The ASAM Criteria: How Addiction Treatment Is Matched to Need
What are the ASAM criteria? A plain guide to the six dimensions and levels of care that match a person to the right intensity of addiction treatment.
When professionals decide what kind of addiction treatment a person needs, most use the ASAM criteria, a framework from the American Society of Addiction Medicine. It looks at the whole person, not just the substance, and matches them to the right level of care. Understanding it helps you make sense of recommendations and advocate for the right fit.
The six dimensions
An ASAM assessment considers six dimensions of a person's life, because addiction never exists in isolation:
- Acute intoxication and withdrawal: the immediate physical risk of stopping.
- Biomedical conditions: other physical health issues that affect treatment.
- Emotional, behavioral, or cognitive conditions: co-occurring mental health needs.
- Readiness to change: where the person is in their motivation.
- Relapse and continued use potential: the risk of returning to use.
- Recovery environment: the people, places, and supports around them.
The levels of care
Based on those dimensions, treatment is matched to a level of intensity, broadly from early intervention and outpatient care, through intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization, to residential and medically managed intensive inpatient care. The idea is to provide enough structure to be effective and safe, without being more restrictive than a person needs.
Why this matters for families
Understanding the ASAM approach helps you see why a professional might recommend one level over another, and why a person may step up or down over time. It also gives you language to ask good questions, such as which dimensions drove the recommendation, and what would signal a change in level.
Assessment is a starting point
An ASAM-informed assessment is not a verdict, it is a map. Needs change, and good treatment is reassessed over time as a person stabilizes and grows.
Frequently asked questions
What does ASAM stand for?
ASAM is the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Its criteria are the most widely used standard for assessing addiction and matching people to the appropriate level of care.
Who does an ASAM assessment?
A trained clinician, such as an addiction counselor, therapist, or physician, typically conducts the assessment and uses it to recommend a level of care.
Can my level of care change?
Yes. The criteria are meant to be revisited. People often step down to less intensive care as they stabilize, or step up if they need more support.
If you are not safe right now, call or text 988 in the U.S. or dial 911. Outside the U.S., call your local emergency number. This article is general education, not a substitute for care tailored to you.
About the author
SoundHeart Counseling is a relationship practice in Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley and the home of NeuroRelational Belonging Theory™. We offer licensed counseling in Alaska and Ohio, and coaching, retreats, and training for people everywhere. Our articles are general education written from the same practice-first approach. About SoundHeart
More on addiction and recovery
Addiction and the Family: How to Support Without Enabling
How to support a loved one with addiction without enabling. Understanding the difference, setting boundaries with compassion, and caring for yourself. Family support in Alaska.
Getting Help for Addiction: Levels of Care, Resources, and Preparing for Recovery
Getting help for addiction: understanding ASAM levels of care, finding resources in state and out of state, preparing for recovery, and healing the underlying causes. Alaska.
Alaska Addiction Recovery Resources: Where to Start
A starting guide to addiction recovery resources in Alaska, crisis and helpline numbers, how to find treatment, and how to navigate options when you or a loved one needs help.
A next step
Recovery is a team effort.
We can help you or your family think through next steps and the right level of care.