Alcohol and other drug treatment services in the Northern Territory 2009-10: findings from the National Minimum Data Set (NMDS)

In the Northern Territory in 2009-10, 20 government-funded alcohol and other drug treatment agencies provided 3,798 treatment episodes. This represented one less treatment agency and around 40 extra treatment episodes compared with 2008-09. Alcohol was the principal drug on concern for 69% of treatment episodes in 2009-10 the highest proportion of all states and territories. The most common form of main treatment provided was assessment only (39% of episodes), followed by counselling (21%), and rehabilitation (16%). The proportion of clients receiving withdrawal management (detoxification) as their main treatment fell from 15% of episodes in 2008-09 to 7% in 2009-10.