Ethical Standards for Addiction Treatment

November 20th, 2023

By P. Casey Arrillaga, LCSW, LCDC

At
Windmill Wellness Ranch, we are always striving to give clients and their
families the highest standard of care. It’s one of the reasons we have been
independently verified as one of the most effective treatment centers in the
country. As good as this feels for us, it’s not enough. We would rather see
everyone else hit those same standards than be the best simply because others
are not doing as well. Therefore, we want to tell everyone how we do it, so
that clients and their families know what to look for and what they are getting
if they come to us, but also so other treatment providers can look for ways to
join us at the top. Therefore, in this post, we are going to present the
standards that we use to measure our own performance in an effort to raise the
entire industry.

What
We Know So Far

Addiction
treatment can be like the Wild West sometimes, with various states and counties
having their own standards for licensing (if any) for both the center and those
who work there. An elite group called The Society for Ethical Addiction
Treatment has formed to establish a set of universal standards for addiction
treatment. Among other key players across the industry, our founder and CEO,
Shannon Malish, was asked to join to give the perspective of direct-care
treatment providers. This was based on her forward-thinking approach, her deep
experience running addiction treatment centers, and the success of Windmill.
Success in this case was not measured in money, it was measured in client
outcomes.

Based
on talking with Shannon, here are the guidelines that shape Windmill’s
approach, which we are presenting to the elite group as proposed standards for
anyone running a treatment program. Everything you see here is something that
is put into practice every day at Windmill.

Standards for Ethical SUD
Treatment

1. The
treatment program must follow the law.

a. Full
compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

b.
Licensed
for the care provided and stays within the scope of that license.

2. The
treatment program must be accountable.

a.
Clear
reporting and grievance procedures available to clients.

b. Is
accredited (e.g., Joint Commission or similar professional accreditation
organization). (Windmill is Joint Commission accredited).

c. Outcomes
are measured by a “blind” third party (e.g., Trac9). (Windmill outcomes are
measured by Trac9).

3. The
treatment program must have and follow clear internal guidelines.

a. Has
clear Policy and Procedures that are put into use.

b. Uses
a recognized code of ethics (e.g., National Association of Social Workers Code
of Ethics). (Windmill uses the NASW Code of Ethics).

c. Has
a set of core values that are known to and demonstrated by staff.

4. The
treatment program must offer skilled therapy.

a. All
clinicians have a master’s degree or higher.

b. All
staff are trained in and demonstrate trauma-sensitive care.

c. Minimum
of three trauma-healing modalities are offered (e.g., EMDR, IFS, CPT, etc.).

d. The
clinical team uses validated psychometric tools to help guide care.

e. At
least half of educational classes are taught by staff with master’s degree or
higher.

5. The
treatment program must include readily-available medical care.

a. Has
full-time prescribing staff (e.g., MD, NP, etc.).

b. Prescribing
staff see each client weekly at a minimum while in detox, residential, and PHP
levels of care, monthly minimum while in IOP.

c. Has
24/7 nursing staff on site.

6. The
treatment program must demonstrate interdisciplinary coordination.

  a. Each
client is seen weekly minimum by both therapist and prescriber. (Windmill
clients are seen twice per week minimum by therapist, once weekly minimum by
prescriber, and once weekly minimum by recovery coach.)

b. Therapists
and prescribers meet to coordinate care every two weeks minimum, weekly
preferred. (Windmill therapists and prescribers meet at least once per week
to coordinate care).

7. The
treatment program must empower its clients with choices.

a. Length-of-stay
and level of care decisions are driven by individual client need (e.g., not by
insurance company).

b. Treatment
plans and assignments are individualized.

c. Has
a client handbook that is reviewed with all clients.

d. At
least two recovery fellowships are offered (e.g., AA & SMART Recovery). (Windmill
offers AA and SMART, with additional meetings/classes for NA and SLAA).

8. The
treatment program must offer options to include family.

a. Offers
family programming (e.g., family group education and therapy). (Windmill has
both a weekly family workshop and weekly SMART Recovery Family & Friends
meeting).

b. Offers
family sessions.

9. The
treatment program must offer options for aftercare.

a. Connect
clients to vetted sober living options, therapist referrals, recovery
fellowship meeting lists, etc.

b.
Offers
follow-up outreach calls to alumni.

c. Offers
alumni meetings, activities, or the like. (Windmill has a weekly alumni
meeting as well as alumni gatherings and celebrations).

The
Bottom Line

If
you are looking for the best treatment possible for you or a loved one, look
for a treatment center with the highest standards, and that has the best
outcomes as a result. Ask if they hit all the guidelines listed above, so you
can make an informed decision that can pay off for the rest of your life.

About The Author

P. Casey Arrillaga is the Team Leader for Education at
Windmill Wellness Ranch, and he is the author of books including “Realistic
Hope: The Family Survival Guide for Facing Alcoholism and Other Addictions”.
His book