In this study the authors compare the patterns of referral to alcoholism treatment from two neighborhoods adjacent to a public mental health facility. The areas are alike in terms of socioeconomic status, but they differ in their racial composition and social organization. They hypothesized that referrals to alcoholism treatment originate from self, family, and friends in the organized neighborhood and from police and social service agencies in the unorganized area. Results support the following conclusions: 1) self, family, and friends account for the majority of referrals to alcoholism treatment from both an organized neighborhood and an unorganized area; 2) race and sex explain more variation in referral to alcoholism treatment than does neighborhood social organization; and 3) white female patients are more likely to be institutionally referred than any other group.