The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #47321

Paul M. Roman, PhD¹, J. Aaron Johnson, PhD², and Hannah K. Knudsen, MA². (1) Institute for Behavioral Research, University of Georgia, 101 Barrow Hall, D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, 7065426090, proman@arches.uga.edu, (2) Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Services Delivery, University of Georgia, 101 Barrow Hall, D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602

Does profit status make a difference? This question has not been addressed in health services research on substance abuse treatment. As competition for funding increases in the public sector, the private sector grows in importance. There has been little systematic study of the private sector in the delivery of substance abuse treatment services. The National Treatment Center Study has been underway since 1995 with a focus on a carefully drawn national sample of reatment programs that are privately supported, i.e. do not receive a significant portion of their support from dedicated government funds. The study began with a sample of 450 centers, and a split panel design has been used to sustain a sample size of 400 through the second and third wave of on-site data collections. The purpose of this paper is to present comparisons of for-profit and not-for-profit status of treatment programs in terms of trends in growth and development and treatment center closure. We also address similarities and differences between the two type of centers on the following sets of variables, taking advantage of the three waves of longitudinal data: Service Structure, including diversification of services, comprehensiveness of service provision, patient mix, adoption of new treatment practices, marketing strategies; Managerial Structure, including mode of governance within the center, participative management, board activity; Organizational Performance, including operation at capacity, efficiency of operation, growth, profit or excess revenues; and Human Resource Management, including staff turnover, provision of training and career development, and benefits services provided to treatment center employees.

Learning Objectives:

• The audience will learn about the structure and distribution of private substance abuse treatment programs in the United States. The audience will learn about the different dimensions of organization and management of treatment programs that are addressed in research, and how they are measured. The audience will learn what differentiates for-profit and non-profit status in substance abuse service delivery.

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.