Center for Substance Abuse Treatment

The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the federal agency responsible for promoting the quality and availability of substance abuse treatment services for individuals and families who need them. CSAT provides funding for residential and nonresidential substance abuse treatment programs through block grants to states for alcohol and drug treatment services, national demonstration projects, criminal justice system rehabilitation programs, and addiction counselor training programs.

The CSAT replaced the Office for Treatment Improvement (OTI), which was established in January 1990 as part of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) under the Department of Health and Human Services. When the SAMHSA replaced ADAMHA through reorganization in 1992, OTI became the CSAT

The organizational structure of CSAT consists of the Office of the Director, the Office of Program Analysis and Coordination, and three major divisions. The respective divisions of the CSAT are the Division of Services Improvement, The Division of State and Community Assistance (DSCA), and the Division of Pharmacologie Therapies.

The mission of the CSAT is to increase the availability of effective treatment and recovery services for individuals with alcohol and other drug problems. The primary mechanism to achieve this mission is through the administration of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. This grant is the responsibility of DSCA. In fiscal year (FY) 2008, the Block Grant was $1.8 billion, and 80% is devoted to treatment. This money is distributed to states, which in turn fund community-based treatment programs. The CSAT ensures that these funds are used to support evidence-based treatment and that data on the effectiveness of treatment are gathered.

To help meet its mission, CSAT provides several grant competitions, such as grants for Targeted Capacity Expansion Program for Substance Abuse Treatment and HIV/AIDS Services and State Incentive Grants for Treatment of Persons with [Page 160]Co-Occurring Substance Related and Mental Disorders, that are designed to help states and other groups meet emerging substance abuse problems and fill in gaps in substance abuse services. Pregnant and Postpartum Women grants are to provide residential treatment services for pregnant and postpartum women. Assertive Adolescent and Family Treatment grants are designed to provide family centered substance abuse treatment for adolescents and their families. Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention-State Implementation Cooperative Agreements promote state-level infrastructure improvement. Treatment for Homeless grants are intended to develop comprehensive alcohol and drug and mental health treatment systems for persons who are homeless. The Recovery Community Services Program is a grants project to design and deliver peer-to-peer recovery support services (http://rcsp.samhsa.gov).

CSAT promotes screening, brief intervention, referral, and treatment as a comprehensive, integrated public health approach to delivering early intervention and treatment services to those with substance abuse disorders, as well as to those who are at risk for developing those conditions (http://sbirt.samhsa.gov). Hospital emergency rooms, primary care centers, clinics, trauma centers, and other community settings are recognized to offer opportunities for early intervention with those at risk for becoming substance abusers before they experience more severe consequences.

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