D rug and A lcohol S ervices I nformation S ystem

The DASIS Report

March 2001 November 11, 2002

Characteristics of Substance Abuse

Facilities Owned by the Department
of Veterans Affairs: 2000

I
n 2000, 152 facilities owned by the
In Brief Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
responded to the National Survey of
● In 2000, the typical daily num- Substance Abuse Treatment Services
ber of clients enrolled in (N-SSATS). N-SSATS is an annual survey
VA-owned facilities was about of all facilities in the United States, both
three times higher than the public and private, that provide substance
number enrolled in non-VA abuse treatment. This report compares
facilities characteristics of VA-owned facilities with
the 13,276 non-VA-owned facilities.
● Almost 93 percent of VA-owned
facilities were located in or Size and Focus
operated by hospitals com-
pared with 15 percent of Based on the October 1, 2000 census of
non-VA-owned facilities facilities, the daily median number of
clients enrolled in VA-owned facilities was
● An average of 33 percent of
105 compared with a median of 36 clients
substance abuse treatment for non-VA-owned facilities.
clients enrolled in VA-owned
facilities were being treated for Although VA-owned facilities made up
alcohol abuse only compared only 1 percent of all facilities in N-SSATS,
they accounted for more than 3 percent of
with an average of 25 percent
the total reported client census.
of clients in non-VA-owned
facilities Almost 93 percent of VA-owned
facilities were located in or operated by

The DASIS Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA.
Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available on-line: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
Citation of the source is appreciated.
DASIS REPORT: CHARACTERISTICS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE FACILITIES OWNED BY THE DEPT. OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: 2000 November 11, 2002

Figure 1. Focus of Facility, by Type of Facility: Figure 2. Treatment Programs Offered in an

2000 Inpatient Setting, by Facility Type: 2000

100 100

80 80
Percent of Facilities

Percent of Facilities
63 61
60 60 51
47
41
40 40 36
29
25
19
20 20
10 8
5 2 3
0 0
Substance Mental General Mix of Mental Detoxification Rehabilitation Both
Abuse Health Health Health and Services
Care Substance
VA Non-VA Abuse VA Non-VA

Source: 2000 SAMHSA National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment (N-SSATS).

hospitals compared with 15

percent of non-VA-owned facili- Treatment Settings Types of Services
ties (data not shown). This is and Programs Of the 35 services and programs
reflected in the fact that 47 for special groups that were
Compared with non-VA-owned
percent of VA-owned facilities included in the N-SSATS survey,
facilities, a larger percentage of
had a general health care focus VA-owned facilities offered an
VA-owned facilities offered
compared with 2 percent of non- average of 23 different services
inpatient care (48 percent vs. 8
VA-owned facilities (Figure 1). compared with an average of 16
percent), residential care (40
VA-owned facilities were less services among non-VA-owned
percent vs. 27 percent), and
likely than non-VA-owned facilities (data not shown).
outpatient care (97 percent vs. 81
facilities to have a substance
percent) (data not shown). Among VA-owned facilities were
abuse only focus (29 percent vs.
inpatient programs, a higher more than twice as likely as non-
63 percent).
percentage of VA-owned facilities VA-owned facilities to offer
Facilities in N-SSATS were than non-VA-owned facilities hepatitis testing (94 percent vs. 24
asked to report the percentage of provided detoxification services percent), HIV testing (93 percent
clients enrolled in three mutually (61 percent vs. 41 percent) vs. 33 percent), TB screening (91
exclusive treatment categories: (Figure 2). VA-owned facilities percent vs. 37 percent), pharma-
alcohol abuse only, drug abuse were less likely than non-VA- cotherapy (91 percent vs. 41
only, and abuse of both drugs owned facilities to provide percent), and mental health
and alcohol. On average, 33 inpatient rehabilitation (3 percent assessments (89 percent vs. 44
percent of substance abuse vs. 8 percent). Among outpatient percent) (Table 1). VA-owned
treatment clients enrolled in VA- programs, a larger percentage of facilities were less likely to offer
owned facilities were in treatment VA-owned facilities than non-VA- child care (2 percent vs. 10
for alcohol abuse only compared owned facilities offered percent), programs or groups for
with an average of 25 percent of ambulatory detoxification (56 gays and lesbians (11 percent vs.
clients in non-VA-owned facilities percent vs. 16 percent), intensive 15 percent), and programs or
(data not shown). The average outpatient treatment (71 percent groups for women only (27
percentage of drug abuse only vs. 56 percent), and partial percent vs. 38 percent) (data not
clients was lower for VA-owned hospitalization programs (44 shown).
facilities than for non-VA-owned percent vs. 19 percent) (Figure 3).
facilities (15 percent vs. 20
percent).
November 11, 2002 DASIS REPORT: CHARACTERISTICS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE FACILITIES OWNED BY THE DEPT. OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: 2000

Figure 3. Treatment Programs Offered in an Table 1. Percentage of Facilities Offering

Outpatient Setting, by Facility Type: 2000 Selected Services: 2000

100 98 95
Service All Facilities Hospitals Only
80 VA Non-VA VA Non-VA
71
Percent of Facilities

60 56 56 Hepatitis Testing 94 24 95 58
44
40
HIV Testing 93 33 94 60

19
TB Screening 91 37 92 63
20 16
Pharmacotherapy 91 41 94 72
0
Ambulatory Regular Intensive Partial Mental Health
Detoxification Outpatient Outpatient Hospitalization
Assessment 89 44 88 64
VA Non-VA

VA-owned facilities were therapy was offered by 94 The median number of clients
more likely than non-VA-owned percent of VA-owned hospital enrolled in substance abuse
facilities to dispense methadone facilities compared with 72 treatment in VA-owned hospitals
or LAAM (22 percent vs. 9 percent of non-VA-owned on any given day in 2000 was
percent) (data not shown).1 VA- hospital facilities (Table 1). 106 compared with a median of
owned facilities were less likely 30 clients in non-VA-owned
Of the 35 services and pro-
than non-VA-owned facilities to hospital facilities (data not
grams for special groups that
have a special program for drunk shown).
were included in the N-SSATS
driving offenders (22 percent vs.
survey, VA-owned hospitals
36 percent). End Note
offered an average of 22 differ-
1
ent services compared with an LAAM (levo alphacetylmethadol) is a drug similar
to methadone with a longer duration of action.
Hospital Facilities average of 18 services among
non-VA-owned hospitals (data
Since a much larger percentage of not shown).
VA-owned facilities than non-VA-
owned facilities were located in
hospitals, a separate analysis
compared the 141 VA-owned The Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS) is an integrated data system maintained
hospitals with the 1,958 non-VA- by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). One component of DASIS is the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services
owned hospitals. When only (N-SSATS), an annual survey of all facilities in the United States, both public and private, that provide
substance abuse treatment. N-SSATS was formerly known as the Uniform Facility Data Set (UFDS).
hospital facilities were compared,
The DASIS Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA; Synectics for Manage-
the differences between VA- and ment Decisions, Inc., Arlington, Virginia; and RTI, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
non-VA-owned facilities were Information and data for this report are based on data reported to N-SSATS for the survey
reference date October 1, 2000.
generally smaller but still note-
worthy. For example, mental Access the latest N-SSATS/UFDS reports at: http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/dasis.htm

health assessments were offered Access the latest N-SSATS/UFDS public use files at: http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/SAMHDA.htm
by 88 percent of VA-owned Other substance abuse reports are available at: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov
hospital facilities compared with U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
64 percent of non-VA-owned Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Office of Applied Studies
hospital facilities, and pharmaco- www.samhsa.gov