Agencies

Who provides publicly funded alcohol and other drug treatment services?

The Australian Government and state and territory governments fund non-government and government agencies to provide a range of alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services. Treatment services are delivered in residential and non-residential settings, and often include treatments such as detoxification, rehabilitation, counselling and pharmacotherapy.

The Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set (AODTS NMDS) contains information on publicly funded AOD treatment agencies and their service delivery outlets. An agency can have more than one service delivery outlet, located in different areas.

In 2021–22, 1,274 publicly funded alcohol and other drug treatment agencies provided services in Australia.

In 2021–22, 1,274 publicly funded AOD treatment agencies reported to the AODTS NMDS. The number of agencies in each jurisdiction ranged from 17 in the Australian Capital Territory to 475 in New South Wales. The number of agencies reporting to the AODTS NMDS in 2021–22 decreased from 1,279 in 2020–21 (Figure AODTSAGENCIES.1).

Over the last 10 years, there have been increases in the total number of AOD treatment agencies (from 714 in 2012–13 to 1,274 in 2021–22). See the Alcohol and other drug treatment services NMDS Data Quality Statement, 2021–22 for further information.  


Service sector

A mix of government and non-government agencies deliver publicly funded AOD treatment services. Nationally in 2021–22, over two-thirds (68%) of AOD treatment agencies were non-government, and these agencies provided 73% of all treatment episodes (Figure AODTSAGENCIES.1).

Figure AODTSAGENCIES.1: Treatment agencies, by sector and state and territory, 2012–13 to 2021–22

The horizontal bar chart shows the number and proportion of alcohol and other drug treatment agencies by sector (government and non-government) and state and territory.

In 2021–22, Australia had 1,274 agencies; New South Wales had 475 agencies; Victoria had 351 agencies; Queensland had 182 agencies; Western Australia had 118 agencies; South Australia had 83 agencies; the Australian Capital Territory had 17 agencies; Tasmania had 24 agencies and the Northern Territory had 24 agencies.

Nationally in 2021–22, over 2 in 3 (68.4%) AOD treatment agencies were non-government. Across states and territories, the proportion of non-government AOD agencies ranged from 38.7% of agencies in New South Wales to 99.1% of agencies in Victoria.