Attachment B7 - 2007 Cover Letter

Attachment B7
NSSATS 2007 cover letter; on-line questionnaire access
instructions; and frequently asked questions sheet

Attachment B7 (N-SSATS 2007 cover letter; on-line questionnaire
access instructions; and frequently asked questions sheet
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration
Rockville, MD 20857

March 2007

Dear Facility Director:
I am writing to request your participation in the 2007 National Survey of Substance Abuse
Treatment Services (N-SSATS). The N-SSATS is an annual survey of substance abuse
treatment facilities sponsored by the Federal Government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA). Mathematica Policy Research of Princeton, NJ, has been
contracted by SAMHSA to conduct the data collection for this survey.
Your participation in the N-SSATS is important. This is the only comprehensive source of
information on the kinds of treatment services that are available in this country and the number
of persons in treatment. This information is used to help policymakers at all levels make
informed decisions about substance abuse treatment policies. In addition, survey responses are
used to update SAMHSA’s National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs
and the online Treatment Facility Locator (http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov).
More facilities are completing the N-SSATS questionnaire on the Internet each year. If you have
not already experienced the ease of completing the N-SSATS online, we encourage you to try it
this year. Simply log on to the Internet and follow the instructions on the pink flyer enclosed
with this packet. The flyer provides the Internet address to access the questionnaire as well as
your facility’s unique user ID and password. If you cannot complete the questionnaire online, or
prefer not to, a paper version of the questionnaire is enclosed in this packet.
It is important that you (or another person knowledgeable about the facility’s daily operations
and administrative aspects) complete the questionnaire. If you have any questions about the
survey or need additional questionnaires, please call the N-SSATS helpline at 1-888-324-8337.
Thank you for your participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Javaid Kaiser, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Applied Studies
Enclosures
NOTE: The N-SSATS questionnaire is designed to collect information about a single facility at a single
location, that is, the facility whose name and address is printed on the questionnaire’s cover. If your
organization offers treatment services at more than one location and you receive a questionnaire for each,
please complete and return a separate questionnaire for each location.

WANT TO KNOW A FAST AND EASY WAY TO COMPLETE
YOUR N-SSATS QUESTIONNAIRE?
ANSWER: DO IT ON THE INTERNET
Here’s what some have said about completing their N-SSATS on the Internet!
• “I found it very easy to answer this questionnaire on-line.”
• “The online survey is more convenient and easier to fit into one’s day.”
• “I love this computer survey. I remember in the past someone would have to be on my
case all the time to get this mailed. Thank you for making this kind of fun.”
• “Your computer questionnaire was easy to use, was very clear, and “user friendly.”
Thank you.”

TO RESPOND ON THE INTERNET:
1) LOG ON AT: http://nssats.mprnj.com

(THIS IS A SECURE SITE.)

2) ENTER YOUR FACILITY’S UNIQUE USER ID AND PASSWORD:
USER ID:

[FIELD 1]
(ALL NUMBERS)

PASSWORD:

[FIELD 2]
(2 LETTERS; 6 NUMBERS)

3) THAT’S IT – YOU’RE READY TO START
We hope you will take advantage of the speed and ease of completing this year’s survey online. Of
course, you still have the option of filling out the paper questionnaire and returning it to MPR in the
prepaid envelope provided.
If you have any questions about the survey or responding on the Internet, please contact us at our
toll-free helpline or by e-mail.

Telephone Helpline: (888) 324-8337
E-mail: nssatsweb@mathematica-mpr.com

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPLETING
THE NATIONAL SURVEY OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT SERVICES
(N-SSATS)

1. This is a privately-owned facility. We don’t get any Federal, State, or local
funds. Do we have to participate in the survey? It is very important to have
information about all substance abuse treatment providers so that we can properly
describe our national substance abuse treatment network, including service
availability.
2. Is it mandatory that I complete this survey? Your participation is important.
Because the N-SSATS is the most comprehensive source of data on alcohol and drug
abuse treatment facilities in the nation, policymakers at local, State, and Federal
levels use information from the N-SSATS to determine the extent of services
available and what new or expanded services may be needed. State-approved
facilities that respond to the survey are listed in SAMHSA’s National Directory of
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs and the online Treatment Facility
Locator (at http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov).
3. Another facility in our organization will report our information in their
questionnaire. Do we need to do anything? We do want to hear from you!
Sections A and C of the 2007 N-SSATS questionnaire are designed to collect
information about the services offered at each individual facility. This information
will be used to update SAMHSA’s National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Treatment Programs and its online Treatment Facility Locator (at
http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov). Even if another facility is providing information
on the number of clients in treatment at this facility, every facility should answer
Sections A and C of the questionnaire for themselves.
4. Can we complete the survey on the Internet? Yes. Enclosed in this packet is a
pink flyer that provides the Internet address and this facility’s unique user ID and
password which are required to access this facility’s questionnaire on the Internet.
5. Is alcohol treatment considered substance abuse treatment for the N-SSATS
survey? Yes.
6. Our facility offers treatment to clients in their homes. This doesn’t seem to fit
into any of the categories listed in the N-SSATS -- hospital inpatient, residential,
or outpatient. What should I do? Home-based programs such as yours are
becoming more common. Although you may not consider home-based treatment to
be traditional outpatient treatment, please count it as such for the purpose of the
survey. When reporting client counts, include them on the line for “regular
outpatient treatment” clients.
7. How should our facility report admissions for a 12-month period if we have
been open less than one year? Please report for the period of time the facility has
been open.