Recorded presentation

Rosanna M. Coffey, PhD, Linda Graver, and Don Schroeder, PhD. The Medstat Group, 4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, 202-719-7822, Rosanna.Coffey@Medstat.com

A population particularly difficult to track in terms of treatment utilization and costs is the population with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders, a group that primarily uses services provided through multiple public agencies. Special data linking MH agency, SA agency, and Medicaid data is needed to fully understand this population. SAMHSA has assembled data under the Integrated Data Base (IDB) Project to achieve this linking for three States – Delaware, Oklahoma, and Washington. This study uses the IDB to examine expenditures on clients with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders compared to clients with single disorders in 1997. Results suggest that clients with co-occurring disorders account for 13% to 32% (depending on the State) of all expenditures on clients with mental and/or substance use disorders. Because co-occurring clients represent only 7% to 17% (depending on the State) of all clients with mental and/or substance use disorders, co-occurring clients consume roughly twice the amount of resources as they represent among all clients with mental or substance use disorders. Our results also suggest that expenditures per client with co-occurring disorders in 1997 was $5,000 to $11,000 (depending on the State), which is nearly double the amount spent only clients with mental disorders only and nearly 4 times the amount spent on clients with substance use disorders only. This study also examines characteristics of clients with co-occurring disorders and their levels of utilization and expenditures by service type (inpatient, residential, outpatient, and psychotropic drugs). Policy implications are also explored.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Evaluate the extent to which expenditures on clients with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders compare to clients with single disorders in 1997.
• Evaluate extent to which MH/SA treatment utilization and expenditures for individuals with co-occurring disorders vary by service type (inpatient, residential, outpatient, and psychotropic drugs).

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation