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.

    • Private non-profit organizations
    • Private for-profit organizations
    • Local, county, or community governments
    • Federal government18
    • State governments
    • Tribal governments

53 percent
32 percent
6 percent
4 percent
4 percent
1 percent

    • Substance abuse treatment services
    • Mix of substance abuse treatment and mental health services
    • Mental health services
    • General health care
    • Other and unknown focus

66 percent
28 percent
4 percent
1 percent
< 1 percent

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.

    • Outpatient treatment
      • Regular outpatient care
      • Outpatient methadone/buprenorphine maintenance
      • Intensive outpatient treatment
      • Outpatient treatment/day hospitalization
      • Outpatient detoxification
    • Residential (non-hospital) treatment
      • Long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
      • Short-term treatment (30 days or fewer)
      • Detoxification
    • Hospital inpatient treatment

90 percent
50 percent
25 percent
12 percent
2 percent
1 percent
9 percent
6 percent
2 percent
1 percent
1 percent

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).

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

Clients under Age 18

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


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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