Writing Group Descriptions
Justice
Prison Writing Group
Prisons are facilities in which convicted persons are confined for a year or more after adjudication. These facilities are operated by state, federal, or private entities. Often, these settings do not have the capacity to offer the ASAM Continuum of Care due to several challenges. However, the need for substance use treatment and guidelines are needed within these settings. The ASAM Criteria has not been comprehensively integrated into these settings and may require innovative ideas geared towards eliminating barriers to integration, adjusting to the need of the prison facilities, and facilitation of non-traditional methods of withdrawal management. Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with or doing research within this population.
To apply click here
Jail Writing Group
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (N.D) jails are facilities where offenders are confined for a short-term, generally a year or less. In addition, offenders could also be held pending trial, awaiting sentencing, or awaiting transfer. The population within Jails are transient and acute withdrawal management is frequently encountered. Linking to community providers, triaging based on the length of stay within each jail, and withdrawal management requires careful consideration of this unique setting. Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with or doing research within this population.
To apply click here
Probation and Parole Writing Group
Parole refers to criminal offenders who are conditionally released from prison to serve the remaining portion of their sentence in the community (Bureau of Justice Statistics, N.D.). This population is in the community and can access traditional Continuum of Care services including established withdrawal management from outpatient services providers. Under certain circumstances, treatment is a stipulation of their parole or probation. The guidelines for this population will require exploring concepts of recidivism, addressing criminogenic needs within substance use disorder treatment, and collaboration with probation and parole entities that might have different perspectives on treatment. Experience with toxicology monitoring protocols is an additional useful competency. Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with or doing research within this population.
To apply click here
Central Criteria Text
Withdrawal Management Writing Group
Withdrawal management is an essential component of substance use disorder treatment. Unstable biomedical conditions often require a comprehensive approach of behavioral therapies and medication management. Individuals with substance use disorders experience physical symptoms that can impede an individual’s progress towards sobriety. Withdrawal management increases medical support and medication.
Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with or doing research within this population.
To apply click here
Outpatient Writing Group (1, 1-OTS, 2.1, 2.5)
Outpatient treatment occurs in a variety of settings including outpatient clinics and substance use disorder treatment facilities. The Outpatient Treatment is levels 0.5 and 1 and they are often referred to as early intervention. Individuals who participate in this treatment is often expected to participate in a once a week group or individual therapy. The 2.1 level of care is called Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and generally requires three times a week attendance by the participant. 2.5 Partial Hospital Program (PHP) is a high intensity treatment program which requires individuals to attend treatment at a facility while still living in the community. This level of treatment is an alternative to residential treatment programs if the client does not pose an eminent risk.
Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with or doing research within this population.
To apply click here
Residential Writing Group (3.1-4)
Residential treatment is part of the traditional Continuum of Care services and focuses on removing the individual from the community to provide resource-intense high level of care. Residential treatment is a level 3 designation including: 3.1 Clinically Managed Low-Intensity, 3.3 Clinically Managed Populations Specific High Intensity, 3.5 Clinically Managed Medium Intensity, 3.7 Medically Managed High Intensity levels of care and 4.0 Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient Services. Residential levels of care offers organized treatment services that features a planned and structured regimen of care in a 24-hour residential setting. All level 3 Residential settings are staffed 24 hours a day with a range of intensities of service such as clinical therapies provided, direct supervision, of patients. Individuals accessing Level 3 care need safe and stable living environments, 24-hour care and need to develop/ practice recovery skills necessary to prevent immediate relapse upon transfer to a less intensive level of care.
Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with or doing research within this population.
To apply click here
Adolescents
Outpatient Writing Group
According to the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, treatment for adolescent drug misuse is most commonly offered in the Outpatient setting. Outpatient adolescent treatment is part of the traditional Continuum of Care services (outpatient, intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization) and focuses on providing care while the adolescent remains living at home setting and can continue their education and /or employment. This is the core advantage of outpatient treatment, that individuals can continue to engage in daily activities while developing skills and support networks to help them to achieve being sober and drug free. Outpatient adolescent treatment typically offers the following evidence-based modalities: drug abuse education, individual and group counseling, family therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and trauma-informed care. This level of treatment is appropriate for adolescents whose assessment indicates a less severe level of care is warranted, as a step down from a more intensive treatment or to increase the adolescent’s motivation to engage in a higher level of care. The length of stay for outpatient treatment is typically several weeks to a few months long. The guidelines for this population will require exploring concepts of conceptual issues relevant to treating adolescents suspected of drug-related problems, including factors believed to contribute to a substance use disorder, multidimensional screening of adolescents to determine the right level of care, at the right time and exploration of the unique treatment needs of adolescents including developmentally focused treatment. Other topics of confidentiality, psychopathology, familial patterns and other risk factors related to substance misuse will be explored.
Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with or doing research within this population.
To apply click here
Residential Writing Group
Residential adolescent treatment is part of the traditional Continuum of Care services and focuses on removing the from the community to provide resource-intense high level of care, generally for adolescents with severe levels of addiction whose mental health and medical needs and addictive behaviors require a 24-hour structured environment to make recovery possible. Evidenced based approaches to treating adolescent substance abuse and dependence include but are not limited to family-focused treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and trauma-informed care. Residential treatment is a high level of care for adolescents who have not only severe addiction but also have complex mental health, family, or medical problems that would interfere with treatment and the ability to get and stay clean and sober. Treatment programs vary in length from one month to one year.
The guidelines for this population will require exploring concepts of the developmental needs of adolescents, that this age group tend to be polydrug users, tend to not reveal withdrawal symptoms, experience serious problems without meeting diagnostic criteria for the disorder and are far less likely than adults to seek treatment on their own. Additionally, multidimensional screening and individualized treatment must include therapeutic modalities to address medical, mental health/ trauma and other factors that can impede harm reduction and recovery.
Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with or doing research within this population.
To apply click here
Prevention Writing Group
On the continuum of care for adolescent substance use, the lowest level of care involves universal or primary prevention programs that do not explicitly target adolescents at risk of substance use disorders. Prevention programs are relatively short term and often conscripted. can be implemented in a number of settings and can involve family, school and other community members. Prevention services may provide substance abuse prevention for an individual or a population of youth at risk for engaging in substance use, by focusing on environmental and community factors and policies, developmental factors, or skill development Prevention differs from early intervention in that early intervention consists of educational or brief intervention services that aim to help the adolescent recognize the negative consequences of substance use and to understand and address the adolescent’s problems that are likely related to their substance us though these adolescents often do not perceive that their drug use is a problem. The guidelines for this population will require exploring concepts of the interactive effect of risk and preventive factors and understanding that this has substantial implications for the design and implementation of successful preventive interventions. The developmental needs of children and adolescents is critical in exploring risk factors associated with increased likelihood of youth substance use and abuse: early aggressive behavior, lack of parental supervision, academic problems, undiagnosed mental health problems, peer substance use, drug availability, poverty, peer rejection, and child abuse or neglect.
Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with or doing research within this population.
To apply click here
Oversight
Conflict and Diversity Workgroup
The ASAM Criteria aims to strike a delicate balance between prescriptive recommendations and allowing for clinicians to use their training and close knowledge of patients to assess and treat them appropriately. This begins with a thorough consideration of culture in order to directly address conflict and diversity across the entirety of the 4th edition. ASAM recognizes the importance of cultural competence when making diagnosis, placement and treatment plan considerations.
Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with publications products/ editorial experience that actively research, explore and can build an open forum to discuss conflict and diversity in the field of addictions.
To apply click here
Racism, Sexism, Poverty Workgroup
The ASAM Criteria aims to strike a delicate balance between prescriptive recommendations and allowing for clinicians to use their training and close knowledge of patients to assess and treat them appropriately. Not acknowledging or factoring culture, race and ethnicity into treatment is in essence a discriminatory practice. ASAM will directly address structural racism, sexism and poverty across the entirety of the 4th edition.
Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 1-year experience working with publications products/ editorial experience that actively research, explore and can build an open forum to discuss racism, sexism and poverty in the field of addictions.
To apply click here
ASAM Product Integration Workgroup
The ASAM Product Integration Workgroup is responsible for the development, implementation, oversight, and monitoring of quality improvement of the editorial process. This group will review the work of the other workgroup to make sure that the 4th edition of the ASAM Criteria is fully aligned with all other ASAM Criteria related products: LOC Certification, CONTINUUM, Guidelines, etc.
Contributors to the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition must have a minimum of 2-years' experience working with publications product integration/editorial experience. Experience with the development and/or implementation of any ASAM products is preferred.