If you’re comparing programs, you may be starting from a question like “which of these programs will stop my depression from coming back?” or “will this program be able to actually help me stop drinking when others haven’t?” Whether people stay long enough to finish is one of the clearest early answers a program can give to questions like these.
94% of Sabino clients complete treatment, compared to a national completion rate of roughly 42 to 53% for residential substance use programs (SAMHSA TEDS-D 2023, by level of care).[1,2] This is the share of clients who complete a residential program, not long-term sobriety or recovery rates. Sabino’s completion rate is well above the national residential range.
What “Completing Treatment” Means and How It Is Measured
A treatment completion rate is the share of people who finish the program they started, rather than leaving early. It measures retention during care. It does not measure what happens after discharge.
How the national benchmark is built:[2]
- Source: SAMHSA’s Treatment Episode Data Set: Discharges (TEDS-D), the federal record of discharges from substance use treatment
- Who reports: facilities licensed or certified by each state’s substance use agency, mostly programs that receive public funding
- What gets recorded: each discharge carries a reason, such as completed treatment, transferred, dropped out or terminated, along with length of stay
- What’s counted: treatment stays rather than individual clients, so one person can appear more than once in a year if they have entered residential treatment multiple times that year
How Sabino’s figure is built: Sabino tracks the share of its clients who complete their planned course of treatment and reports it through its 2026 Vista Point outcomes data.[1] Sabino’s figure includes clients treated for mental health concerns, substance use or both, while the national benchmark covers substance use treatment only.
The two figures measure the same event: finishing care. Because they come from different populations, they serve as reference points rather than a direct head-to-head comparison.
National Completion Rates for Residential Treatment
Nationally, fewer than half of all substance use treatment discharges end in completion. In 2023, 42.6% of discharges across all service types were completed, 25.1% were transferred to further care and 22.0% dropped out. Completion rates for residential programs range from roughly 42 to 53%, depending on level of care.[2]
| Program or benchmark | Treatment completion rate | Data source |
|---|---|---|
| Sabino Recovery | 94% | Sabino Recovery, 2026 outcomes data (Vista Point) |
| National residential substance use treatment, by level of care | Roughly 42 to 53% | SAMHSA TEDS-D 2023 |
| National, all treatment service types combined | 42.6% | SAMHSA TEDS 2023 |
Note: National figures are from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set: Discharges (TEDS-D), 2023, reason for discharge by type of service. TEDS-D counts treatment episodes at state-reported facilities, most of which receive public funding.[2] Sabino’s figure comes from its 2026 outcomes data.[1]
To give more context on this data, the typical length of stay is:
- Short-term residential (national): median stay of 21 days.[2]
- Long-term residential (national): median stay of 36 days.[2]
- Sabino Recovery: 35-day minimum, extendable to 90 days based on clinical need.[1]
Why People Leave Treatment Early
Dropout is one of the most studied problems in substance use care. It’s an important issue because leaving treatment early is closely tied to relapse.
A meta-analysis of 151 studies and more than 26,000 participants found an average dropout rate of about 30%, with wide variation between programs.[3] The same review described dropout as a “robust predictor of relapse” and noted that staying in treatment is consistently linked to better results after discharge.[3]
Existing research links leaving treatment early to:
1. A weak client-clinician relationship. A review of two decades of studies found that a low ‘therapeutic alliance’ between a client and their counselor was a consistent risk factor for dropout.[5] In residential care specifically, clients whose counselors rated the alliance as weak left significantly sooner.[4]
2. Substance type and psychosocial factors. In the research, stimulant use (including cocaine and methamphetamine) and psychosocial challenges were associated with higher dropout.[3]
3. Younger age. Age was the one demographic factor that held up consistently as a potential risk for dropout.[5]
4. Programs that don’t fit. Dropout rates varied by the population treated and the design of the treatment,[3] and NIDA notes that no single treatment is right for everyone.[6] For example, when depression, anxiety or unresolved trauma sits underneath drinking or drug use, a program that treats substance use alone may miss what’s driving it.
What Helps People Stay, and How Sabino’s Model Reflects It
The research doesn’t point to a single fix for helping clients stay in treatment. It does associate certain aspects of treatment with people staying in care. Sabino’s model reflects several of these factors.
A strong therapeutic relationship
- The research: a strong alliance between client and clinician is linked to lower dropout rates.[4]
- At Sabino: clients receive 10 or more individual sessions per week across therapy, medical care, nutrition, and integrative services, well above the one or two weekly sessions typical of many programs. Therapists are licensed, master’s-level and trauma-trained.
Care that fits the person
- The research: NIDA’s principles hold that no single treatment suits everyone and that effective care addresses a person’s multiple needs, not just their drug use.[6]
- At Sabino: there are no fixed tracks. Care plans are co-created, reviewed daily and adjusted weekly, and clients choose from more than 25 therapies and modalities each week. Options include EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), DBR (deep brain reorienting), somatic experiencing, neurofeedback, equine therapy, acupuncture, and more.
Treating what sits underneath
- The research: NIDA notes that effective treatment addresses a person’s mental health and other needs, not just their drug use.[6]
- At Sabino: care is trauma-first. Trauma, mental health conditions (such as depression, anxiety, PTSD and bipolar disorder), and substance use are treated together, with trauma addressed as the root cause.
Family involvement and continuity
- The research: NIDA notes that encouragement from family can increase treatment entry and retention, and that recovery is often a long-term process.[6]
- At Sabino: a 3.5-day family program brings loved ones into the work. Sabino’s alumni program keeps clients and families connected after discharge through regular check-ins, events, support groups, workshops and ongoing resources.
Read client testimonials from Sabino Recovery.
Sabino’s Symptom Outcomes, Intake to Discharge
Completion shows that people stay. Symptom data shows what improves while they’re there. Sabino measures depression and anxiety symptoms when clients arrive and again when they leave.[1]
- Sabino clients report an average reduction in depression symptoms from 71% at intake to 12% at discharge.
- Sabino clients report an average reduction in anxiety symptoms from 64% at intake to 14% at discharge.
How to read these numbers:
- They are self-reported averages across Sabino clients, not individual guarantees.
- They cover what happens during the treatment itself. After discharge, ongoing support comes through the alumni program.
FAQ
What is a good completion rate for residential treatment?
National data puts completion for residential substance use treatment at roughly 42 to 53%, depending on the level of care. Across all treatment types that year, 42.6% of discharges ended in completion.[2] Sabino Recovery’s 2026 outcomes data shows that 94% of its clients complete treatment.[1]
Why do people leave residential treatment early?
Research points to a weak connection with clinicians, younger age and a poor fit between the person and the program.[3–5] A review of two decades of studies found low therapeutic alliance among the most consistent risk factors.[5] Programs that provide individualized care and involve families aim to reduce these risks.
Does completing treatment improve outcomes?
Studies consistently associate completing treatment with better results than leaving early, and dropout is a well-documented predictor of relapse.[3] Completion is not a guarantee, though. Recovery is often a long-term process, which is why aftercare and alumni support matter too.
Explore Trauma-First Treatment at Sabino Recovery
Because dropout predicts relapse, completion rates are worth asking about when comparing programs. Sabino Recovery’s 2026 outcomes data shows a 94% completion rate. To ask about Sabino Recovery’s outcomes or talk with admissions about what treatment would involve, contact Sabino Recovery.
References
- Sabino Recovery. 2026 outcomes data (Vista Point).
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Treatment Episode Data Set: Discharges (TEDS-D), 2023. Reason for discharge by type of service; see also the TEDS 2023 Annual Report (Publication No. PEP25-07-014, 2025).
- Lappan SN, Brown AW, Hendricks PS. Dropout rates of in-person psychosocial substance use disorder treatments: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction. 2020;115(2):201-217.
- Meier PS, Donmall MC, McElduff P, Barrowclough C, Heller RF. The role of the early therapeutic alliance in predicting drug treatment dropout. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2006;83(1):57-64.
- Brorson HH, Ajo Arnevik E, Rand-Hendriksen K, Duckert F. Drop-out from addiction treatment: a systematic review of risk factors. Clinical Psychology Review. 2013;33(8):1010-1024.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide. Third edition.
