Opioid Treatment Program Accreditation
Overview
Accreditation is the peer review process by which SAMHSA-approved accreditation
bodies make site visits and review the policies, procedures, practices and patient
services of an organization providing opioid treatment. The purpose of these accreditation
site visits is to ensure that opioid treatment programs (OTPs) meet specific, nationally-accepted
standards regarding organizational functioning and patient care.
Accreditation assists OTPs in improving their quality of care. It emphasizes providing
person-focused care, and an integrated and individualized approach to services and
outcomes. Accreditation enhances community confidence, provides a staff education
tool, enhances medical staff recruitment, and often fulfills State licensure requirements.
Other benefits of accreditation may include meeting certain Medicare certification
requirements, enhancing access to managed care contracts, and favorably influencing
liability insurance premiums. A discussion of and links to two studies of the impact
of OTP accreditation is found on the OTP Accreditation
Impact Studies page.
Once an OTP is accredited by a SAMHSA-approved accrediting body, SAMHSA uses the
accreditation results along with other data to determine whether the program is
qualified to carry out treatment under the standards in Federal
Regulation 42 CFR Part 8. Qualified accredited programs receive
certification by SAMHSA. A program may apply to SAMHSA for initial (provisional)
certification during the time it is working towards accreditation with a SAMHSA-approved
accrediting body. Programs applying for accreditation or certification must also
comply with the applicable laws and regulations in their states.
For an overview of the OTP accreditation and certification process, view the
Opioid Treatment Regulation page.
Accreditation Guidelines
SAMHSA, in a collaborative process involving expert panels, field reviews, and clearances
from other Federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget, has promulgated
guidelines for the accreditation of opioid treatment programs. The Guidelines for
the Accreditation of Opioid Treatment Programs, first released in 1999, provide
direction to accreditation organizations and opioid treatment programs on achieving
conformance with the Federal Opioid Treatment Standards in Federal Regulation 42
CFR Part 8.
CSAT is committed to Good Guideline Practices, and such practices include periodic
review and update of guidelines as evidence and experiences associated with best
practices advance. As such, CSAT announced the availability of the revised draft
Guidelines for the Accreditation of Opioid Treatment Programs in the Federal Register
of Monday, May 15, 2006. The notice provided information on how to obtain the draft
and submit comments. A 60-day comment period concluded on July 14, 2006.
CSAT completed a careful review and consideration of all of comments received, and
released the final revised
Guidelines for the Accreditation of Opioid Treatment Programs (PDF,
418 KB) on the DPT Website on August 9, 2007.
Accrediting Bodies
The complete list of all SAMHSA-approved OTP accrediting bodies is found at
http://dpt.samhsa.gov/regulations/accredbodies.aspx
Application to SAMHSA for approval as an OTP accrediting body under 42 CFR can be
submitted to SAMHSA using form SMA-163: Application for Approval as Accreditation
Body under 42 CFR.
OTP Accreditation Technical Assistance
Technical assistance (TA) is available to help programs meet accreditation standards
by identifying potential deficiencies and providing resources to assist in making
the necessary changes. If you would like TA for your OTP or would like to learn
more about the resources available to OTPs under the TA contract, please contact
Sharon Dow, with DB Consulting Group, at 1-800-839-6120.
For More Information
For more information about OTP accreditation or on becoming a SAMHSA-approved accrediting
body, contact:
Nichole Washington Smith
Public Health Advisor
Division of Pharmacologic Therapies
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
SAMHSA
1 Choke Cherry Rd., Room No 2-1082
Rockville, MD 20857
(Overnight: 20850)
nichole.washington@samhsa.hhs.gov
Phone: 240 276-2719
Fax: 240 270-2710
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