Providers of New York State, Inc. (ASAP) and
an anonymous treatment program alumni group.
The survey was anonymous; therefore, there is
no way to determine with certainty if the
responses provided by those who chose to
respond are representative of the membership as
a whole or of the broader group of individuals
managing the disease of addiction (“in
recovery”).
The methodology, recruiting and screening
materials, consent protocol and survey
instrument were approved by CASA Columbia’s
IRB.
Respondents self-defined as being in “long-term
recovery” (i.e., not currently undergoing
detoxification or acute treatment); 360
respondents completed the survey. The average
reported length of being “clean and sober” was
10 or more years. The survey links were open
from July 2007 to July 2008.
Review of Licensing, Certification
and Accreditation Requirements
for Treatment Providers
Between 2009 and 2012, CASA Columbia
conducted online* reviews and analyses of
publicly available documents to develop a
summary overview of the regulatory landscape
related to government, professional association
and other accrediting agency requirements
related to the provision of addiction treatment
services. In some cases where key information
could not be identified or where requirements
were unclear, we called or e-mailed the relevant
state agency or organization for clarification.
Because licensing and certification requirements
are found in a wide variety of laws and
regulations and can change on a state-by-state
basis, findings from this review cannot be
guaranteed to be complete and current.
- Using the Lexis/Nexis database to supplement
information related to state laws and regulations
available on the Internet.
Individual Provider Licensing and
Certification Requirements
CASA Columbia reviewed publicly-available
federal and state laws and regulations (in all 50
states and the District of Columbia) and
professional association Web sites, to determine
the minimum education and training
requirements to become licensed or certified in
each of the following professions most likely to
provide addiction treatment in the United States:
physicians, physician assistants, nurses,
psychologists, mental health counselors/
therapists, social workers, acupuncturists and
addiction counselors. We collected data on state
licensing requirements for each profession,
including addiction-related requirements and
voluntary certification requirements for
addiction specialists in each profession.Addiction Facility/Program Licensing and
Accreditation Requirements
CASA Columbia reviewed publicly-available
federal and state laws and regulations that
govern addiction treatment facilities in all 50
states and the District of Columbia. We also
reviewed accreditation standards for addiction
facilities and programs set forth in the
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation
Facilities’ (CARF) Behavioral Health Standards
Manual and the Joint Commission’s Standards
for Behavioral Health Care. CARF and the Joint
Commission are the two largest accreditors of
addiction treatment programs.† We collected
data on requirements pertaining to staff
composition and qualifications, provided
services, quality assurance activities and the use
of patient outcomes data.Case Study of Addiction Treatment
in New York
CASA Columbia conducted a case study of
addiction treatment in New York State and New
York City with support from the New York
Community Trust. The goal of this work was to
provide an in-depth look at one state/city parallel† See Chapter IX.