This report summarizes results of research on the relationship between publicly funded chemical dependency treatment and costs to public agencies. The DSHS Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse administers treatment programs for clients in need, and based on a representative sample of those clients it was found that over five years the incremental savings for those completing treatment was $7200, while the incremental costs of treatment were $1940. Thus, every additional dollar spent on the treatment group resulted in savings of $3.71. The largest savings came from Medicaid and Criminal Justice costs.
