by Donovan Kuehn

Donovan Kuehn
NAADAC Director of Operations and Outreach

In a move toward transparency and to simplify the professional life for addiction services professionals, NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, is holding a discussion on national credential standards this summer. NAADAC has invited two representatives from each nationally established and recognized addictions disorders certifying board to attend the discussions on certification standards, testing processes and other issues relevant to the addiction treatment industry.

The meeting will be held in conjunction with the “Sowing the Seeds of Recovery” annual conference and will take place at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 18, 2009.

The purpose of the meeting will be to foster relations between the various certifying entities in hopes of working together to best serve the addictions disorders profession in today’s changing environment .

A full discussion incorporating all of the national stakeholders is seen as a first step in setting an agenda for addiction professionals and how the profession will move forward in a changing economic and political climate. As President Obama’s health reform proposals move forward, there is a need for unity among addiction focused professionals.

The discussions will focus on the changes needed in the addiction profession, as laid out by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in their recent report Ensuring U.S. Health Reform Includes Prevention and Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Disorders: A Framework for Discussion. A key finding of the report focused on the development of a national “centralized credentialing and privileging system across all payers, and a National system for clinician licensing and the licensing and regulation of care delivery systems.” The report focused on the benefit of consistent standards that “will make it easier for professionals to enter and stay in the field, and for the system at large to achieve a higher level of quality.”

If you are affiliated with a certifying board and are interested in attending, or seeking more information, please contact Shirley Mikell by July 13, 2009, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800.548.0497. For more information on health reform, please visit www.samhsa.gov/Healthreform/.