Skip to Main Content

RTI uses cookies to offer you the best experience online. By and clicking “accept” on this website, you opt in and you agree to the use of cookies. If you would like to know more about how RTI uses cookies and how to manage them please view our Privacy Policy here. You can “opt out” or change your mind by visiting: http://optout.aboutads.info/. Click “accept” to agree.

Accept
RTI International
  • About
    • Office Locations
    • Executive Leadership
    • Corporate Governance
    • Partner with Us
      • U.S. Government
      • Clients and Funding Agencies
      • Industry and Commercial Clients
      • Foundations and Associations
      • Bilateral Agencies and Multilateral Banks
      • Universities and Academic Research Institutions
      • Suppliers and Small Businesses
    • Commitment to Quality
      • RTI's Client Listening Program
    • Ethics and Human Research Protection
    • Living Our Mission
    • Veteran Opportunities at RTI

    About

  • Practice Areas
    • Health
      • Public Health and Well-Being
      • Health Care Transformation
      • Behavioral Health
      • Health Behavior Change
      • Precision Medicine
      • RTI Health Solutions (RTI-HS)
      • RTI Center for Community Health Evaluation and Economics Research
      • Health Equity
      • RTI Health Advance
    • Transformative Research Unit for Equity​
      • Equity Capacity Building Hub
      • Social and Economic Justice Research Collaborative
      • Narrative Research and Community Engagement Lab
    • Education and Workforce Development
      • Early Childhood
      • K-12 Education
      • Postsecondary Education
      • Career and Adult Education and Workforce Development
      • Education Policy, Systems, and Governance
      • Education Research Methodologies
      • Education Technologies
    • International Development
      • Energy for Development
      • Environment
      • Global Food Security, Agriculture, and Nutrition
      • Global Health
      • International Education
      • Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Adapting (MERLA)
      • Youth and Economic Opportunity
      • Building Resilience Against COVID-19 in Developing Countries
      • Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
      • RTI Center for Governance
    • Climate Change
      • Clean Energy Technology and Renewables
      • Climate Finance
      • Climate Justice and Equity
      • Climate Planning, Preparedness and Resilience
      • Climate Policy
      • Climate Vulnerability, Adaptation, and Mitigation
      • Economic Impacts of Climate Change
    • Water
      • Food-Energy-Water Nexus
      • Water Quality
      • WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene)
      • Water Resources Management
    • Energy Research
      • Carbon Capture and Utilization
      • Biomass Conversion
      • Natural Gas
      • Energy Efficiency
      • Industrial Water
      • Syngas Processing
    • Environmental Sciences
      • Air Quality
      • RTI Center for Water Resources
      • Urban Sustainability
      • Toxics
      • Building Resiliency in the FEW Nexus
      • Climate Change Sciences and Analysis
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Justice
      • Sustainable Materials & Waste Management Solutions
    • Justice Research and Policy
      • RTI Center for Community Safety and Crime Prevention
      • RTI Center for Policing Research and Investigative Science
      • Child Well-Being and Family Strengthening
      • RTI Center for Forensic Sciences
    • Food Security and Agriculture
      • Market Systems Strengthening
      • Food Safety
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Global Food Security, Agriculture, and Nutrition
      • Climate-Smart Agriculture
      • Agricultural Innovation
      • Obesity Prevention
    • Innovation Ecosystems
      • Innovation Advising
      • Innovation for Economic Growth
      • Innovation for Emerging and Developing Economies
      • Innovation for Organizations
      • Research, Technology, and Innovation Policy
      • Technology Acceleration
    • Military Support
      • Military Behavioral Health
      • Military Health and Human Performance
      • Military Sexual Assault, Harassment, and Domestic Violence Prevention
      • Wearable Sensor Technologies
      • Military Health System Transformation

    Practice Areas

  • Services + Capabilities
    • Surveys and Data Collection
      • Survey Design
      • Instrument Development
      • Survey Methodologies
      • Data Collection
      • Establishment Surveys
      • Health Registries
      • Data Analysis and Reporting
      • Research Operations Center
    • Statistics and Data Science
      • Survey Statistics
      • Environmental Statistics
      • Coordinating Centers for Multisite Studies
      • Analysis and Design of Complex Data
      • Biostatistics
      • RTI Center for Data Science
    • Evaluation, Assessment and Analysis
      • Evaluation Design and Execution
      • Advanced Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
      • Evaluation, Monitoring, and Assessment
      • Economic Analysis
      • Evaluating Communication Interventions and Campaigns
      • Evidence Synthesis for Policy and Practice
      • Risk Assessment and Prediction
    • Program Design and Implementation
      • Systems Strengthening and Scaling
      • Capacity Assessment and Building
      • Policy Reform Support
      • Curriculum and Teacher Professional Development
      • Interventions and Prevention Programs
      • Implementation Science
    • Digital Solutions for Social Impact
      • Human-Centered Design of Digital Solutions
      • Digital Product Development
      • Digital Communication Campaigns
      • Digital Data Analytics
    • Research Technologies
      • Survey Technologies
      • Data Management and Decision Support Systems
      • Geospatial Science, Technology, and Visualization
      • ICT for Limited-Resource Settings
      • Mobile Applications
      • Web Applications
      • Bioinformatics
      • Interactive Computing
    • Drug Discovery and Development
      • Medicinal Chemistry
      • Molecular Design and Cheminformatics
      • Behavioral Pharmacology
      • Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK)
      • In Vitro Pharmacology, Bioassay Development, and High-Throughput Screening (HTS)
      • Isotope Labeling
      • Regulatory Consulting and Support for Medical Products
    • Analytical Laboratory Sciences
      • Bioanalytical and Toxicology Research
      • Forensic Sciences
      • Physicochemical Characterizations
      • Metabolomics
      • Proficiency Testing and Reference Materials
      • Microbiology
      • Analytical Chemistry and Pharmaceutics
    • Engineering & Technology R&D
      • Biomedical Technologies
      • Decarbonization Sciences
      • Environmental Exposure & Protection
      • Materials & Environment
      • Sustainable Energy Solutions

    Services + Capabilities

  • Centers
    • RTI Center for Advanced Methods Development
    • RTI Center for Communication Science
      • Communication Research
      • Communication Design
      • Communication Delivery
    • RTI Center for Data Science
    • RTI Center for Education Services
      • Teaching and Learning
      • Education Leadership
      • Peer Learning Networks
      • Strategic Consulting
    • RTI Center for Forensic Sciences
    • RTI Center for Global Noncommunicable Diseases
      • Program Financing & Economics for NCDs
      • Health Systems Strengthening for NCDs
      • Communication Science and Behavior Change for NCDs
      • Implementation Science for NCDs
    • RTI GenOmics, Bioinformatics, and Translational Research Center
      • Disability Studies
      • Ethics
      • Newborn Screening
    • RTI Center for Water Resources
      • Water Resources Sectors
      • Water Resources Services
      • Water Resources Tools
    • RTI Center for Governance
    • RTI Global Gender Center
    • North Carolina Center for Optimizing Military Performance
    • NCCU-RTI Center for Applied Research in Environmental Sciences
    • RTI Center for Climate Solutions

    Centers

  • Impact
    • Newsroom
    • Insights Blog
    • Events
    • Publications
    • RTI Press
      • About the RTI Press
      • Instructions for Authors
      • RTI Press Collections
    • Projects
    • Global Reach
      • Asia
      • Eastern Europe and Central Asia
      • RTI International India
      • Africa
      • Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
      • Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

    Impact

  • Experts
    • Our Experts
    • In-Depth With Our Experts
    • Related News
    • Experts In the Media
    • RTI Fellow Program

    Experts

  • Emerging Issues
    • COVID-19 Research
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Global Health Security
    • Cannabis Research
    • Opioid Research
      • Interventions for Opioid Use Disorders
      • Preventing Opioid Misuse and Overdose
      • Treating Opioid Use Disorders
    • Policing Research and Investigative Science
    • Drone Research and Application
    • E-cigarette Research
    • Zika Virus Research
    • Integrated Governance

    Emerging Issues

  • COVID-19 Research + Response
  • Global Reach
  • Insights Blog
  • Newsroom
  • RTI Press
  • Publications
  • Partner With Us
  • Careers
  • Facebook IconTwitter IconInstagram IconYouTube IconLinkedin Icon
  • Home
  • Impact
  • RTI Press
  • Tracking the quality of addiction treatment over time and across states

Tracking the quality of addiction treatment over time and across states

Using the federal government’s “signs” of higher quality

By Tami L. Mark, William N. Dowd, Carol L. Council.

July 2020 Open Access Peer Reviewed

DOI: 10.3768/rtipress.2020.rr.0040.2007

Check for Updates Download PDF
Mark, T. L., Dowd, W. N., & Council, C. L. (2020). Tracking the quality of addiction treatment over time and across states: Using the federal government’s “signs” of higher quality. RTI Press. RTI Press Research Report No. RR-0040-2007 https://doi.org/10.3768/rtipress.2020.rr.0040.2007
Copy citation
Share
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Linkedin
  • Email

Abstract

The objective of this study was to track trends in the signs of higher-quality addiction treatment as defined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Addiction, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. We analyzed the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services from 2007 through 2017 to determine the percent of facilities having the characteristics of higher quality. We analyzed the percent by state and over time.

• We found improvements between 2007 and 2017 on most measures, but performance on several measures remained low.

• Most programs reported providing evidence-based behavioral therapies.

• Half or fewer facilities offered medications for opioid use disorder; mental health assessments; testing for hepatitis C, HIV, and sexually transmitted diseases; self-help groups; employment assistance; and transportation assistance.

• There was significant state-level variation across the measures.

Creative Commons © 2023 RTI International. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Contents

  • Introduction
  • Methods
    • Data
      • Measures
        • Analysis
        • Results
          • National Averages
            • State Variation
            • Discussion
            • Acknowledgments
            • References

            Tracking the Quality of Addiction Treatment Over Time and Across States: Using the Federal Government’s “Signs” of Higher Quality

            By Tami L.MarkWilliam N.DowdCarol L.Council

            Introduction

            Individuals with substance use disorders and their families report challenges finding high-quality addiction treatment, as noted in recent Congressional hearings and by the media.1,2 According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health, one in five adults who felt a need for addiction treatment but did not receive treatment said the reason was because they did not know where to get it.3 For most health care provider types—hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, home health care, and hospice—the federal government sponsors online provider treatment locators that display quality measures for providers. For example, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’s Nursing Home Compare website allows the public to search for nursing homes and then compare them on structural quality measures like staff hours per resident and process and outcome measures drawn from inspection reports and clinical assessment data. Public-facing quality measures can drive quality improvements. CMS determined that performance improved on 60 percent of its 226 quality measures over 3 years.4

            SAMHSA hosts the Behavioral Health Treatment Locator to help consumers find behavioral health treatment.5 The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) hosts the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator to help consumers find treatment for alcohol use disorders.6 Both websites use the SAMHSA Inventory of Behavioral Health Services (I-BHS) and direct input from states and providers to identity providers.7 SAMHSA and NIAAA use information from the SAMHSA National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) to describe the services offered by each provider.

            Drawing from decades of research, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), NIAAA, and SAMHSA have identified principles or “signs” of higher-quality addiction treatment programs. NIDA describes “13 principles of effective treatment,” and NIAAA and SAMHSA advise consumers to look for “five signs of higher-quality treatment.”8–10

            The goal of this study was to determine what percentage of specialty addiction treatment facilities have the attributes or signs that indicate higher quality as identified by NIDA, NIAAA, and SAMHSA, to investigate whether the percentage of facilities offering higher quality has increased over time, and to reveal how the proportions vary by state. This information will help to focus efforts to improve addiction treatment quality.

            Methods

            Table 1 describes the characteristics put forth by NIDA, NIAAA, and SAMHSA. These agencies identify the following as signs of higher-quality programs:

            1. Program uses evidenced-based behavioral health therapies,

            2. Program offers medications for addiction,

            3. Program is accredited,

            4. Program attends to mental health and physical health needs,

            5. Program offers recovery support services,

            6. Treatment is readily available when needed,

            7. Program personalizes the treatment plan for each patient, and

            8. Patients stay in treatment long enough and receive continuous monitoring with adjustments to the treatment plan as needed.

            Data

            Data were from the N-SSATS for 2007–2017.11 SAMHSA conducts the N-SSATS, an annual survey of all addiction facilities in the United States. The survey collects information on facility characteristics, service modalities, specific services provided, and types and counts of clients served. SAMHSA collects the N-SSATS from all facilities in I-BHS, a census of all addiction treatment facilities in the United States that captures public and private facilities and residential, outpatient, opioid treatment programs, and detoxification programs. Response rates over the study period ranged from 89 to 95 percent of facilities. In 2017, 13,585 of 15,226 addiction facilities in the United States responded to the survey. As of 2014, SAMHSA administered an abbreviated version of the N-SSATS in even-numbered years; thus, data for the current study come from odd-numbered years.

            Signs of higher-quality addiction treatment, as identified by NIDA, NIAAA, and SAMHSA
            Signs/
            attributes of higher quality
            NIDA. Principles of Effective Treatment NIAAA. How to Spot Quality Treatment SAMHSA. Finding Quality Treatment for Substance Use Disorders
            Evidence-based behavioral therapies Behavioral therapies, including individual, family, or group counseling, are the most commonly used forms of drug use treatment. Science-based therapies. Evidence-based options include both behavioral treatments and medications. Types of evidence-based behavioral treatment include the following: cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, contingency management approaches, behavioral couples and family counseling, brief interventions, 12-step facilitation therapy, and mindfulness-based relapse prevention. Evidence-Based Practices. Does the program offer treatments that have been proven effective in treating substance use disorders, including medication management therapies like motivational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, drug and alcohol counseling, education about the risks of drug and alcohol use, and peer support?
            Medications to treat addictions Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies. Science-based therapies. Evidence-based options include both behavioral treatments and medications. Steer clear of any program, physician, or therapist who rejects medications out of hand (“We don’t believe in drugs” or “We only offer drug-free treatment”). Medication. Does the program offer US Food and Drug Administration–approved medication for recovery from alcohol and opioid use disorders?
            Accreditation Credentials: What are the provider's qualifications? For specialty alcohol treatment programs, look for (1) a current license and accreditation by an independent review board, (2) counseling staff with current licenses and certification in addiction treatment, (3) at least one medical doctor on staff (hospital/rehab programs) or available to consult as needed (outpatient programs). Accreditation. Has the program been licensed or certified by the state? Is the program currently in good standing in the state? Are the staff qualified? Good quality programs will have a good inspection record, and program staff should have received training in treatment of substance use and mental disorders and be licensed or registered in the state. Does the program conduct satisfaction surveys? Can they show you how people using their services have rated them?
            Assesses for/treats mental and physical health Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just their drug use. To be effective, treatment must address the individual’s drug use and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems. It is also important that treatment be appropriate to the individual’s age, gender, ethnicity, and culture. Treatment programs should test patients for the presence of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases and provide targeted risk-reduction counseling, linking patients to treatment if necessary. Many drug-addicted individuals also have other mental disorders. Because drug use and addiction often co-occur with other mental illnesses, patients presenting with one condition should be assessed for others. And when these problems co-occur, treatment should address both, including the use of medications as appropriate. Comprehensive assessment. Early in the treatment process, the health professional should assess the person’s alcohol use and other medical and behavioral issues. Steer clear of a provider who only asks about a person’s alcohol and drug use.
            Provides recovery supports An individual's treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that it meets changing patient needs. A patient may require varying combinations of services and treatment components during the course of treatment and recovery. In addition to counseling or psychotherapy, a patient may require medication, medical services, family therapy, parenting instruction, vocational rehabilitation, or social and legal services. For many patients, a continuing care approach provides the best results, with the treatment intensity varying according to a person’s changing needs. Continuing recovery support. A good treatment provider will work with each patient to develop a long-term strategy for ongoing recovery support after the initial treatment plan ends. Supports. Quality programs provide treatment for the long term, which may include ongoing counseling or recovery coaching and support and helps in meeting other basic needs like sober housing, employment supports, and continued family involvement.
            Rapid access to treatment Treatment needs to be readily available. Because individuals who are addicted to drugs may be uncertain about entering treatment, taking advantage of available services the moment people are ready for treatment is critical. Potential patients can be lost if treatment is not immediately available or readily accessible.
            Personalized treatment plan No single treatment is appropriate for everyone. Matching treatment settings, interventions, and services to an individual’s particular problems and needs is critical to their ultimate success in returning to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and society. Personalized treatment plan. Based on the results of a comprehensive assessment, the therapist or doctor should work with the person entering treatment to develop a customized treatment plan. The person should have a role in developing a treatment plan that might extend beyond their drinking or substance use. Treatment plans should be customized to the specific needs of each person and should change in response to their progress.
            Treatment for a long enough period of time, with continuous monitoring Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical. Research indicates that most addicted individuals need at least 3 months in treatment to significantly reduce or stop their drug use and that the best outcomes occur with longer durations of treatment. Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug use. Patients should be encouraged to continue drug treatment following detoxification. Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously because lapses during treatment do occur.
            Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)12; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)13; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).10

            Measures

            N-SSATS data captured five of the eight characteristics of higher-quality treatment described by NIDA, NIAAA, and SAMHSA. The provision of evidence-based behavioral therapies is captured in the N-SSATS questions that ask whether the facility uses the following evidence-based behavioral approaches with their patients “sometimes,” “often,” or “always”: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), 12-step facilitation, and contingency management. We interpret the facility as offering these approaches if they responded “sometimes” because the use of these services would not be appropriate for every patient (i.e., “always”). N-SSATS captures whether the facility offers addiction medications by asking whether the facility can provide methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone to treat opioid use disorders. We aggregate these separate questions to create a measure of whether the facility can provide at least one of these opioid use disorder medications.

            Facility accreditation is captured by N-SSATS questions about whether the facility was accredited by one of the following national accrediting organizations: The Joint Commission, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, National Committee for Quality Assurance, or Council on Accreditation. Routine assessment for mental health and physical conditions and ability to treat mental health conditions is measured using N-SSATS questions on whether the facility conducts mental health assessments, offers mental health services, and tests patients for hepatitis C, HIV, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). We aggregated these separate questions to create a measure of whether the facility tests for all of these conditions. Whether the facility offers recovery supports and which type of supports it offers is captured by N-SSATS questions that ask whether the facility offers peer support/mentoring, self-help groups, housing assistance, employment assistance, and transportation assistance.

            Analysis

            We calculated national averages for each measure and percent change over 2007, 2011, and 2017. We chose 2011 because it is close to the midpoint of the study period. We could not use the exact midpoint (2012) because data on some quality signals (e.g., evidence-based behavioral therapies) were not available in that year. We characterize variation across states in 2017 using the median and range of the metrics. We also created maps to portray variation among the states in 2017.

            Results

            National Averages

            As shown in Table 2, a greater percentage of addiction treatment facilities had attributes indicating higher quality in 2017 than in 2007. Most of the improvement occurred in the 2011–2017 period. Nonetheless, in 2017 fewer than 50 percent of facilities offered medications for opioid use disorder; testing for hepatitis C, HIV, and STDs; self-help groups; employment assistance; and transportation assistance.

            National averages of signs of higher-quality addiction facilities (2007, 2011, 2017)
            Attributes of treatment quality National averages
            (standard deviation)
            Percent change
            2007 2011 2017 2007–2017 2007–2011 2011–2017
            Provides evidence-based behavioral therapies
               Uses cognitive behavioral therapy 90% (30%) 91% (29%) 94% (24%) 4% 1% 3%
               Uses motivational interviewing 84% (37%) 87% (34%) 93% (26%) 10% 3% 7%
               Uses 12-step facilitation 87% (33%) 77% (42%) 73% (44%) −16% −13% −4%
               Use contingency management 50% (50%) 58% (49%) 56% (50%) 12% 16% −3%
            Provides medication to treat addiction
               Offers any medications for OUD 26% (44%) 31% (46%) 40% (49%) 52% 19% 27%
            Credentialing/accreditation
               Accredited by JC, CARF, NCQA, or COA 43% (49%) 43% (50%) 51% (50%) 19% 1% 18%
            Assesses/treats mental and physical health
               Performs comprehensive mental health assessment 42% (49%) 44% (50%) 52% (50%) 24% 7% 16%
               Provides mental health services 54% (50%) 60% (49%) 68% (47%) 26% 11% 13%
               Tests for hepatitis C, HIV, and STDs 16% (37%) 16% (37%) 18% (39%) 11% −3% 15%
            Supportive recovery environment
               Offers peer support/mentoring 45% (50%) 50% (50%) 57% (50%) 26% 12% 12%
               Offers self-help groups 47% (50%) 47% (50%) 46% (50%) −1% 0% −1%
               Offers employment assistance 34% (47%) 37% (48%) 39% (49%) 15% 9% 5%
               Offers housing assistance 43% (50%) 48% (50%) 54% (50%) 25% 10% 14%
               Offers transportation assistance 36% (48%) 39% (49%) 44% (50%) 20% 9% 11%
               Offers family counseling 72% (45%) 81% (39%) 83% (37%) 15% 12% 2%
            Note: Standard deviation in parentheses; CARF = Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities; COA = Council on Accreditation; JC = Joint Commission; NCQA = National Committee for Quality Assurance; OUD = opioid use disorder; STD = sexually transmitted disease.
            Source: Mark et al. analysis of N-SSATS 2007–2017.

            In 2017, over 90 percent of facilities reporting using CBT and MI, whereas 56 percent used contingency management. Approximately 40 percent of facilities provided medications used to treat opioid dependence (an increase from 26 percent of facilities in 2007). Roughly 51 percent of facilities were accredited in 2017. Only 18 percent of facilities screened or tested for hepatitis C, HIV, and STDs. Approximately 52 percent reported that they assess their patients for mental health comorbidities, and 68 percent reported providing mental health services. The most commonly offered recovery support service was family counseling (83 percent of facilities), followed by peer support (57 percent), housing assistance (54 percent), self-help groups (46 percent), transportation assistance (44 percent), and employment assistance (39 percent).

            State Variation

            The percentage of facilities having the attributes indicating higher quality varied significantly among the states in 2017 (Table 3). CBT and MI use was high in all states, ranging from 80 to 99 percent of facilities. In contrast, the percentage of facilities within a state using 12-step facilitation ranged from 43 to 89 percent, and the percentage using contingency management ranged from 37 to 72 percent. The provision of medications for opioid use disorder ranged from 10 percent of facilities (in Hawaii) to 81 percent (in Rhode Island). The percentage of accredited facilities ranged from 15 percent (Colorado, North Dakota) to 89 percent (Alaska, Wyoming). The rate of facilities that screened for hepatitis C, HIV, and STDs ranged from 5 percent (Hawaii) to 38 percent (Nevada). The percentage range for comprehensive mental health assessments was 20 percent (Hawaii) to 74 percent (Alaska), and the percentage range for delivery of mental health services was 27 percent (Hawaii) to 96 percent (Wyoming). The proportion of facilities that offered family counseling ranged from 67 percent (Washington, DC) to 98 percent (Mississippi, Wyoming).

            State variation in signs of higher-quality addiction facilities
            Attributes of treatment quality State median State range
            Provides evidence-based behavioral therapies
               Uses cognitive behavioral therapy 94% 80%–99%
               Uses motivational interviewing 93% 80%–99%
               Uses 12-step facilitation 74% 43%–89%
               Use contingency management 55% 37%–72%
            Provides medication to treat addiction
               Offers any MAT for OUD 36% 10%–81%
            Credentialing/accreditation
               Accredited by JC, CARF, NCQA, or COA 52% 15%–89%
            Assesses/treats mental and physical health
               Performs comprehensive mental health assessment 53% 20%–74%
               Provides mental health services 70% 27%–96%
               Tests for hepatitis C, HIV, and STDs 17% 5%–38%
            Supportive recovery environment
               Offers peer support/mentoring 56% 34%–78%
               Offers self-help groups 45% 23%–68%
               Offers employment assistance 37% 21%–60%
               Offers housing assistance 56% 24%–81%
               Offers transportation assistance 42% 22%–70%
               Offers family counseling 85% 67%–98%
            Note: CARF = Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities; COA = Council on Accreditation; JC = Joint Commission; MAT = medication-assisted treatment; NCQA = National Committee for Quality Assurance; OUD = opioid use disorder; STD = sexually transmitted disease.
            Source: Mark et al. analysis of National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) 2017.

            Figures 1 and 2 display maps of the percentage of facilities in each state having each quality characteristic in 2017. Figure 1 presents the evidence-based practices, medication, and accreditation characteristics. As noted, CBT and MI were used frequently in all states; 12-step facilitation and contingency management were more commonly used in certain regions (e.g., contingency management was used more commonly in the Southeast). Northeast states led the nation in the provision of medications to treat opioid use disorders, with over 60 percent of facilities providing medications in New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Rhode Island. Facilities were more likely to be accredited in the Eastern and Southcentral United States and less likely to be accredited in the upper Midwest.

            Figure 2 shows the mental and physical health and recovery supports characteristics. Comprehensive mental health assessments were most common in the Southeast (i.e., Mississippi, Tennessee), Midwest (i.e., Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin), and Mountain West (i.e., Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming). The provision of mental health services was highest in the Mountain West (i.e., Idaho, Utah, Wyoming) and parts of the Southeast (i.e., Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) and was lowest in some Midwestern states (i.e., Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota) and some parts of the Southeast (i.e., Alabama, South Carolina). Rates of screening for infectious diseases were low in all states.

            The percentage of facilities offering recovery supports differed among the states. Southern states (i.e., Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas) commonly offered peer support services and self-help group facilitation. Western states and diverse states like New York, Ohio, Vermont, and Wyoming frequently offered employment, housing, and transportation support. Most states offered family counseling. Data on these measures for all states for 2007, 2011, and 2017 are in an online appendix.

            State variation in signs of higher-quality addiction treatment: Evidence-based behavioral therapies, medication provision, and credentialing/accreditation, 2017

            Notes: CARF = Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities; COA = Council on Accreditation; JC = Joint Commission; MAT = medication-assisted treatment; MH = mental health; NCQA = National Committee for Quality Assurance; N-SSATS = National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services; OUD = opioid use disorder; STD = sexually transmitted disease.

            Source: Mark et al. analysis of N-SSATS 2017.

            State variation in signs of higher-quality addiction treatment: Provision of mental and physical health care and services supportive of recovery, 2017

            Notes: CARF = Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities; COA = Council on Accreditation; JC = Joint Commission; MAT = medication-assisted treatment; MH = mental health; NCQA = National Committee for Quality Assurance; N-SSATS = National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services; OUD = opioid use disorder; STD = sexually transmitted disease.

            Source: Mark et al. analysis of N-SSATS 2017.

            Discussion

            NIDA, NIAAA, and SAMHSA have compiled signs (i.e., attributes or principles) associated with higher-quality addiction treatment. SAMHSA and NIAAA have encouraged consumers to use these to help them select among treatment providers. SAMHSA and NIAAA also offer online directories consumers can use to search for addiction treatment specialty programs. However, in 2017, approximately half or fewer of the facilities that populate these online directories offered the following services that NIDA, NIAAA, and SAMHSA consider indicative of higher-quality addiction treatment: medications for opioid use disorder; mental health assessments; testing for hepatitis C, HIV, and STDs; self-help groups; employment assistance, and transportation assistance. Moreover, consumers’ ability to find facilities that offer these services vary greatly depending on where they live.

            Although the N-SSATS data have been collected by SAMHSA for many years and published in numerous peer-reviewed journal articles that describe addiction treatment programs, the data have limitations. First, N-SSATS relies on facilities to self-report information but does not verify it with secondary data sources like chart reviews. Second, the N-SSATS only captures information from specialty addiction facilities, but many individuals seek treatment outside of these specialty addiction treatment settings. The N-SSATS data exclude addiction treatment provided by independently practicing physicians, treatment in jails or prisons, and integrated care settings like primary care clinics. Third, the N-SSATS data do not capture several of the dimensions highlighted by the federal government as good practices, like rapid access to treatment, personalized treatment planning, and treatment for a sufficient time. Future efforts to capture these data elements could help improve consumers’ ability to find higher-quality treatment.

            Although the signs of higher quality endorsed by NIAAA, NIAAA, and SAMHSA are grounded in research, the quantity and quality of the evidence base differ among the signs. For example, there is strong evidence from numerous randomized clinical trials that medications to treat opioid use disorders are effective in improving patient outcomes. In contrast, evidence on the association between accreditation and effectiveness is more limited. Studies find that accredited specialty addiction treatment facilities are more likely to offer medications to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders but that accredited facilities are no more likely to offer CBT.14–17 We know of no research that demonstrates patients treated in accredited addiction treatment facilities have better outcomes on average. In general, more research is needed to build the evidence base to support and refine NIH’s and SAMHSA’s principles and signs of higher-quality addiction treatment.

            The characteristics of higher-quality addiction treatment programs described by the federal agencies and used in this paper are structure and process measures. Ideally, higher-quality addiction programs would be identified as providers whose patients have the best outcomes (after risk adjusting, such as for patient severity of illness at intake). The goal of addiction treatment is to reduce the symptoms of addiction like impaired functioning in social relationships and employment, excessive and dangerous substance use, and cravings. Using outcomes as a quality measure for addiction programs is particularly important because subtle (or “nonspecific”) factors that are difficult to capture in structure and process measures may be critical for the effectiveness of treatment, like an empathetic clinician–patient relationship.18,19

            The limitations of the data and the measures should not overshadow the main finding of this analysis—that many facilities do not appear to offer higher-quality addiction treatment. In general, governments have leveraged both market-based and regulatory approaches to improve the quality of health care. For example, a regulatory approach would be for states to align their licensing criteria with the criteria for higher quality established by NIH and SAMHSA. The federal government has encouraged improvements in substance use disorder treatment through its Medicaid demonstration authorities, which employ both incentives and regulatory levers. The CMS Medicaid 1115 substance use disorder demonstration allows states that want to participate to receive federal matching payments for residential addiction treatment, which has historically been excluded from Medicaid if those states meet “industry standards” for higher-quality addiction treatment.20

            Governments could also pursue market-oriented approaches like disseminating information on which facilities have higher-quality treatment and allowing market forces to react to that information. To date, the SAMHSA and NIAAA treatment locators do not include quality metrics that empower consumers to readily identify higher-quality programs. In contrast, CMS provider locators for nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, psychiatric hospitals, home health programs, and hospice programs all have public-facing locators linked to quality metrics. Public-facing quality measures can drive quality improvements by giving information that allows consumers to shop based on quality and by encouraging providers to compete for patients by improving their quality. Some states, like Connecticut, have mental health and addiction facility quality dashboards that display a facility’s outcomes relative to those of its peers and to benchmarks; however, these are not meant to be public-facing tools.21 The nonprofit organization Shatterproof is piloting a public-facing addiction treatment quality system. Research is needed to understand which of these approaches are most effective in promoting the quality of addiction treatment.

            Substance use disorders are a leading cause of death in the United States. Treatment can reduce death rates and restore an individual’s ability to function in major life domains. However, as with other areas of health care, there are gaps between what we know works and what treatment is delivered in practice. Although NIH and SAMHSA have tried to give consumers tools to find higher-quality providers, a large portion of providers do not offer the services described as indicative of higher-quality. Multipronged federal, state, and private initiatives are needed to close these quality gaps.

            Acknowledgments

            This work was supported by RTI International. We thank Julie Seibert and Gary Zarkin for their feedback on the research.

            RTI Press Associate Editor: Jennifer Griffin

            References

            1Grassley at hearing on one-year anniversary of landmark anti-opioid legislation: prepared opening statement by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa Chairman, Senate Finance Comm. hearing on treating substance misuse in America. 2019 Oct 24. Available from: https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/grassley-at-hearing-on-one-year-anniversary-of-landmark-anti-opioid-legislation
            2Armstrong D, Allen E. Desperate for addiction treatment, patients are pawns in lucrative insurance fraud scheme. Boston Globe. 2017 Jul 7.
            3Park-Lee E, Lipari RN, Hedden SL, Kroutil LA, Porter JD. Receipt of services for substance use and mental health issues among adults: results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. NSDUH Data Review. Bethesda (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2017 Sep [cited 2020 May 1]. Available from: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/receipt-services-substance-use-and-mental-health-issues-among-adults-results-2016-national
            4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 2018 national impact assessment of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality measures report. Baltimore (MD): CMS; 2018 Feb 28. Available from: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/QualityMeasures/Downloads/2018-Impact-Assessment-Report.pdf
            5Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Behavioral health treatment locator. c2020 [cited 2020 May 1] Available from: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
            6National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. NIAAA alcohol treatment navigator; c2020 [cited 2020 May 1]. Available from: https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/
            7Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Inventory of Behavioral Health Services (I-BHS); c2020 [cited 2020 May 1]. Available from: https://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/dasis2/isatsonline.htm
            8National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. How to spot quality treatment. 2018. c2020 [cited 2020 May 1] Available from: https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/how-to-find-alcohol-treatment/how-to-spot-quality-treatment
            9National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide. 3rd ed. Bethesda (MD): NIDA; 2018. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/preface. [cited 2019 Feb 4]
            10Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Finding quality treatment for substance use disorders. 2018. Available from: https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Finding-Quality-Treatment-for-Substance-Use-Disorders/PEP18-TREATMENT-LOC
            11Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS): 2017 data on substance abuse treatment facilities; 2018. [cited 2020 May 1] Available from: https://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/dasis2/nssats/2017_nssats_rpt.pdf
            12National Institute on Drug Abuse. Principles of effective treatment. In: Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide. 3rd ed. Bethesda (MD): NIDA; 2018. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/principles-effective-treatment [cited 2020 Apr 30]
            13National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator: step 3—choose quality care. [cited 2020 Apr 30] https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/how-to-find-alcohol-treatment/step-3-choose-quality-care
            14Alinsky RH, Hadland SE, Matson PA, Cerda M, Saloner B. Adolescent-serving addiction treatment facilities in the United States and the availability of medications for opioid use disorder. J Adolesc Health 2020 Apr;S1054-139X(20)30106-3.32336560
            15Knudsen HK, Roman PM. Dissemination, adoption, and implementation of acamprosate for treating alcohol use disorders. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2014;75(3):467–75. 10.15288/jsad.2014.75.46724766759
            16Knudsen HK, Ducharme LJ, Roman PM. Early adoption of buprenorphine in substance abuse treatment centers: data from the private and public sectors. J Subst Abuse Treat 2006;30(4):363–73. 10.1016/j.jsat.2006.03.01316716852
            17Bride BE, Abraham AJ, Roman PM. Organizational factors associated with the use of contingency management in publicly funded substance abuse treatment centers. J Subst Abuse Treat 2011;40(1):87–94. 10.1016/j.jsat.2010.08.00120850259
            18Wampold BE, Imel ZE. The great psychotherapy debate: The evidence for what makes psychotherapy work. New York: Routledge; 2015. 10.4324/9780203582015
            19Wild TC, Wolfe J. The clinical course of addiction treatment: the role of nonspecific therapeutic factors. In: Evidence-based addiction treatment. Burlington (MA): Elsevier, Inc; 2009. pp. 21–45. 10.1016/B978-0-12-374348-0.00002-1
            20Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 1115 substance use disorder demonstrations. c2020 [cited 2020 May 1] Available from: https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/innovation-accelerator-program/program-areas/substance-use-disorders/1115-substance-use-disorder-demonstrations/index.html
            21Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. DMHAS EQMI provider dashboard quality reports forums. 2013. Available from: https://www.ct.gov/dmhas/lib/dmhas/eqmi/DashboardForums.pdf

            Click cover to download publication

            Keep Exploring

            • icon-externallink-blue Created with Sketch.

              Full Text on PubMed Bookshelf

            • icon-externallink-blue Created with Sketch.

              HTML version [Scholastica]

            Sustainable Development Goals

            • Goal 3: Good Health and Well Being

            Contact

            To contact an author or seek permission to use copyrighted content, contact our editorial team

            • +1 919 541 6490
            • rtipress@rti.org

            Meet the Experts

            View All Experts
            William Dowd

            William N. Dowd

            Tami Mark

            Tami Mark

            Related Publications

            View All Press
            OCCASIONAL PAPER

            Bringing an equity-centered framework to research

            OCCASIONAL PAPER

            Culturally informed community engagement

            RESEARCH REPORT

            Substance misuse prevention program attendance

            RESEARCH BRIEF

            COVID-19’s impact on clinical research

            OCCASIONAL PAPER

            Social determinants of health

            OCCASIONAL PAPER

            Challenges facing CAHPS surveys and opportunities for modernization

            RESEARCH REPORT

            Artificially intelligent social risk adjustment

            OCCASIONAL PAPER

            The need for a diverse environmental justice workforce

            Recent Publications

            View All Press
            OCCASIONAL PAPER

            Bringing an equity-centered framework to research

            OCCASIONAL PAPER

            The Preschool Entitlement

            OCCASIONAL PAPER

            Culturally informed community engagement

            RESEARCH REPORT

            Substance misuse prevention program attendance

            RTI Logo
            Partner With Us
            • US Government
            • Commercial
            • Foundations & Associations
            • Multilateral Donors
            • Universities
            • Suppliers
            Site
            • Privacy Policy
            • Security Policy
            • Site Map
            • Terms of Use
            • Accessibility
            • Contact Us
            Contact Us
            Facebook Icon Twitter Icon Instagram Icon YouTube Icon Linkedin Icon
            delivering the promise of science
            for global good
            RTI Health Solutions RTI Innovation Advisors RTI Health Advance

            © 2023 RTI International. RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute. RTI and the RTI logo are U.S. registered trademarks of Research Triangle Institute.