CPDD Policy Statement Standards for drug abuse treatment providers  Taskforce Members:, Maxine L. Stitzer a, *, Patricia L. Owen b , Sharon M. Hall c , Richard A. Rawson d , Nancy M. Petry e a Department of Psychiatry-BPRU, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA b Butler Center for Research and Education, Hazelden Foundation, Center City, MN 55012, USA c Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94193, USA d Integrated Substance Abuse Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA e Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USA Abstract The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) is the largest organization in the United States whose primary mission is the advancement of scientific knowledge about drug abuse disorders. The College membership is comprised of a multi-disciplinary group of scientists including many with expertise in treatment research and evaluation. The CPDD holds an annual meeting to disseminate the latest scientific findings in the field of drug abuse research, publishes a leading scientific journal devoted to studies of substance abuse (Drug and Alcohol Dependence) and educates policy makers regarding the scientific basis for various policy directions. This policy statement is one in a series of educational documents that are available on the CPDD website (cpdd.org). It discusses the current status of standards for drug abuse treatment delivery and provides recommendations that may help to shape future policy in this area. Specifically, it is recommended that evaluation standards should be focused on objective patient outcomes using assessment domains including treatment retention and urinalysis evidence of drug abstinence that have been effectively used for many years in treatment outcome research. # 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.  Background of the Policy Statement: During 2000, efforts were being made by the US Federal Executive Office to fund faith-based organizations to provide substance abuse treatments. While treatment provided by these organizations may contribute significantly to improving the outcome of individuals suffering from substance abuse, assessment of effectiveness is crucial in order to ensure that good quality of care is provided and that resources given to programs demonstrate beneficial effects. In fact, all treatment providers for drug abuse should meet treatment outcome performance standards. In July 2001, Dorothy Hatsukami, President of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) at that time, and Warren Bickel, the Policy Officer at that time, created a taskforce made up of experts in drug abuse treatment research and evaluation to address the issue of assessing treatment outcomes. Procedures for Policy Statements described by the CPDD bylaws were followed. Maxine Stitzer was selected as the chair and the taskforce was charged to create a policy statement to inform scientists, policy makers, and the public about the current state of knowledge in drug abuse treatment evaluation and to recommend evaluation practices. The CPDD Executive Committee approved the taskforce chair, members and charge. Dr. Stitzer wrote a draft policy statement and sent it to the taskforce panel of experts for review. After incorporating the comments of the taskforce members, the revised policy statement was reviewed and approved by the CPDD Executive Committee in April 2002 and approved by the CPDD Board of Directors in June 2002. * *Taskforce chair and corresponding author. Tel:  /1-410-550-0042; fax:  /1-410-550-0030. E-mail address: mstitzer@jhmi.edu (M.L. Stitzer). Drug and Alcohol Dependence 70 (2003) 213 /215 www.elsevier.com/locate/drugalcdep 03765-8716/03/$ - see front matter # 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0376-8716(03)00217-5