Treatment

Treatment Admissions

From FY1213-FY2122persons experiencing homeless (PEH) accounted for 124,441 treatment admissions to publicly funded substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs in LAC. PEH at admission accounted for a growing proportion of total treatment admissions, increasing from 10,237 (13.8%) in FY1213 to 18,722 (35.0%) in FY2122. Similarly, the proportion of unique patients who were PEH at admission also increased from 8,900 (14.9%) in FY1213 to 11,464 (33.9%) in FY2122 (Figures 1-2). Note: Patients can have more than one treatment admission in a year. 

Demographics

From FY1891 to FY2122, adults aged 26-34 years (37%) accounted for the largest proportion of PEH admitted to publicly funded SUD programs in LAC, followed by adults aged 35-44 years (26%) (Figure 3).

PEH adults aged 26-34 years consistently accounted for the largest proportion of admissions from FY1819 to FY2122 (Figure 4).

From FY1819-FY21221, over half (64%) of PEH admitted to publicly funded SUD programs were male. Since FY1819, the gap between genders gradually widened, leading to over double the amount of PEH admissions among males compared to females by FY2122 (Figures 5-6).

Latinxs accounted for nearly half (49%) of PEH admissions to SUD treatment in FY1819-FY2122 , followed by Whites (29%), Black/African Americans (18%), and other racial/ethnic groups (Figure 7).

PEH patients who were Latinx consistently comprised the largest proportion of those admitted to SUD treatment during FY1819 to FY2122.  PEH admissions to SUD treatment in LAC increased substantially in FY2122 among Latinxs, Whites, and Black/African Americans (Figure 8).

Geography

In FY2122, SPA 8 (South Bay) had the largest number of PEH treatment admissions, followed by SPA 2 (San Fernando), SPA 4 (Metro), and SPA 3 (San Gabriel) (Figure 9).  

In FY2122, SD 4 had the largest number of PEH treatment admissions, followed by SD 3, and SD 1. Since FY1819, the number of PEH treatment admissions from SD 4 increased consistently every year while the number of PEH admissions fluctuated in other districts (Figure 10).

In FY2122, there were 9,284 PEH admissions from LA City, 1,913 PEH admissions from Long Beach, and 1,049 PEH admissions from Pasadena (Figure 11).

Primary Substance Used

From FY1213 to FY2122, methamphetamine consistently was the most common primary substance among PEH admissions. Nearly 40% of PEH admissions reported methamphetamine was their primary drug in FY2122.

Heroin was the second most common primary drug reported among PEH admissions from FY1213 to FY1718. The proportion of PEH admissions reporting heroin as their primary drug started to decline after FY1617, and was surpassed by those reporting alcohol as their primary drug in FY1920 (Figure 12).

Mental and Physical Health

In LAC, the number of PEH patients with mental health issues at admission increased by 68%, from 7,216 (53%) in FY1819 to 12,123 (65%) in FY2122.

The number of PEH patients with physical health issues decreased between FY1819 and FY2021, then increased in FY2122. 

PEH patients with a disability fluctuated from FY1819-FY2022 (Figures 13-14).

Stable Housing at Discharge

The number and proportion of PEH who reported finding stable housing at discharge gradually increased from FY1819-FY2122. During this time, those reporting finding stable housing had increased fivefold from 1,566 in FY1819 to 3,653 in FY2122, while proportions doubled from 14.9% to 31.9% (Figures 15-16).

References

Los Angeles County Participant Reporting System data. Substance Abuse Prevention and Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.