Since 1978, the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) has been working to advance addiction services and support its membership of service providers. To that end, NAATP has launched The Addiction Treatment Provider Quality Assurance Guidebook: A Guide to the Core Competencies for the Delivery of Addiction Treatment Services.
Where did the NAATP Guidebook come from?
This new Guidebook was created under the NAATP’s Quality Assurance Initiative, which was created in 2018 to create high standards for addiction treatment providers and services. The Initiative aims to promote best business practices, prevent unethical and substandard practices, help payers assess addiction treatment services, and educate both consumers and providers.
How should you use the NAATP Guidebook?
NAATP created the Guidebook as part of its efforts to improve addiction treatment quality and help protect consumers. This document includes directions for addiction treatment providers seeking to apply best practices, measure patient outcomes, and operate their practices ethically.
NAATP membership also requires adherence to its Guidelines, in addition to other licensing, accreditation, and Ethics Code compliance. Therefore, it’s recommended that all NAATP members familiarize themselves with the contents of the Guidebook.
NAATP also aims for the Guidebook to help inform members of Congress as they debate solutions to the U.S. addiction crisis. This crisis includes not only the prescription painkiller epidemic, but unscrupulous organizations or providers who would seek to take advantage of vulnerable individuals and families families. NAATP has delivered its Guidebook to all members of Congress with an explanatory letter.
What information does the NAATP Guidebook contain?
In its efforts to improve the quality and ethics of addiction treatment providers and organizations, the Guidebook identifies core competencies for all addiction treatment providers in nine categories. These include:
- Operations, which covers organizational culture, licensing, and the physical facilities
- Admissions and Patient Screening, which addresses appropriate screening throughout treatment, monitoring progress, and prevention of both over- and under-providing
- Employment, Training, and Credentialing, which includes issues such as staff salaries, hiring former patients, and training for non-clinical staff
- Billing, which includes calculating the cost of service, billing for toxicology, and collecting copays
- Discharge and Continuing Care, including discharge planning and appropriately placing patients within the continuum of care
- Outcomes Measures, including how to collect and analyze patient outcomes to improve program efficacy and inform the public
- Community Engagement, Public Relations, and Public Policy, which addresses how to establish relationships with other medical community members, destigmatize addiction, and advocate for patients and the organization
- Marketing, Advertising, and Visibility, which focuses on avoiding misleading marketing practices, promoting transparency, preserving brand integrity, working with third-party marketers, and avoiding any form of remuneration for patient referrals
- Ethics, which covers adherence to the NAATP Code of Ethics
All of these categories include 32 specific Guidelines, as well as a list of resources for providers that seek to understand the Guidebook and follow its contents. The full text of the Guidebook is available online through the NAATP website.
Does your practice follow NAATP standards?
BestNotes is proud to be a member of NAATP, which means that our EHR and CRM solutions are built to adhere to the association’s rigorous standards in support of addiction treatment providers. Contact us today to learn more about our solutions or schedule a free demo.