According to the German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS), many addiction counseling centers in Germany have their backs against the wall financially.
In a survey, around three quarters of publicly funded addiction counseling centers stated that they would not be able to fully cover their costs this year, as the DHS in Hamm reported. In the spring, she wrote to a good 1,300 institutions, and out of around 900 responses, information from almost 550 advice centers, mainly from North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, was included.
Only a small proportion of advisory centers can therefore compensate for the funding gaps. The vast majority cited negative consequences – such as a restriction of services for addicts, those at risk of addiction and relatives or reduced opening hours.
Addiction counseling centers have already been closed and further closures are imminent.
Christina RummelDHS executive director
At the same time, according to DHS information, it became clear that many cases have become more complex, the need is increasing and the partial legalization of cannabis has led to uncertainty in the advice centers in some places. After the financing, staff shortages and a lack of skilled workers turned out to be the biggest problems for the operation of the addiction counseling centers.
According to DHS, funding needs to be reformed
According to the DHS, the core of the problem is that addiction counseling financed by municipalities is not a binding and legally guaranteed service – and therefore depends on the financial situation of the respective municipality or federal state.
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As a result: “Addiction counseling centers have already been closed, further closures are imminent.” Politicians are called upon to initiate legal reform, warned managing director Christina Rummel. In order to ensure reliable financing, health insurance companies could in future support addiction counseling centers with a sufficient amount every year – comparable, for example, to cancer counseling centers.
