OTP Accreditation

NCCHC Accreditation Paves the Way for 
Correctional Opioid Treatment Programs

Opioid treatment programs in correctional facilities are fairly rare due, in part, to the regulatory red tape and institutional resistance that have often stymied attempts to establish them. But with the help of NCCHC and the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, OTPs aiming to serve correctional populations stand a better chance.

By federal law, opioid treatment programs based in correctional facilities must obtain certification from SAMHSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but to become certified, the OTPs first must be accredited by a federally approved body. In February 2004, SAMHSA granted NCCHC the authority to accredit OTPs, making it one of only six bodies so authorized and the only one specializing in corrections.

Helping Patients
In the field of opioid addiction treatment, clinical studies and years of experience show that the methadone-based approach to detoxification and maintenance is an effective intervention for patients assessed as appropriate candidates for it. As well, clinical studies of opioid-dependent pregnant women confirm that providing methadone during pregnancy protects the health of the fetus.

Unfortunately, the absence of such opioid treatment programs in correctional facilities means lost opportunities to help addicted inmates, especially those who already participate in a community-based OTP but must forfeit continuity of care when they become incarcerated.

NCCHC’s new accreditation program will be a valuable service for correctional facilities that have had to use other strategies, such as reliance on community-based OTPs, to help addicted inmates.

It also will smooth the transition when the inmates are released, says addiction counselor Nancy White, MAC, LPC, an NCCHC board member who manages an integrated program for patients, including former inmates, diagnosed with chronic mental illness and substance abuse problems. “We know that opioid treatment relieves the narcotic craving that addicts describe as a major factor leading them to relapse and continued illegal drug use. If an inmate is released into the community already receiving opioid treatment, our communities should be much safer to live in.”

Standards for OTP Accreditation
As with health services accreditation, NCCHC standards are the foundation of the OTP program. The NCCHC Standards for Opioid Treatment Programs in Correctional Facilities are based on federal regulations but address the special nature of care provided in correctional facilities as well as the necessarily limited focus of such treatment in this setting.

OTPs actively seeking accreditation by NCCHC are eligible for technical assistance consultation, funded by SAMHSA, that assesses current operations and itemizes what may be necessary to comply with the standards.

An OTP seeking accreditation from NCCHC need not be in a facility whose health services are accredited. To learn more about this program, e-mail NCCHC at OTPinfo@ncchc.org or call (773) 880-1460, ext. 284.

[This article first appeared in the Winter 2004 issue of CorrectCare.]