Reference
Treatment glossary: Every term you need to know
The treatment industry uses a lot of jargon. This glossary defines the most common terms in plain language so you can understand what providers are talking about and make informed decisions.
A
AMA (Against Medical Advice): Leaving a treatment program before the clinical team recommends discharge. Leaving AMA significantly increases relapse risk.
ASAM Criteria: The American Society of Addiction Medicine's framework for matching patients to the appropriate level of care based on clinical assessment. Most treatment facilities use ASAM criteria to determine whether someone needs detox, residential, IOP, or outpatient care.
B-C
Buprenorphine (Suboxone): An FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder. A partial opioid agonist that reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Can be prescribed by any licensed provider.
CARF: Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. An independent nonprofit that accredits treatment facilities through on-site surveys. Voluntary accreditation indicating quality standards.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): An evidence-based therapy that helps identify and change thought patterns driving substance use or mental health symptoms. One of the most widely researched and effective modalities.
Co-occurring Disorders: Also called dual diagnosis. When a substance use disorder and a mental health condition exist simultaneously (e.g., alcohol use disorder with depression).
Continuum of Care: The full range of treatment levels from most to least intensive: detox → residential → PHP → IOP → outpatient → aftercare.
D-E
DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy): An evidence-based therapy originally developed for borderline personality disorder. Teaches skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Detox (Detoxification): The medically supervised process of clearing substances from the body. Not treatment itself — it prepares the body for treatment. Can be inpatient or outpatient.
Dual Diagnosis: See Co-occurring Disorders.
EKRA (Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act): Federal law prohibiting payment for patient referrals in the treatment industry. Makes patient brokering a federal crime.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): An evidence-based therapy for PTSD and trauma. Uses bilateral stimulation while processing traumatic memories.
ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention): The gold standard therapy for OCD. Involves systematic exposure to feared situations while resisting compulsive responses.
F-I
FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act): Federal law providing up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for serious health conditions including substance use and mental health treatment.
IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program): 9-19 hours per week of structured treatment, typically 3-5 sessions. Allows patients to live at home while receiving intensive care.
J-M
Joint Commission: Independent nonprofit that accredits healthcare organizations, including treatment facilities. Accreditation is voluntary and indicates quality standards.
MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment): The use of FDA-approved medications (buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone) combined with therapy to treat substance use disorders. Considered the gold standard for opioid use disorder by all major medical organizations.
Methadone: An FDA-approved full opioid agonist for opioid use disorder. Must be dispensed through certified Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs).
MHPAEA (Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act): Federal law requiring insurance plans to cover mental health and substance use treatment at the same level as medical/surgical treatment.
N-P
Naloxone (Narcan): An opioid overdose reversal medication. Available over the counter. Blocks opioid effects and can reverse a potentially fatal overdose within minutes.
Naltrexone (Vivitrol): An FDA-approved opioid antagonist for opioid and alcohol use disorders. Available as a monthly injection or daily oral tablet. Blocks the effects of opioids entirely.
OTP (Opioid Treatment Program): A federally certified program authorized to dispense methadone for opioid use disorder. Requires daily visits initially, with take-home doses earned over time.
Patient Brokering: The illegal practice of paying or receiving payment for referring patients to treatment facilities. Prohibited under EKRA and state laws.
PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program): 20+ hours per week of structured treatment, typically 5-7 full days. More intensive than IOP, less intensive than residential. Patients return home at night.
PAWS (Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome): Ongoing withdrawal symptoms (anxiety, insomnia, mood swings, cognitive fog) that can persist for weeks to months after acute withdrawal resolves.
R-Z
Residential Treatment: 24/7 structured care at a treatment facility. Patients live on-site for 30, 60, or 90 days. Includes individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric care, and structured activities.
Sliding Scale: A fee structure that adjusts treatment costs based on the patient's ability to pay. Many facilities offer sliding scale fees for uninsured patients.
SUD (Substance Use Disorder): The clinical term for addiction. A chronic brain disorder characterized by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences.
TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation): An FDA-cleared treatment for depression and OCD that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific brain regions. Non-invasive, performed in outpatient settings.
Withdrawal: The physical and psychological symptoms that occur when a person who is physically dependent on a substance stops or reduces use. Severity varies by substance — alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can be life-threatening.
Disclaimer: Informational only. Not medical advice. SAMHSA: 1-800-662-4357.