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Posted By Dayna Riddle On July 26, 2024

New ASAM Criteria for Behavioral Health Clinicians

In October 2023, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) released the Fourth Edition of the ASAM Criteria. The updates improved the quality of care in addiction treatment. Staying up-to-date with the latest updates in the behavioral health industry is important for clinicians. This helps them better support their clients as they work towards recovery.

Clinicians reviewing the ASAM Criteria Assessment

What is the ASAM Criteria Assessment?

The ASAM Criteria Assessment evaluates and treats individuals who have both addiction and mental health issues. The assessment helps in understanding the needs of these individuals. It guides healthcare professionals in providing appropriate care and treatment.

The goal is to address both addiction and mental health issues simultaneously for better outcomes. It looks at six key areas of a client’s life: 

  1. Acute Intoxication/Withdrawal Potential
  2. Biomedical Conditions and Complications
  3. Emotions, Behavioral, or Cognitive Conditions and Complications
  4. Readiness to Change
  5. Relapse, Continued Use, or Continued Problem Potential
  6. Recovery/Living Environment

Based on the assessment, the ASAM Criteria help determine the best level of care for the client. These levels range from early intervention and outpatient services to intensive inpatient treatment and medically managed intensive inpatient services.

Key Changes to ASAM Criteria Fourth Edition

New Dimension: Person-Centered Considerations

The addition of “Person-Centered Considerations,” the sixth dimension to the fourth edition of the ASAM Criteria, considers a client’s social determinants of health and other barriers to healthcare. 

Some Social Determinants of Health to consider when addressing substance abuse disorder can include: 

  • Economic stability
  • Transportation
  • Neighborhood and housing environment
  • Social inclusion and non-discrimination
  • Early life and childhood trauma

ASAM updates target populations with healthcare barriers, like incarcerated individuals, those with cognitive impairments, and adolescents. The fourth edition promotes incorporating technology into treatment, like telehealth or mobile services, to address transportation challenges. The ASAM Criteria update changed the language to be more inclusive of the client’s cultural background. 

These updates can help your clinic be more fair and accessible when treating clients. They can also assist clinicians in creating personalized treatment plans. 

Comprehensive Addiction Treatment

The Fourth Edition of the ASAM Criteria focuses on personalized treatment plans for individuals in recovery. Providers can tailor these plans to meet each person’s specific needs, and clients prefer this approach over a one-size-fits-all method.

Stages of recovery can include: 

  • Withdrawal management 
  • Outpatient therapy
  • Monitored outpatient care
  • Long-term remission monitoring

The fourth edition includes standards across different care levels that support smoother transitions between stages of treatment and recovery. This ensures clients don’t experience interruptions between programs and promotes comprehensive care. 

ASAM Criteria Updates -Addiction Treatment group

Integration of Co-Occurring Disorders: 

The ASAM Criteria updated to include co-occurring disorders. This change helps clinicians better understand a client’s health and gives a clearer picture of their overall well-being. The second part of the ASAM Criteria standards includes assessing if the client requires medical care. Clinicians can adjust the treatment plan to include physical health services if necessary. 

Examples of co-occurring conditions could include: 

  • Pregnancy
  • Chronic conditions such as diabetes 
  • Extensive sickness, such as long COVID 

The goal is to determine if the client needs additional physical health services. Clinicians can consider the client’s current medical treatment to create a custom treatment plan.

Being physically sick can negatively affect clients’ ability to heal mentally. This dimension should involve clinicians communicating effectively between providers, labs, HIEs, and other health organizations to provide optimal care. 

Implications for Behavioral Health Clinicians

Behavioral health clinicians should study the updates in the ASAM Criteria Fourth Edition as it will affect the way they provide addiction treatment and/or substance abuse care. 

  • Tailored Treatment Planning: These updates assist in developing personalized treatment plans using evidence. They consider each patient’s unique needs and challenges.
  • Person-Centered Care: Clinicians can improve patient engagement by involving them in treatment decisions and empowering them to take control of their recovery journey. This allows them to provide a holistic, person-centered approach.
  • Integrated Care Approach: The fourth edition emphasizes integrating addiction treatment with other medical and mental health services.
  • Telehealth and Technology: Including guidelines for incorporating telehealth services allows clinicians to reach more clients, especially those in remote areas or with limited access to in-person care. This expands the clinician’s ability to provide continuous support systems and follow-up.
  • Cultural Competency: Clinicians should pay attention to and respect their clients’ cultural backgrounds. This ensures respectful and appropriate treatment, improving patient engagement and effectiveness.
  • Professional Development: The 4th edition offers updated information that can contribute to clinicians’ ongoing education and professional development. Staying current with best practices and guidelines helps clinicians maintain high standards of care.
ASAM for behavioral health clinicians

Embracing ASAM Changes for Improved Patient Care

The changes to the ASAM Criteria reflect the evolving landscape of addiction medicine. Keep yourself informed about the new ASAM criteria and adjust your practice accordingly.

With an EHR, Practice Management, and Billing system integrated with the updated ASAM Criteria, clinicians can improve the quality of care with a seamless recovery journey (with features like patient referral orders and interoperability with outside providers). Patagonia Health’s behavioral health solutions include the ASAM Criteria, 4th edition. Together, let’s continue to pave the way for improved client outcomes and the overall quality of addiction treatment.

About Dayna Riddle

Dayna is a marketing associate at Patagonia Health, an Electronic Health Records (EHR) software company serving Public and Behavioral Health departments across the United States. She creates content, manages social media, and assists in marketing strategies, while supporting her efforts with a passion for health.