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Opioid Treatment Program AccreditationQuick LinksOverviewAccreditation 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 GuidelinesSAMHSA, 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 BodiesThe 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 AssistanceTechnical 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 InformationFor more information about OTP accreditation or on becoming a SAMHSA-approved accrediting body, contact:
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