ASAM Level I and II criteria describe the treatment as a continued program marked by four and maybe even sometimes five broad levels of service including early intervention. Within these five broad levels, decimal markers are used to dive deeper into the intensity of service. This gives patients the opportunity to move up or down in terms of levels of intensity without having to move to the next benchmark level of care if they feel as though they aren’t fully ready yet.
These treatment programs offer specialized services on a scheduled basis for individuals with alcohol and other drug abuse problems. ASAM Level programs also provide patients with a unique way of sharing their life stories with group members in hopes of benefiting from the input of others. As a patient goes through the different ASAM levels they will learn a variety of socially acceptable values such as self-reliance, responsibility, competency, individual achievement, individual/community protection, and the importance of the family.
Along with that and many other topics discussed through these programs, the counselors in ASAM Level treatments also play a big part. They can be beneficial in supplying information to help clients gain knowledge to make better decisions in their daily lives. ASAM Level classes cover organized non-residential services that can be provided in a variety of environments. Addiction or mental health care professionals provide professionally directed assessments, treatment, and recovery services during these classes. These services are provided at regularly scheduled meetings and follow a defined set of guidelines and procedures, as well as medical protocols.
ASAM Level classes are designed to treat a person’s clinical severity and help the person make lasting changes in alcohol and drug use behavior along with mental performance. To do this, classes are set in place to provide treatment goals and increase an individual’s ability to accomplish important living tasks without the non-medical use of alcohol or other drugs. Lifestyle, attitude, and behavioral issues are some of the things that need to be addressed during ASAM level treatment. The teachings are guided by recent discoveries and experiences in cognitive-behavioral therapy such as motivational discussions, increased motivation, solution-oriented therapies, and stages of change.