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    For Professionals

    ASAM Resources

    Find helpful ASAM resources for drug and alcohol treatment providers, Single County Autorities (SCA), and other professionals with service agreements with SCAs and/or managed care organizations.

    Overview

    The ASAM Criteria is a clinical tool that aids addiction medicine clinicians in identifying and developing individualized treatment plans for SUD patients. The ASAM Criteria recognizes that the disease of addiction is complex and specific to each patient, allowing clinicians to develop treatment plans that meet the individual’s needs.

    Background

    In 2017, Pennsylvania adopted The ASAM Criteria, Third Edition (2013), to guide the delivery of drug and alcohol treatment services. All licensed treatment programs in Pennsylvania are required to align with The ASAM Criteria, Third Edition (2013), to ensure standardized, evidenced-based care.

    Documents for Providers

    The following documents provide guidance for the application of The ASAM Criteria, Third Edition (2013) for professionals in the substance use disorder treatment system in Pennsylvania.  

    FAQs

    These frequently asked questions are intended to help providers and clients understand how substance use treatment needs are assessed and matched to the appropriate level of care—including outpatient, residential, and medically managed services—using The ASAM Criteria, Third Edition (2013).

    All licensed drug and alcohol treatment facilities in Pennsylvania are required to align with the ASAM Criteria.

    DDAP conducts an initial infrastructure review for providers offering Level 2.5 (Partial Hospitalization) and Level 3.7 (Medically Monitored Intensive Inpatient) services.

    This review is a preliminary assessment of policies, procedures, and service delivery plans. Below are the lists of providers that have completed an initial review for these levels of care.

    When an individual with substance use disorder makes the brave decision to enter drug and/or alcohol treatment they are first assessed by a clinician to determine the level of care they need to help them lead happy, healthy lives in recovery from substance use disorder.  

    The clinician uses The ASAM Criteria to complete the assessment and develops a treatment plan based on the individual’s specific needs.

    The ASAM Criteria is a standardized format that ensures individualized flexibility in patient treatment plans.

    Patients work with their treatment providers to create an individualized treatment plan. This means it pays attention to the whole patient, including all of their life areas, as well as all risks, needs, strengths and goals.  
     
    Using The ASAM Criteria, patients can:

    • Become active participants in their own care.
    • Learn about, anticipate and understand treatment options.
    • Use The ASAM Criteria to better understand how risks strengths, skills and resources in one life area can affect another.

    For treatment providers, The ASAM Criteria provides a holistic approach for determining individualized and outcome-driven treatment plans for patients.

    Using The ASAM Criteria as a guide, practitioners can:

    • Assist a patient from assessment through treatment.
    • Work with the patient to determine goals.
    • Help rank and rate all the patient’s risks to determine where to focus treatment and services.
    • Determine intensity and frequency of service, including the transfer to more or less intense services as needed.  

    The ASAM Criteria provides one common language for assessing patient needs. With The ASAM Criteria, managed care organizations can easily work with treatment providers to ensure plan participants are receiving the treatment that best fits their needs and that resources are widely used.

    Approved ASAM Criteria Training

    DDAP's approved training options for The ASAM Criteria, Third Edition (2013), are detailed in this notice.

    ASAM Technical Assistance Webinars

    From 2021 – 2024, DDAP hosted webinars to support providers with The ASAM Criteria, Third Edition (2013), alignment. Visit our ASAM Technical Assistance Webinars page to access on-demand recordings. 

    Additional References

    Resources

    Contact

    If you have questions or concerns, email: