This interactive training introduces participants to the foundational principles, goals, and structure of The ASAM Criteria, Fourth Edition, Volume 2: Adolescents and Transition-Aged Youth. It provides a comprehensive overview of the continuum of care for adolescent substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, emphasizing developmental considerations, family engagement, and integrated care for co-occurring conditions. Participants will examine the guiding principles that shape admission, continued service, and transition decisions, as well as the updated dimensional framework and standards for individualized, family-driven, and youth-guided treatment planning.
The session also explores normal adolescent development, risk and protective factors, and the neuroscience of addiction to contextualize clinical decision-making. The training highlights the importance of secondary and tertiary prevention as essential components of adolescent treatment, recognizing that early identification, timely intervention, and sustained recovery and family support are critical to interrupting progression, reducing harm, and promoting healthy development. Designed to be highly interactive and case-based, the training engages participants in real-world scenarios and collaborative discussions that apply the updated ASAM Criteria concepts in practice. These case-based exercises support clinicians in translating theory into actionable skills, strengthening their confidence in making level-of-care recommendations and developing individualized, developmentally attuned treatment and prevention plans.
Objectives:
After completing this course, learners will be able to:
- Review the foundational principles of the ASAM Criteria and the major updates to The ASAM Criteria, Fourth Edition
- Identify the content, functionality, and capabilities of the redesigned digital and print tools of The ASAM Criteria
- Recognize potential inquiries from the provider community and how to access resources related to standards and practices consistent with the implementation of The ASAM Criteria, Fourth Edition
- Discuss and share ideas and feedback for training needs across the State.