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Table 1 Pre-admission metric definitions and national averages for SUD RRTPs and MH RRTPs with a SUD track

From: VA residential substance use disorder treatment program providers’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers to performance on pre-admission processes

Metric

Definition

SUD RRTPs*

MH RRTPs with a SUD track*

Data (SD)

Data (SD)

Wait time

 Mean days from screen to admission (based on patient-level wait times from 42 SUD RRTPs and 19 MH RRTPs with a SUD track)

Time (days) between screen and admission, averaged at the program level, for Veterans screened with a 596 stop code** and admitted to a residential SUD treatment program

17 days (35.46)

11 days (34.49)

 Percent of admissions with >7 day wait (for SUD RRTPs, based on 1047 out of 4550 Veterans, and for MH RRTPs with a SUD track, based on 676 out of 1780 Veterans)

Percent of Veterans admitted to a residential SUD treatment program who waited >7 days after screening to enter the program

23%

38%

Engagement while waiting

 Percent of weeks with any outpatient SUD or MH contact (based on patient-level number of waiting weeks)

Among Veterans who waited >7 days between screening and admission to residential SUD treatment, percent of weeks while waiting in which Veterans received at least one outpatient SUD or MH contact

55% (.336)

47% (.389)

 Percent of weeks with any outpatient SUD contact only (based on patient-level number of waiting weeks)

Among Veterans who waited >7 days between screening and admission, percent of weeks while waiting in which Veterans received at least one outpatient SUD contact

39% (.355)

24% (.343)

 Percent of weeks with any outpatient MH contact only (based on patient-level number of waiting weeks)

Among Veterans who waited >7 days between screening and admission, percent of weeks while waiting in which Veterans received at least one outpatient MH contact

31% (.31)

35% (.34)

  1. Data are from fiscal year (FY) 2012
  2. SUD substance use disorder, RRTP Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program, MH mental health, SD standard deviation
  3. * Includes programs with less than 10 admissions
  4. ** The 596 clinic stop code was activated in FY 2009 and indicates RRTP Admission Screening Services. Per the VHA Handbook 1162.02, this code must be used to document a screening for residential treatment. Any outpatient SUD or MH contact is defined in this paper as any SUD or MH outpatient care (e.g., psychotherapy, group or individual therapy, case management, or phone contact)