Criteria for Admission to Detoxification Treatment

This paper examines the formal triage process used by an alcohol/drug detoxification center to determine a client's need for treatment. The analysis tests various types of client characteristics for their influence on admission decisions. In accord with the policy of the agency and the medical model of addiction, symptoms of acute physiological withdrawal should determine whether a client is admitted for treatment during the triage period. Societal reaction theory presents an alternative perspective suggesting that a person's history of substance abuse and socio-demographic characteristics will influence the likelihood of admission into a treatment program. Results offer support for both a medical model and societal reaction approach in that physiological withdrawal symptoms, history of abuse characteristics, and socio-demographic makeup each independently influence staff's assessment of the need for treatment.