Treatment services received by Supplemental Security Income drug and alcoholic clients

This study examined self reported problems and treatment services received by 237 recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for "drug abusers and alcoholics" who had been assigned and entered into substance ab use treatment. All were administered the Treatment Services Review (TSR), a brief interview in which patients describe treatment services they have re ceived during the past month and substance-related problems they are curren tly experiencing. In addition to describing serious alcohol and drug proble ms, SSI recipients reported a need for treatment for medical and psychiatri c problems. The TSR data revealed that these clients primarily received dru g and alcohol services and more limited medical, psychiatric, and employmen t services during treatment. There was relatively little indication of the provision of legal or family/social treatment services. The data are consis tent with other findings that indicate that treatment for substance depende nce provides only limited services other than those for alcohol and drug ab use. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.