This year, Dismas House will save Missouri tax payers over $16.2 million with the outpatient program alone.
According to the Missouri Department of Mental Health, substance abuse and addiction, which crosses all races & cultures, can be credited with some of our society’s worst problems: child and spousal abuse, teen pregnancy, motor vehicle crashes, escalating health care costs, low worker productivity and homelessness.This year, the state of Missouri will spend over $1 billion dollars in substance abuse related issues; and for every $100 spent on substance abuse, only $3 is spent on prevention and treatment; the remaining $97 is spent on incarceration, medical treatment and law enforcement.
The cost to incarcerate an individual in Missouri is $8,000 - $15,000 per year, while the average cost of outpatient treatment & rehabilitation is approximately $1,400 per year.
Dismas House will serve more than 2,500 direct service clients by the end of this year. By sending these clients to treatment in lieu of incarceration, Dismas House will save the state of Missouri a minimum of $6,500 per client and an estimated $16.2 million dollars for the year.
