Virginia has fewer beds dedicated to substance use disorder than 45 of the 50 states. Nationally, only 9% of the people needing substance use disorder (SUD) treatment are receiving it. Since dedicated SUD beds are not available, patients are partially treated in the expensive behavioral health spaces of the Commonwealth’s hospital system. This feasibility study addresses the need for SUD treatment beds, the costs to provide them, and the potential savings to the Commonwealth if the appropriate treatment and services are provided by adding a dedicated substance use disorder treatment facility on the Catawba Hospital campus.

According to the National Institutes of Health, every dollar spent on increasing access to care for substance use disorders results in a savings of $11 ($4 in health care costs and $7 in criminal justice costs)

Potential Benefits:

• Quicker treatment of SUD patients with access to the full continuum of care

• Reduction of readmissions

• Increasing revenue of state mental health facilities by freeing up beds – allowing partially reimbursed beds occupied by SUD patients to become fully reimbursable.

• Lowering patient census from 98% to 85% thereby providing a safer environment for staff and patients.

• Behavioral beds released; treatment can be provided to those only suffering from mental health issues.

• Decreasing cost to treat SUD patients by approximately 40% versus treatment at a behavioral health facility.

• Decreased pressure on Law Enforcement. A new SUD facility on the Catawba Hospital Campus in conjunction with the new crisis centers will decrease law enforcement time with patients in crisis destined to state mental health facilities.

• Provide treatment to SUD patients with complex mental health; this group of patients are typically not receiving the full continuum of care.

• New SUD units are designed with flexibility to address the fluctuations that occur in the needs of the regional population of 2.5 million so that bed utilization is maximized in an efficient and safe manner.