In 2021–22:
- around 3 in 4 treatment episodes ended within 3 months, both for clients receiving treatment for their own alcohol or drug use and for someone else’s alcohol or drug use (76% and 75%, respectively) (Table Ov.9)
- the median duration of treatment episodes was around 4 weeks (29 days) for both for clients’ own alcohol or drug use and for clients receiving support for someone else’s alcohol or drug use (Table Ov.10)
- for clients’ own alcohol or drug use, counselling had the longest median duration (70 days), while assessment only had the shortest (3 days) (Figure DURATION 1) (Table Ov.11).
Over the 10 years to 2021–22:
- treatment episodes ending within 3 months has remained the most common duration for client’s own alcohol or drug use (76%).
- for clients’ own alcohol or drug use, the median duration of treatment episodes fluctuated, from a low of 16 days in 2015–16, to a high of 29 days in 2021–22:
- these trends were driven primarily by changes in the duration of support and case management episodes
- the median duration of counselling has increased from 54 days to 71 days over this period (Figure DURATION 1)
- for clients seeking support for someone else’s alcohol or drug use, the median duration fluctuated more widely, rising from a low of 14 days in 2018–19 to a high of 37 days in 2020–21, falling to 29 days in 2021–22 (tables Trt.12, Ov.11). This fluctuation was driven primarily by decreases in support and case management treatment duration.
