Agencies
The Australian Government and state and territory governments fund non-government and government organisations to provide a range of alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services. Services are delivered in residential and non-residential settings and include treatment such as detoxification and rehabilitation, counselling, and pharmacotherapy.
The Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set (AODTS NMDS) contains information on publicly-funded alcohol and other drug treatment agencies.
Number of agencies
In 2016–17, 836 publicly-funded AOD treatment agencies reported to the AODTS NMDS. The number of agencies in each jurisdiction ranged from 15 in the Australian Capital Territory to 318 in New South Wales.
The number of agencies reporting to the AODTS NMDS increased from the previous year’s total of 796, largely due to improved reporting for some agencies via new systems and funding variations in a few jurisdictions.
Over the last 10 years, there has been an increase nationally in the number of participating agencies, from 658 to 836, driven largely by increases in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.
Service sector
A mix of government and non-government agencies deliver government-funded AOD treatment services. Nationally, 58% of AOD treatment agencies were non-government, and these agencies provided over two-thirds (70%) of closed treatment episodes. Over the last 10 years, the proportion of non-government agencies nationally has increased from 50% to 58%. In New South Wales the majority (73%) of AOD treatment agencies were government agencies.
In each of the remaining states and territories, the majority of AOD treatment agencies were non-government agencies, with proportions ranging from 57% in South Australia to 100% in Victoria.