CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE UPDATE

Measures For Substance Use Disorders Available For Comment By Clinical Social Workers And Other Providers

Mirean Coleman, MSW, LICSW, CT
Senior Policy Associate
April 2008

The American Medical Association Physician Consortium (AMA/PCPI) for Performance Improvements has released for public comment the Substance Use Disorders Measurement Set.  These measures were developed by an expert work group that included a multidisciplinary group of professionals from social work, psychiatry, addiction medicine, primary care, government, health plans, pain medicine, and substance use counseling communities.  The primary purpose of the work group was to develop measures focused on individual clinicians to help improve the quality of care for patients with substance use disorders.  The measures are based on evidence-based practice and address known gaps in care.

NASW encourages members who work with substance use populations to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the development of substance use measures for use in future practice.  The draft measures with corresponding response forms are available for comment at the following AMA/PCPI Web site: www.physicianconsortium.org.  The comment period for the substance use measures ends on April 18, 2008.