Needs-Based Planning for Substance Use Treatment Systems: Progress, Prospects, and the Search for a New Perspective.

ABSTRACT: The articles presented in this issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (Supplement No. 18) describe the rapid improvements over the past decade in methods, theories, and data systems used for needs-based planning of addiction treatment services. In this concluding essay, the editors describe the progress, prospects, and implications of this new wave of research. It is concluded that these developments can be used to maximize the impact of treatment services at the population level.