N-Cover Letter

Attachment B7- N-SSATS 2019 Cover Letter, Online Questionnaire Access Instructions,
and Frequently Asked Questions Sheet
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration

March 29, 2019
Dear Facility Director:
I am writing to request your participation in the 2019 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment
Services (N-SSATS). This annual survey, sponsored by the Federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, collects data from
all known substance abuse treatment facilities in the United States and its jurisdictions.
Important information about the 2019 N-SSATS:
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•
•
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Many questions prefilled if you completed the 2018 N-SSATS
Ways to complete the web survey: computer, tablet, or smartphone
If eligible, your facility can choose to be listed, at no cost, in the online treatment Locator
(https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov)
Standard client count information will be collected
Ability to preview the questionnaire at https://info.nssats.com or log onto the survey and choose
the “Preview” option

We need your participation in the N-SSATS. The information you provide will assist SAMHSA, State
and local governments, and the public in assessing and analyzing the nature and extent of services provided in
substance abuse treatment facilities and in planning for treatment demands. Your participation will also assist
those in need, as well as members of their families, in finding treatment.
Why should I do the N-SSATS today?
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•
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Client count information will be easier to obtain and fresh in your memory
You will be done for the year and won’t be contacted again about completing the N-SSATS until
next year’s survey
Secure login information is readily accessible on the enclosed pink flyer

Even if your facility no longer provides substance abuse treatment services we still need to hear from you!
Please go to the online survey and answer a few quick questions or call the helpline at 1-888-324-8337 to let us
know.
The survey should be completed by you or another person knowledgeable about this facility's daily
operations. If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to call the N-SSATS helpline at 1-888324-8337 or send an email to nssatsweb@mathematica-mpr.com.
We look forward to your participation in the 2019 N-SSATS!
Sincerely,

Cathie Alderks, Ph.D.
Project Officer
Behavioral Health Services Information System
Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality
SAMHSA
Note:

The N-SSATS questionnaire is designed to collect information about a single facility at a single location, that is,
the facility whose name and address is printed on the enclosed pink flyer. Even if your organization offers
treatment services at more than one location, please complete this online questionnaire for this location only.

COMPLETE THE 2019 N-SSATS ONLINE!
Completing the 2019 N-SSATS questionnaire online is the quickest
and easiest way to participate in the survey.

TO RESPOND ON THE INTERNET:
1) Access the web survey using a computer, tablet, or smartphone at: https://survey.nssats.com (This is a secure site.)

2) Enter your facility’s unique USER ID and PASSWORD:

User ID:

[Web User Name]
(ALL NUMBERS)

Password:

[Web Password]
(ALL NUMBERS)

State ID: [IBHSID]
[FAC NAME1]: [FAC NAME 2]
[LOCATION ADDRESS 1]
[LOCATION ADDRESS 2]
[CITY], [STATE] [ZIP]

Questions? Would you like a paper questionnaire?
Telephone Helpline: 1 (888) 324-8337 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET)
E-mail: nssatsweb@mathematica-mpr.com

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1.

We do not provide substance abuse treatment services at this location. Do we still need to complete the
questionnaire? Yes, we still need to hear from you. However, the number of questions you will be asked to
answer is greatly reduced.

2.

This facility is privately owned. We don’t get any Federal, State, or local funds. Should we participate in
the survey? Yes, it is very important to have information about all substance abuse treatment providers so that we
can properly describe our national substance abuse treatment network, including service availability.

3.

Is it mandatory that I complete this survey? Your participation is very important. Because the N-SSATS is the
most comprehensive source of data on alcohol and drug abuse treatment facilities in the nation, policymakers at
local, State, and Federal levels use information from the N-SSATS to determine the extent of services available
and what new or expanded services may be needed. Facilities that respond to the survey and are approved for
inclusion by their State Substance Abuse Agency are listed in SAMHSA’s online Behavioral Health Treatment
Services Locator, which can be found at: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

4.

Another facility in our organization will report our information in their questionnaire. Do we need to do
anything? Yes, we do need to hear from you! Sections A and C of the 2019 N-SSATS questionnaire are designed to
collect information about the services offered at each individual facility. Even if another facility is providing
information on the number of clients in treatment at this facility, every facility should answer Sections A and C
of the questionnaire for themselves.

5.

My facility’s information is the same as last year; why can’t you use that information? Here is some good
news! If you completed the 2018 N-SSATS, your responses to questions that typically do not change from year
to year will be pre-filled in the online questionnaire. All you need to do for these questions is check them, correct
if necessary, and click on the submit button. Enclosed in the packet you received in the mail is a pink flyer that
provides the Internet address and your facility’s unique user ID and password, which are required to access your
facility’s questionnaire on the Internet.

6.

Is alcohol treatment considered substance abuse treatment for the N-SSATS? Yes.

7.

Our facility offers treatment to clients in their homes. It doesn’t seem to fit into any of the categories
listed in the N-SSATS—hospital inpatient, residential, or outpatient. What should I do? Home-based
programs such as yours are becoming more common. Although you may not consider home-based treatment to
be regular outpatient treatment, please count it as such for the purpose of the survey.

8.

Our facility offers computerized treatment/telemedicine programs to clients; how should this be
reported and what modes of service does this include? Computerized treatment/telemedicine programs are
growing approaches to substance abuse treatment involving electronic communication between facility and client.
This “remote” technological approach includes the use of email, Internet, Web, mobile, interactive video, patient
portals and desktop programs. Although you may not consider computerized treatment/telemedicine to be
regular outpatient treatment, please count it as such for the purpose of the survey.

9.

If I report client counts for multiple facilities, how do I report which facilities I am including? There are
two ways that you can report your additional facilities in the online survey: (1) you may enter each facility that
you are reporting for through the web survey, which involves entering or selecting the facility name, location
address, and facility phone number, or (2) you may request that Mathematica Policy Research call you for the list
of additional facilities.

10. Where can I find more information about terms used in the N-SSATS? Definitions for some of the terms
used in the N-SSATS can be found at https://info.nssats.com. You can also call the N-SSATS helpline at
1-888-324-8337.