (49 to 52 percent).

Facilities were asked to estimate the proportion of clients in treatment with diagnosed co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders.

• On March 31, 2010, 43 percent of clients who were in treatment had a diagnosed co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder.
  • The highest proportions of clients with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders were in Federal government-operated facilities (62 percent) and in facilities with a primary focus of mental health services (71 percent).

Clients under Age 18

Table 5.4. Facilities were asked how many clients in treatment on March 31, 2010 were under age 18.

• There were 81,863 clients under age 18 in substance abuse treatment on March 31, 2010, some 7 percent of the total 1,175,462 clients in treatment on that date.
• Clients under age 18 in substance abuse treatment on March 31, 2010, were more likely to be in private non-profit facilities than the general client population (66 vs. 53 percent, respectively) [Table 5.1]. Private for-profit facilities accounted for 32 percent of all clients in treatment but only 20 percent of clients under age 18.
• Fifty-six percent of clients under age 18 were in facilities with a primary focus of substance abuse treatment, compared to 66 percent of all clients [Table 5.1]. More than one third (38 percent) of clients under age 18 were in facilities whose primary focus was provision of a mix of substance abuse treatment and mental health services compared to 28 percent of the total client population.
• Table 5.5. The proportion of adolescents receiving each type of care was similar to the total treatment population [Table 5.2b]. Most (87 percent) were in outpatient treatment, 11 percent were in residential (non-hospital) treatment, and 2 percent were in hospital inpatient treatment.
  

¹⁸ Data for the Federal agencies specified in the survey (the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Indian Health Service, and other unspecified Federal agencies) are detailed in the tables.
¹⁹ Percentages do not sum to 100 percent because of rounding.

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