2012-20288. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, call the SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on [phone].

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) (OMB No. 0930-0106)—Revision

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is requesting a revision of the Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS) data collection (OMB No. 0930-0106), which expires on December 31, 2012. The request includes a name change for this OMB No. from “DASIS” to the “National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS),” since N-SSATS is the main survey component from the prior collection included in this request. N-SSATS provides both national and state-level data on the numbers and types of patients treated and the characteristics of facilities providing substance abuse treatment services. It is conducted under the authority of Section 505 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa-4) to meet the specific mandates for annual information about public and private substance abuse treatment providers and the clients they serve.

This request includes:

• Collection of N-SSATS, which is an annual survey of substance abuse treatment facilities; and
• Updating of the associated substance abuse facility universe, now named the Inventory of Behavioral Health Services (I-BHS) (previously the Inventory of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (I-SATS)). The I-BHS includes all substance abuse treatment facilities known to SAMHSA. In addition, the inventory is being expanded to include mental health treatment facilities, making it a “behavioral health” inventory.

The information in I-BHS and N-SSATS is needed to assess the nature and extent of these resources, to identify gaps in services, and to provide a database for treatment referrals. Both I-BHS and N-SSATS are components of the Behavioral Health Services Information System (BHSIS) (previously DASIS), a system name change reflecting SAMHSA's emphasis on a more integrated behavioral health treatment system.

The request for OMB approval will include a request to update the I-BHS facility listing on a continuous basis and to conduct the N-SSATS and the between cycle N-SSATS (N-SSATS BC) in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The N-SSATS BC is a procedure for collecting services data from newly identified facilities between main cycles of the survey and will be used to improve the listing of treatment facilities in the online Substance Abuse Treatment Locator.

Planned Changes

I-BHS: As described above, the I-BHS database has been expanded to include mental health treatment facilities. The I-BHS Online forms, the I-BHS facility application form, and the augmentation screener questionnaire include a new question to determine if the facility provides mental health treatment services.

N-SSATS: The full N-SSATS will be conducted in alternate years, rather than every year as in the past, with an abbreviated N-SSATS questionnaire to update the Treatment Locator conducted in the interim years. Approval is requested for the following changes from 2012 to 2013 in the N-SSATS questionnaire:

A new question has been added to determine if the facility provides mental health treatment services. This question will help identify facilities that provide both substance abuse and mental health treatment services.

A question on the primary focus of the facility was dropped because it was found to be too subjective and less useful than asking directly about the services the facility provides. The new question will identify facilities that provide mental health treatment services.

New items have been added to determine if the facility offers treatment for gambling disorders, internet use disorders or other non-substance abuse disorders.

A question on special programs was reformatted to reduce burden. The question previously had two parts, one to determine if particular kinds of clients were accepted at the facility and another to determine if the facility had special groups or programs for particular kinds of clients. The first part has been dropped. Adolescents, adult women and adult men have been broken out of the list of kinds of clients in order to ask if the facility services only clients in these groups. Two new categories have been added to determine if the facility has special programs for persons who have experienced intimate partner violence/physical abuse and persons who have experienced sexual abuse.

A new question has been added to ascertain the extent to which the facility has adopted health information technology in its operations.

Estimated annual burden for the DASIS activities is shown below:

Type of respondent and activity	Number of respondents	Responses per respondent	Total responses	Hours per response	Total burden hours	Wage rate	Total hour cost
STATES:
I-BHS Online 1	56	140	7,840	.08	627	$22	$13,794
State Subtotal	56		7,840		627		13,794
FACILITIES:
I-BHS application 2	600	1	600	.08	48	16	768
Augmentation screener	2,000	1	2,000	.08	160	16	2,560
N-SSATS questionnaire	17,000	1	17,000	.58	9,860	37	364,820
N-SSATS BC	2,000	1	2,000	.42	840	37	31,080
Facility Subtotal	21,600		21,600		10,908		399,228
Total	21,656		29,440		11,535		413,022
1 States use the I-BHS Online system to submit information on newly licensed/approved facilities and on changes in facility name, address, status, etc.
2 New facilities complete and submit the online I-BHS application form in order to get listed on the Inventory.

Send comments to Summer King, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, Room 2-1057, One Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857 or email a copy to [e-mail]. Written comments must be received before 60 days after the date of the publication in the Federal Register.

Summer King,

Statistician.