ASAM, CARF Announce First Programs to Earn Level of Care Certification

The American Society of Addiction Medicine’s (ASAM) Criteria have long been recognized as a comprehensive set of standards for outcome-oriented addiction treatment, and a new certification established in conjunction with CARF International is being developed to recognize programs that are delivering treatment that is consistent with the criteria’s Levels of Care.

ASAM announced this week that seven of 10 treatment programs that participated in a pilot program have achieved ASAM Level of Care certification after successfully completing Phase One of the certification pilot. The seven programs to earn certification:

Geisinger Marworth (Waverly, Pennsylvania) and Originals Behavioral HealthCare of Florida (West Palm Beach, Florida) were certified at ASAM Level of Care 3.7. Asana Recovery (Costa Mesa, California), Volunteers of America Mid-States’ Freedom House (Louisville, Kentucky), Pyramid Healthcare’s Hillside Inpatient (East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania), Richard J. Caron Foundation (Caron Treatment Center, Wernersville, Pennsylvania), and Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana’s Theodora House (Indianapolis) received certification for ASAM Level of Care 3.5.

All certified programs will listed in a database on the CARF website by searching “ASAM”.

In a statement emailed to BHE, ASAM president Paul H. Earley, MD, DFASAM, said that while The ASAM Criteria are increasingly being used by states, healthcare systems and payers to ensure treatment system reform efforts, the criteria aren’t always properly used. The certification created in partnership with CARF is designed to bring clarity for patients and families seeking treatment.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing a growing trend of providers, payers, and others who improperly implement or promote their use of The ASAM Criteria when they are not effectively executing these standards or offering evidence-based services,” Earley said in the statement. “These actions create confusion for patients and families seeking high-quality treatment and undermine the credibility of The ASAM Criteria.

“In order to support more effective implementation of The ASAM Criteria and promote clarity for patients and families, ASAM has developed a range of programs including an ASAM Level of Care certification program delivered by CARF, a robust training program on The ASAM Criteria, and ongoing enhancements to the ASAM CONTINUUM software – a clinical decision support tool used to assist in treatment planning for individuals with addiction.”

About 30 new programs are slated to participate in Phase Two of the certification pilot, which begins this summer. ASAM and CARF expect a national launch of the certification program by the end of the year, with ASAM to offer trainings and publications to help programs prepare and strengthen their programs to meet ASAM’s standards.