N-SUMHSS Advance Letter final

5600 Fishers Lane • Rockville, MD 20857
www.samhsa.gov • 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727)

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[Date]

Dear Facility Director:
We are writing to bring your attention to the upcoming 202X National Substance Use and Mental Health
Services Survey (N-SUMHSS). The N-SUMHSS is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA). It is a voluntary annual survey of all active substance use and mental
health facilities in the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia. General topics include services
that your facility provides and summary-level information about clients you have treated. The N-SUMHSS is
the most comprehensive snapshot of the United States substance use and mental health treatment landscape.
Your facility’s participation will help researchers, policy makers, and facility directors like you better
understand the national treatment resource landscape, and support informed, evidence-based planning.
In [MONTH], you will receive an invitation packet from ICF, an independent research company who will be
conducting the 202X N-SUMHSS data collection. This packet will include all the information you need to
participate, including your web survey login. Here are some things you can do to get ready.
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Please ask your staff to look for this mailing and email in [MONTH], and mark your
calendars.
If your organization has facilities at more than one location, each location will receive this
letter and the invitation. You will find that some questions in the N-SUMHSS survey are
meant to be answered by one person on behalf of all facility locations. Other questions are
best answered by each individual facility. Some facilities find it helpful to discuss their plan
for responding before receiving the invitation letter.

In addition to helping us understand substance use and mental health services in the United States, there are
two reasons you should consider participating in the N-SUMHSS:
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Participating facilities will have the option of being listed on FindTreatment.gov
(https://findtreatment.gov), which will make others aware of your services, and help you
reach potential clients in your community you do not currently reach. Your facility must
complete the N-SUMHSS every year to maintain your listing on FindTreatment.gov.
Data from the N-SUMHSS will be available at SAMHSA’s data dissemination website
(https://www.samhsa.gov/data/).

Behavioral Health is Essential to Health • Prevention Works • Treatment is Effective • People Recover

If your facility no longer provides substance use or mental health treatment, has changed address, or if
you have any questions about the survey, please call the N-SUMHSS helpline at (833) 302-1759 or send an
email to [email protected]. You will also be able to tell us this on the questionnaire. To find out more
about the survey, visit https://info.nsumhss.samhsa.gov. We look forward to your participation in the 202X
N-SUMHSS!
Sincerely,

Heydy Juarez
BHSIS Project Officer
Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality
SAMHSA

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) • 1-800-487-4889 (TDD) • www.samhsa.gov