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How ASAM Criteria Helps Determine Level of Care

To determine which level of care is right for a patient, addiction treatment professionals need to consider a wide range of variables. The ASAM Criteria establishes standardized guidelines that can make this complex process more efficient and effective.

Lake Avenue Recovery Center is committed to providing personalized addiction treatment in a respectful and collaborative environment. For details about how we can help you or a loved one, contact us today.

Learn more about addiction treatment in Worcester, MA or verify your insurance now.  

What Is ASAM?

The American Society of Addiction Medicine, or ASAM, is a physician-led organization for professionals who are focused on preventing and treating substance use disorders (SUDs). The group was formed in the 1950s and has been operating under its current name since 1989.

Today, ASAM’s membership includes more than 8,000 physicians, clinicians, and other professionals who work in addiction-related fields.

What Is The ASAM Criteria?

In 1991, ASAM released what it describes as “one of the most significant documents regarding best-care practices in addiction medicine offered at that time.” 

That document was titled Patient Placement Criteria. It has been known by its current name, The ASAM Criteria, since the release of its third edition in 2013. 

Structure

Currently in its fourth edition, The ASAM Criteria remains a widely consulted source of standardized guidance for connecting SUD patients with the treatment that best aligns with their specific needs and circumstances.

Eventually, the fourth edition of The ASAM Criteria will include four volumes:

  • ASAM Criteria Volume 1: Adults
  • ASAM Criteria Volume 2: Adolescents and Transition-Aged Youth
  • ASAM Criteria Volume 3: Correctional Settings and Community Reentry
  • ASAM Criteria Volume 4: Behavioral Addictions

Volumes 1 and 2 have already been published. Volume 3 is tentatively scheduled for release in 2028, with Volume 4 to follow at a currently undetermined date.

Purpose

Substance use disorders can affect different people in widely different ways. Even if two people have become addicted to the same drug, their experiences and needs can diverge significantly.

In a similar fashion, the way that people respond to various types of treatment can also differ considerably. A program or therapy that makes a life-changing difference for one person may offer little to no value to another.

With such a range of variables to consider, how can treatment professionals be sure that they are providing the customized services that best align with each patient’s needs and goals? And how can prospective patients and their loved ones be confident that will be getting the type and quality of care they need? 

The ASAM Criteria serves as a blueprint for achieving these goals by establishing standards for:

  • Assessing patients’ medical, psychological, and social needs
  • Developing individualized treatment plans for each patient
  • Matching patients to the right level of care
  • Defining which services should be provided at each level of care

Assessment Dimensions

To promote a whole-person, patient-centered approach to addiction treatment, The ASAM Criteria includes six focus areas for assessing patients. 

These focus areas, which are referred to as dimensions, ensure that the full scope of a patient’s strengths, needs, preferences, and resources are taken into account when developing their treatment plan. The dimensions and subdimensions also address obstacles to care and risk of relapse.

Dimension 1: Intoxication, Withdrawal, and Addiction Medications

  • Intoxication and associated risks
  • Withdrawal and associated risks
  • Addiction medication needs

Dimension 2: Biomedical Conditions

  • Physical health concerns
  • Pregnancy-related concerns
  • Sleep problems

Dimension 3: Psychiatric and Cognitive Conditions

  • Active psychiatric concerns
  • Persistent disability
  • Cognitive functioning
  • Trauma exposure and related needs
  • Psychiatric and cognitive history

Dimension 4: Substance Use-Related Risks

  • Likelihood of risky substance use
  • Likelihood of risky SUD-related behaviors

Dimension 5: Recovery Environment Interactions

  • Ability to function in current environment
  • Safety in current environment
  • Support in current environment
  • Cultural perceptions of substance use

Dimension 6: Person-Centered Considerations

  • Patient preferences
  • Barriers to care
  • Need for motivational enhancement

Levels of Care

The information that’s gathered during a patient’s assessment will be used to determine which level of care is best for them.

The ASAM Criteria continuum of care for adults includes:

  • Level 4: Inpatient
  • Level 3: Residential
  • Level 2: IOP/HIOP
  • Level 1: Outpatient
  • Recovery Residence

General features of these levels:

  • At Level 4 and Level 3, patients live at the center where they are receiving care. 
  • Inpatient care is typically a short-term program to help patients achieve stabilization, while residential treatment usually provides a longer length of stay and wider array of services.  
  • Level 2, which includes intensive outpatient programs and high-intensity outpatient programs, offers full and partial days of treatment without a residential component. 
  • Level 1 treatment involves traditional outpatient therapy in either individual or group format, scheduled at the frequency that’s best for the patient.
  • Recovery residences offer varying levels of structured support to help patients reintegrate into their families, communities, and workplaces.

Treatment Planning

The therapies and support services that addiction treatment patients receive can vary depending on their unique needs and preferences, as well as the parameters of whichever level of care they are currently enrolled in.

ASAM encourages professionals to collaborate with their patients when developing their treatment plans. The ASAM Criteria includes a treatment planning template to guide this process.

In addition to identifying the types of services that should be included in the patient’s treatment at their current level of care, the template also addresses when the patient should transition to a less intensive level and what type of support they will need to make that transition a successful one.

Find Outpatient Addiction Treatment in Massachusetts

Lake Avenue Recovery offers customized care at ASAM Level 2 for adults whose lives have been disrupted by substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health concerns.

Treatment at our center in Worcester, MA, occurs in two highly supportive environments, a high-intensity outpatient program and an intensive outpatient program (IOP) with an evening option.

In each program, you can expect to receive personalized evidence-based services from a team of dedicated professionals who are truly invested in your success.

To learn more call 508-794-4400 or verify your insurance now.