Assessment only
Assessment is often a crucial first step in alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment, helping treatment providers identify clients’ needs and goals, develop treatment plans and match clients to appropriate support services (Department of Health and Aged Care 2019). It can also occur at other times during a client’s treatment journey as an early intervention, to help identify and target emerging or risky AOD use. Australia’s National Framework for Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Treatment 2019–2029 states that assessment should be ongoing, as it helps to ensure that treatment aligns with people’s needs and goals throughout their treatment journey.
In 2024–25:
- 1 in 5 (21%, 51,075) of all treatment episodes were for an assessment only:
- 23% of episodes were for people who received an assessment only for their own alcohol or drug use.
- 8.7% of episodes were for people who received an assessment only for someone else’s alcohol or drug use.
- Assessment only treatment episodes most commonly involved alcohol (40%) or methamphetamine (24%) as the principal drug of concern (tables Trt.3, Trt.32).
Client profile
In 2024–25, 30,921 clients received an assessment only:
- Of the people who received an assessment for their own alcohol or drug use:
- 66% were male.
- 20% were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people.
- Of the people who received an assessment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use:
- 55% were male.
- 9.6% were First Nations people (tables SC.18, SC.20).
Department of Health and Aged Care (2019b). National Framework for Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Treatment 2019–2029. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.