New Report on Billion Dollar Burden of Substance Abuse and Addiction Shows Need for Change in How Services Are Provided, Says Leading Expert

SEYMOUR, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new report detailing the $467.7 billion burden that substance abuse and addiction place on federal, state and local governments, means that the delivery of treatment therapies must be reformed so that providers are licensed to offer same time, same place treatment that will stop the repeated cycles of failure and personal destruction suffered by those in need, according to Jacqueline Dawes, founder and president of Brookhaven Retreat, America's premier treatment center for emotional trauma and addiction that offers female-specific treatment.

According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University’s Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets, which is based on three years of research and analysis and the most conservative assumptions, the federal government spent $238.2 billion; states, $135.8 billion; and local governments, $93.8 billion, in 2005 (the most recent year for which data were available over the course of the study) dealing with tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse.

“The issues of mental health and substance abuse cannot be separated, or broken apart and put in their own little boxes far away from the rest of the world,” said Dawes. “They must be addressed head on, so that those in need who suffer from co-occurring issues, or both mental health and substance abuse addiction at once, may be equipped with the tools necessary to resolve their issues.”

“This CASA report shows the impact of licensure statutes that prohibit providers from offering both mental health and substance abuse therapy under one roof, at the same time,” said Dawes. “We, as a nation, end up with patients essentially denied of the full services they need while we all witness the crushing toll it exacts on those in need, their families and everyone in their community.”

“In these difficult financial times, each and every state and its citizens need all of the resources it has available for schools, roads and other essential programs,” stated Dawes. “It is time for the United States to change the old thinking about mental health and substance abuse so we can break the cycle and make it possible for people to get well and reduce the financial burden addiction places on government and taxpayers.”

About Brookhaven Retreat

Brookhaven Retreat is a unique, voluntary residential treatment facility specially designed to help women overcome emotional trauma or addiction challenges. The fully accredited and certified dual-diagnosis center is America's premier treatment center for emotional trauma and addiction and offers female-specific treatment. Located on 48 beautiful acres in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, it offers modern, holistic care with compassion and respect from a highly trained expert staff of licensed therapists, physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed practical nurses. Visit www.brookhavenretreat.com for more information.