Does centralized intake improve drug abuse treatment outcomes?

This study was designed to assess whether centralized intake and assessment in a drug abuse treatment system would lead to improved outcomes. Clients entering treatment through a centralized intake unit (CIU) or through indiv idual programs (non-CIU) were interviewed at admission, and at I month and I year postadmission. Interviews included measures of treatment access and satisfaction, psychiatric symptoms, social support, and Addiction Severity Index composite scores. At treatment entry, CIU participants had more emplo yment and psychological problems and lower social support, were more often required to be in treatment, and were more often placed on a waiting list. In analyses controlling for baseline differences between groups, there were main effects of time, but no CIU status effects or CIU status by time inte ractions. The CIU may have improved access to treatment for a more disabled population; however, clients entering treatment through the CIU did not ha ve better outcomes than those entering treatment directly. (C) 2001 Elsevie r Science Inc. All rights reserved.