The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) has been supporting organizations dedicated to treating addiction for nearly 50 years. Based in Denver, Colorado and Washington, DC, this non-profit association offers guidance, resources, and advocacy for its members. It also provides the public with educational materials on addiction and an online directory of treatment centers to guide the public to high-quality care.
“We help addiction treatment providers operate successfully and sustainably. At the same time, we have a broader societal mission to improve addiction treatment practices and establish the place of addiction treatment in the American healthcare system,” says CEO Marvin Ventrell.
“Addiction, also called Substance Use Disorder (SUD), is a primary, chronic, and potentially fatal brain disease characterized by biological, psychological, social, and spiritual manifestations,” explains an NAATP Public Policy Statement. The best treatment involves a “comprehensive model of care that addresses the medical, biological, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of individuals impacted by the disease of addiction.”
Nationwide reach
NAATP represents around 1,000 treatment providers across the United States, as well as members in Mexico, Canada, and the UK. These centers treat individuals struggling with addiction to alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription medications.
“The scope of addiction is wide, from alcohol to drugs. In the early days, alcoholism was the singular focus, but today the country faces a serious healthcare crisis involving drug addiction. Whatever the substance, NAATP treatment providers are equipped to treat it,” says Ventrell.
He adds, “We have a terrible access to care problem. Approximately 50 million Americans aged 12 or older meet the criteria for a substance use disorder. The vast majority of people in this country who need addiction treatment don’t get it. Approximately 80 percent of people in this country with diabetes get care for their diabetes; yet only about 20 percent—at best—of people with substance use disorders get care. That’s a travesty and it is unacceptable.”
Addiction, including alcohol and illicit drugs, is estimated to cause $422 billion in annual economic losses in the U.S., according to NAATP. The opioid crisis, exacerbated by prescription painkiller misuse and the proliferation of fentanyl, has drawn renewed attention to the devastation caused by addiction.
“The opioid epidemic changed our landscape dramatically… The problem with opioids is that they are so lethal, they addict and kill very quickly. As many as 300 people die from opiate overdose every day. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, for instance, is 100 times stronger than morphine, and it is mixed into many other drugs,” unknowingly putting users at risk of overdose deaths, says Ventrell.
Some NAATP member providers also treat sex addiction, gambling addiction, and eating disorders, and most also help patients with nicotine cessation.
Diversity in treatment models
Treatment approaches among NAATP members include outpatient counseling, residential care, and long-term continuing care. Methods include traditional 12-step facilitation, psycho-social counseling, group therapy, and pharmaceutical interventions. “We continue to learn what works best and our research foundation, The Foundation for Recovery Science and Education (FoRSE), is hard at work measuring outcomes.”
While many providers emphasize abstinence, some adopt a more harm reduction-based model, which seeks to minimize the negative consequences of addiction without insisting on complete abstinence. “We respect the patient’s autonomy, but we hope for the kind of addiction recovery that gives the patient a long, full, and happy life,” says Ventrell.
All NAATP members must be fully licensed and accredited and must adhere to the Association’s Code of Ethics. Treatment best practices are provided in NAATP’s Quality Assurance Guidebook, which defines the core competencies of care for the industry. Two major organizations accredit treatment centers in the U.S.: the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and The Joint Commission. State authorities, meanwhile, typically handle licensing.
The Quality Assurance Guidebook covers an array of topics, including Governance, Management, and Leadership (treatment facilities need a rules-based governance structure); Admissions (a thorough assessment is required of each client entering treatment); and Follow-up (patients should be offered a continuum of care and have their outcomes tracked). Service providers are also required to keep well-written, updated procedures and policies, and must operate safe, professionally run facilities.
Ultimately, treatment providers should offer “a professionally staffed program that follows best practices, evidence-based practices, and science,” says Ventrell.
Upholding ethical standards
NAATP’s Code of Ethics was created about a decade ago in response to misleading practices by some online treatment providers. These “bad actors” would often misrepresent their services, harming the public and damaging the industry’s reputation.
In response, NAATP pushed for more stringent vetting processes, particularly with platforms like Google. CEO Ventrell testified before Congress about such deceptive practices, and NAATP developed the Code to emphasize professionalism, transparency, and dignity. Misleading advertising, paying for patient referrals, and making false statements about treatment programs are cited as unethical. “Most treatment providers are ethical, but there are always a few who harm the field. We worked with Google to remove deceptive ads and protect consumers,” recalls Ventrell.
The Addiction Industry Directory (AID), created by NAATP, helps the public locate licensed and accredited treatment centers, offering detailed information on the services available. NAATP also hosts webinars with experts and an annual National Addiction Treatment Leadership Awards gala to celebrate excellence in the field.
Approaching addiction
While NAATP is not a clinical research entity, it strongly supports addiction-related scientific and medical studies. Advancements in brain imaging techniques like Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) have deepened the understanding of addiction as a physiological condition.
“We can literally see addiction in the brain,” says Ventrell. One of the benefits of brain science is it helps to take the stigma away. People are ashamed to have alcoholism, people are ashamed to have an addiction, but they shouldn’t be; it turns out, they have a brain disease. Addiction is a disease, centered in the brain, with psychological, social, and spiritual manifestations. All of those pieces have to be addressed,” he says.
The addiction treatment field is unique in American healthcare because it largely emerged from “an altruistic social movement”––Alcoholics Anonymous––rather than from “entrepreneurial business interests or medicine per se,” Ventrell explains. AA, founded in 1939, developed the influential 12-step treatment model, which NAATP continues to support as a scientifically grounded approach.
By the 1950s, the AA model had become institutionalized, with the emergence of treatment centers offering residential care, followed by a kind of boom in the 1970s.
NAATP was founded in 1978 and continues to adapt to address gaps in treatment and advocate for systemic improvements. The Association has since adapted to new challenges, including the opioid epidemic and the rise of managed care in the U.S.
“We recognize that there are social determinants of healthcare; access often depends on where you stand in American society. Wealthier individuals have better access to care, and that’s something we need to change,” says Ventrell. NAATP is committed to ensuring equitable care for marginalized communities, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), who have historically been underserved.
Advocating for equity
Advocacy is also central to NAATP’s mission, and the Association maintains a Director of Public Policy in Washington, D.C. and a Political Action Committee (NAATP PAC) to influence policymakers. The Association also runs the Alliance for State Advocacy (ASA) to address local and state-level issues.
This September, NAATP praised new rules released by the Biden-Harris Administration aimed at enforcing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Passed in 2008, the Parity Act was intended to ensure that SUD treatment received similar coverage as physical ailments, but was poorly enforced. The new rules strengthen the enforcement of insurance provisions for SUDs, says Ventrell.
He views the Parity Act as a companion piece to the Affordable Care Act, both of which aim to improve access to addiction care.
NAATP has raised concerns about the legalization of marijuana for adults in several American states. While decriminalization (removing criminal penalties for simple possession) “makes good sense,” allowing legal cannabis sales has resulted in an increase in marijuana use, especially among young people, whose developing brains are at risk, says Ventrell. Still, he is optimistic about the future and looking forward to further advances in brain science and other means of addressing addiction issues.
“I have to stress that treatment works, and we need to do everything we can in this country, collectively and individually, to help people access treatment. 800 people die every day from drug or alcohol overdoses. It’s a healthcare crisis, a national emergency. The good news is, this is a treatable illness, and you can get well. There is hope for everyone.”
