Abstract
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC) recently developed an anonymous on-line survey to measure Texas service providers’ feedback regarding substance abuse service coordination, availability, and provision. This survey has allowed TCJC to determine how social service providers perceive substance abuse program needs so that we may provide the Texas Legislature and numerous correlated organizations with valuable information about needs in this field. From the state’s 433 certified treatment programs, 145 professionals who provide substance abuse services, as well as 52 other social and public service professionals who work with clients affected by substance addiction, responded to the on-line survey within a three-week period. They answered questions relating to substance abuse service program information, information sharing and coordination, barriers to service provision, licensure and assessments, and program evaluation.
TCJC has developed this document in part to provide the Texas Legislature with valuable and relevant findings to consider during its examination of the current coordination, availability, and provision of substance abuse services to criminal justice clients – including during its observations of public hearings, review of testimony, and examination of other expert recommendations regarding the manner in which substance abuse service providers inside and outside of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice coordinate and provide services.
We also hope that these findings will contribute to conversations among service providers themselves and among community planners who take an interest in developing treatment infrastructures within their communities.