CONTENTS

Table of Contents
Introduction

1. Overview
2. Recognizing Alcohol Misuse and Abuse in Older Adults
3. Alcohol and Aging
4. Diagnosing Alcohol Problems in Older Adults
5. Recognizing Other Forms of Substance Abuse
6. Prevention and Early Intervention Strategies
7. Treatment
8. Outcomes and Cost Issues in Alcohol Treatment for Older Adults
9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Resources

At Any Age, It Does Matter:
Substance Abuse and Older Adults (for Professionals)

Directories of Local Substance Abuse Treatment Systems

In finding treatment programs, it is important to understand local resources. The first step is to collect information about specialized drug and alcohol treatment programs currently available in the community. In most communities, a public or private agency regularly compiles a directory of substance abuse treatment facilities. These directories usually provide the following information:

• Program services (e.g., type, location, hours, and accessibility to public transportation)
• Eligibility criteria
• Cost
• Staff complement and qualifications, including language proficiency

This directory may be produced by the local health department, a council on alcoholism and drug abuse, a social services organization, or volunteers in recovery. In addition, every State has a single State-level alcohol and drug authority that usually has the licensing and program review authority for all treatment programs in the State. This agency often publishes a statewide directory of all alcohol and drug treatment programs licensed in the State.

Another resource is the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, which provides assessment or referral for a sliding scale fee. NCADD also distributes free information on treatment facilities nationally. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration distributes a National Directory of Drug Abuse and Alcoholism Treatment Programs (1-800-729-6686). An online substance abuse treatment facility locator is available at http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/.

Knowing the resources and a contact person within each will facilitate access to the system. One useful referral tool is a list of agencies organized across different characteristics, such as services for special populations (e.g., women, adolescents, and minorities). Resources also should include self-help groups in the area.