Attach B 2011 OTP Alert Letter

Attachment B: OTP ALERT LETTER

February 2011

Dear Facility Director:

As you may know, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsors an annual survey of substance abuse treatment facilities called the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services or N-SSATS. The N-SSATS collects data from every known substance abuse treatment facility in the country. The data collected include information about facility characteristics, the types of services offered, and the number of clients receiving substance abuse services at each facility on March 31, 2011.

This year, SAMHSA is also sponsoring the 2011 Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) Survey for substance abuse treatment facilities that operate certified OTPs. The data from the OTP Supplement will provide practitioners and state and Federal officials with a better understanding of the types of treatments and services available, staffing and patient characteristics, and organizational features specific to OTPs. Findings from this voluntary OTP survey will supplement information collected by the annual N-SSATS and will be published by SAMHSA in a separate report on Opioid Treatment Programs. The answers you provide during this survey will be completely confidential. The data will only be shown as an aggregate and your facility’s individual answers will not be identifiable. Current plans are to conduct the OTP supplement this year and again in 2014.

All of the approximately 1,200 substance abuse treatment facilities recognized by SAMHSA as operating a certified OTP have been selected to participate in this first ever OTP Supplement. The information you provide will help SAMHSA assess the scope of services currently provided by certified OTPs and how they might address unmet facility and client needs.

Mathematica Policy Research has been contracted by SAMHSA to conduct both the N-SSATS and OTP surveys. When you receive the N-SSATS questionnaire packet in early April, you will find enclosed an envelope marked “2011 Opioid Treatment Program Survey.” That envelope will contain instructions for completing the OTP survey on the Internet, as well as other informational materials.

We look forward to receiving your completed OTP survey. If you have questions about either survey, please contact the OTP Helpline at 1-888-324-8337 or visit http://info.nssats.com. Thank you in advance for your participation.

Sincerely,

Peter J. Delany, Ph.D., LCSW-C

RADM USPHS

Director, Center for Behavioral Health

Statistics and Quality