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Looking for Fourth Edition version of the assessment guide? Click here.

The SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½Criteria^® Assessment Interview Guide is the first publicly available standardized version of the SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½Criteria assessment. With this release, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½and UCLA hope to increase the quality and consistency of patient assessments and treatment recommendations. This resource can also help assist states looking to facilitate continuity and consistency in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment delivery and coverage.

Because it is paper-based, offered free to all clinicians, and can be used in many different clinical contexts, the Guide enhances the public utility of The SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½Criteria’s multidimensional assessment approach for the addiction treatment community.

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What is the SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½Criteria^®

The SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½Criteria defines the standards for conducting a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment to inform patient placement and treatment planning. These standards describe six dimensions that should be assessed, including:

1. Acute intoxication and/or withdrawal potential
2. Biomedical conditions and complications
3. Emotional, behavioral, and cognitive conditions and complications
4. Readiness to change
5. Relapse, continued use, or continued problem potential
6. Recovery/living environment

The SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½Criteria also provides standards for rating the patient’s risks in each dimension and dimensional admission criteria for determining the least intensive, but safe level of care for meeting the patient’s individual treatment needs. 

Resources

• Speaking the Same Language: A Toolkit for Strengthening Patient-Centered Addiction Care in the United States
• SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½Criteria Courses
• SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½Criteria book