The General Assistance-Unemployable (GA-U) program represents an important safety net in Washington State. GA-U provides adults without dependents and who meet eligibility criteria access to medical care and cash benefits. Prior GA-U studies have documented positive outcomes of chemical dependency treatment with regard to Medicaid costs, employment and arrests. This study answers the following question: Does chemical dependency treatment provided to GA-U clients reduce the risk of death? The study presents GA-U mortality data for clients who received chemical dependency treatment sometime during 2000 or 2001 compared to those who needed chemical dependency treatment but did not receive it. Findings indicate that chemical dependency treatment has an important protective impact for GA-U clients, reducing risk of death by approximately 30 percent.
