title: New directions in substance abuse services: programmatic innovations in the Veterans Administration.
abstract: The purpose of this paper to describe the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) recent expansion and enhancement of its substance abuse treatment services. Several treatment innovations are considered from both clinical and administrative perspectives. These services include extended care programs for multiply impaired patients, programs for substance abuse patients with comorbid psychiatry conditions and services designed to improve continuity of care and community re-entry. Emergent themes include a broadening of services to meet the needs of a changing substance abuse population and an emphasis on providing more cost-efficient treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Swindle
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Moos
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Finney
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Suchinsky
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000458:organization & administration; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology