Determining Levels of Care for Substance Use Disorders
These crucial assessment tools use structured screening interviews that inform person-centered care. With them, data, reports and level of care recommendations from ASAM are seamlessly integrated with behavioral health electronic medical record systems. Continuum can be implemented in a variety of settings, including public health, criminal justice and private health systems.
Always available, from intake to discharge
With Continuum and Co-Triage, the entire treatment team from intake specialists to treatment providers has access to a structured interview platform to determine appropriate levels of care and inform treatment plans for those with substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions. These tools can be repeatedly used throughout an individual’s journey to recovery to guide treatment and planning.
The comprehensive Continuum assessment has been validated by decades of research and is endorsed and required by more than 30 states.
The Co-Triage screener provides an abbreviated assessment to determine a preliminary level of care in urgent situations.
For those battling addiction and substance use disorder (SUD), there is no one-size fits all approach to sobriety. An off-the-shelf solution for recovery simply does not exist.
That’s why we partnered with the American Society for Addiction Medicine in the development and ongoing operations of the ASAM CONTINUUM™ and the ASAM CO-Triage® screener, structured screening interviews that inform person-centered care.
With these crucial assessment tools, data, reports and level of care recommendations from ASAM are seamlessly integrated into our Blue Compass case management systems or your current electronic health record system.
Always available, from intake to discharge
With ASAM CONTINUUM and ASAM CO-Triage screener, the entire treatment team from intake specialist to provider has access to a structured interview to inform treatment plans for those with substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions. These tools can be repeatedly used throughout a client’s journey to recovery to guide treatment and planning.
The comprehensive CONTINUUM has been validated by decades of research and is endorsed and required by more than 30 states. The CO-Triage screener provides an abbreviated assessment to springboard a preliminary level of care and is primarily used by urgent care centers, call centers, court coordinators and law enforcement.
ASAM CONTINUUM BENEFITS
- Increased initial patient engagement and retention over time
- Less substance use disorder severity
- Speeds telephonic prior authorization for treatment
- Streamlined approval for payer reimbursement
- Greater success securing treatment funding with public and commercial payers
A crosswalk to support the technology transition from the third to fourth edition of The ASAM Criteria
With the recent update to the fourth edition of the criteria, we’re working to develop and introduce a corresponding fourth edition of the ASAM CONTINUUM™ and CO-Triage® – available in early 2026. In the meantime, we’ll provide a crosswalk feature to allow clinicians to receive fourth edition level of care recommendations using the third edition assessment. In addition, new third edition users can lock in current pricing and will maintain data continuity with full access to all historical assessments when the fourth edition is released. We’re committed to ensuring you have the most up-to-date assessment technology. We’ll continue to support the third edition for the foreseeable future, and our crosswalk will provide a seamless transition from the third edition to the fourth.
Paul is an intake specialist at an outpatient opioid medication-assisted treatment program. Substance use disorder has hit his community particularly hard, and the clinic struggles to serve the growing need for care.
With the help of Blue Compass and ASAM CO-Triage screener, Paul determines provisional recommended levels of care – a vital first step to recovery while clients wait for available appointments with clinicians.
Learn MoreCHANGES FROM THE ASAM CRITERIA, 3rd EDITION
Building on the strong foundation of the third edition, the updated criteria reflect advancements in clinical science, a deeper understanding of person-centered considerations and expanded assessment dimensions. The updated standards:
- Assess the highest intensity care needed first (such as withdrawal management and medical / psychiatric placement).
- Integrate withdrawal management and rehabilitation levels of care into medically enhanced levels of care.
- Expect all programs to integrate “co-occurring capable services.”
- Add recovery residence / support services in addition to the levels of care.
KEY FEATURES OF THE ASAM CRITERIA, 4th EDITION
The fourth edition emphasizes a holistic, person-centered approach and has been crafted using a rigorous methodology for scientific evidence review and consensus development. The updated criteria:
- Reorders the dimensions such that consideration of readiness to change is integrated across dimensions.
- Simplifies and updates dimension names to reflect the field’s evolving terminology and facilitate effective dissemination of these standards.
- Introduces a new Dimension 6: Person-Centered Considerations, which considers barriers to care, including social determinants of health (SDOH), patient preferences, and the need for motivational enhancement.
ASAM CONTINUUM™ and ASAM CO-Triage® authorized distributers
Accumedic
AdvancedMD
Aegis/Pinnacle Treatment Center
BestNotes
Civitas Health
ClinicTracker
CodeMaxMB
Compulink
Core Solutions
DCPCA
EnSoftek -Dr Cloud EHR
HiMS
Kipu Health
Lightning Step
MedEz
Naphcare
Netalytics
Netsmart
Nextgen
PCE Systems
Qualifacts, Insync
Qualifacts, Credible
Sigmund
Streamline
Topaz Legacy
WITS
Zane Networks
