Tuesday Sep 13, 2022
Lead Story: Thirty Years of The ASAM Criteria: A Report Card
Thirty Years of The ASAM Criteria: A Report Card
Psychiatric Clinics of North America
The ASAM Criteria® – the sophisticated system for organizing treatment services and settings with patient care decision rules – defined the infrastructure of addiction care, the types and intensity of treatment, staffing, and service provision for each level of care. For more than 30 years, this led to a national standard in addiction treatment and a leadership role in behavioral health. Beyond the ASAM Criteria, there is ASAM CONTINUUMTM software and the ASAM–CARF Level of Care (LOC) Certification Program, affording a common language and process for improving care. The authors have constructed a report card given the history of the Criteria, with plans for improvement.