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ExpectMore.govExpectMore.gov home pageEXPECT FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO PERFORM WELL, AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
 
Program Assessment

Program

View Assessment Details

Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant

The Substance Abuse and Treatment Block Grant provides funding to States by formula to plan, carry out, and evaluate activities to prevent and treat substance abuse.

Rating

What This Rating Means

NOT PERFORMING
Ineffective

Programs receiving this rating are not using your tax dollars effectively. Ineffective programs have been unable to achieve results due to a lack of clarity regarding the program's purpose or goals, poor management, or some other significant weakness.
  • No independent evaluation of the program has been completed. An independent evaluation is needed to determine the impact of the program has on reducing substance abuse. An evaluability assessment to determine the feasibility of conducting an independent evaluation was completed in November 2004. An evaluation of the SAPTBG program was begun in 2004 and will be completed in September 2009.
  • The formula for distributing funds does not correspond with the prevalence of substance abuse. Thus, an individual's chance of receiving Block Grant funded services varies by State. The formula is mandated by the Public Health Service Act. However, states target funds to appropriate populations, and the maintenance of effort requirement guards against supplantation of funds.
  • Existing annual measures provide information primarily on outputs, such as numbers served and satisfaction with the agency's technical assistance, and on attitudes toward drug use. The program is beginning to report data on substance use.

Improvement Plan

About Improvement Plans

We are taking the following actions to improve the performance of the program:

  • OMB has approved and the states have completed the FY2008 SAPT block grant application which includes performance measures.
  • Conducting an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the national program.
  • SAMHSA has been tracking state estimates of substance use and non-use since 2005.

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