An Introduction to Samhsa's Data Systems: Accessing and Using Data to Advance the Health of Individuals with Behavioral Health Disorders

The purpose of this workshop is to familiarize participants with how to access and use data sets supported through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  The publically supported data sets include, but are not limited to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), The Treatment Episode Data (TEDS), the National Survey on Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS), and the National Mental Health Services Survey (N-MHSS).  Participants will have an opportunity to learn how to access SAMHSA reports of interest to their work and develop data points using the data sets. These data sets are a rich resource for national and state behavioral health data and may be used to examine the prevalence and incidence of substance use and mental health issues, as well as identify important gaps in health care access. More importantly, these data can be used to explore potential relationships relevant to social work and provide context for current and future field studies that address the quality of care that leads to helping individuals achieving a healthy and meaningful life. 

The presenters will (1) describe where to locate available SAMHSA reports on behavioral health topics of interest including short reports, the behavioral health barometers, data reviews, and data spotlights; (2) demonstrate data analysis using public use files for N-SSATS, TEDS, and NSDUH;  (3) discuss appropriate use of the restricted data access mechanism (R-DAS) and advantages of these data to describe/demonstrate the process for answering policy and practice relevant questions; and (4) present basic strategies for generating maps using these data.  Participants may want to bring a computer with Wi-Fi capability to practice accessing and using the SAMHDA system.