Overview

Each opioid treatment program (OTP) has a written Community Relations Plan that addresses community education about substance abuse, identifies a staff member for community activities, includes procedures to resolve community relations problems, and requires evidence of all licenses, certifications, and accreditations to be prominently displayed in the building.

Accreditation Requirement(s)

To be in conformance with this accreditation standard, the organization must show evidence of the following:

• The organization provides community education on substance abuse and the use of methadone/LAAM in treatment.
  
• An employee is identified to be involved with community relations activities.
• There are written procedures to address issues such as loitering and diversion, which are typical community relations problems.
  
• All licenses, certifications, and accreditations that the organization possesses should be posted in a prominent location.

Implementation Tips

Some Implementation Tips provided, in part, by Robert Johnson at: www.accreditationnow.com.

• Before opening a new OTP, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Guidelines for the Accreditation of Opioid Treatment Programs calls for studying the impact on community need and the actual location of the clinic. In addition, CSAT guidelines speak to soliciting community input on an ongoing basis, in the spirit of a "Good Neighbor Policy." These activities are all part of the national effort to reduce stigma associated with the use of methadone/LAAM as a treatment tool and to establish opioid treatment as part of mainstream medical care in the United States.
  
  
• Community leaders should be identified and contacted. Liaisons with community representatives should be identified so that information about the program can be shared. Program personnel should be identified, such as Community Relations staff, the Program Sponsor, and the Program Manager, who will function as community relations coordinators and be responsible for the Community Relations Plan. This function does not require a full-time staff member; rather it can be an adjunctive role filled by existing staff.
  
  
• Different community groups might include businesses, hospitals, neighbors, health and human service agencies, elected officials, police and law enforcement officials, and religious leaders.
  
  
• Community contacts should be documented and can then be analyzed for trends and patterns.
  
  
• Soliciting input about the program's impact on the community can be part of the organization's overall demonstration of Business Practices: Criterion One: Input from Persons Served, which calls for collecting information on an ongoing basis from clients and other stakeholders as long as input is requested and received specific to the opioid program itself. Or, it can be a separate endeavor designed for the neighboring community and appropriate community agencies impacted by the OTP. Input from the community can also be utilized for strategic planning purposes.
  
  
• Policies and procedures that the organization already has in place to meet accreditation standards (i.e., Diversion Control Plan, Disaster Plans) can be referenced in the Community Relations Plan or attached to it. They do not have to be reiterated in each plan!
  
  
• Remember, a plan is different from a policy and procedure in that the organization needs to identify goals and objectives, actions taken, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the process.
  
  
• Educational and informational activities that the larger organization conducts can certainly be recognized as part of the Community Relations Plan, as long as those activities are substance abuse treatment related.
  
  
• The sample Community Relations Plan has examples of types of activities a typical OTP might conduct. These are merely meant to be illustrative. Your plan should be tailored to your operations and corporate culture.
  
  
• Most organizations utilize an entrance hallway, waiting area, or common bulletin board to post licenses, certifications, and accreditation certificates, which are oftentimes framed. It is important that these be kept current.