The traditional model describing how a substance abuser enters treatment is presented. After discussing this model, built primarily from alcohol literature, its application to both alcohol and drug abusers is revisited. An alternative model is presented and discussed which challenges some of the basic assumptions of the traditional model. For instance, the requirement of motivation to seek help prior to treatment is no longer operative, as treatment is often a requirement of the criminal justice system after conviction. In addition, it is often no longer the problem which brought the person to our attention which needs to be treated. Thus, the role of the criminal justice system is to be part of the outside pressures which involve more and more people in treatment each year.
