A shared commitment to equipping providers with practical, sustainable change practices in behavioral healthcare

Across the country, behavioral health organizations are facing unprecedented pressures—rising
demand for services, persistent workforce shortages, increasing regulatory complexity, tighter
financial margins, evolving payer expectations, and a growing requirement to demonstrate
measurable outcomes. Policies and mandates related to ASAM Criteria implementation are
important, but create additional questions about effective system change.

It is within this context that the NIATx Foundation and Train for Change are pleased to partner in
offering an exclusive ASAM Criteria Implementation Training, an ASAM-endorsed offering which
brings a practical, science-based approach to implementation, improvement, sustainability, and
coaching in support of fidelity to the ASAM Criteria. This training combines the NIATx evidence-
based process improvement model with concrete guidance on how to install, measure, and sustain
changes associated with ASAM Criteria implementation at the organizational level. This work is
designed to help leaders balance fidelity to standards with the flexibility required to meet the real-
world needs of patients and communities.

Too often, the field expects change without teaching what must be installed, how success should be
measured, how implementation teams are built, or what existing processes must be removed to
make space for new models. Training alone—no matter how well delivered—is rarely sufficient for
true implementation or sustainability. Our shared approach moves beyond the “train-the-trainer”
mindset to focus on building the systems, structures, and culture necessary for lasting improvement.

By grounding ASAM Criteria implementation in the NIATx Five Principles, this training provides a
straightforward, adaptable framework for continuous improvement—not only for The ASAM Criteria,
but for a wide range of organizational priorities, including trauma-informed care, motivational
interviewing, documentation quality, EHR implementation, treatment planning, and reducing no-
shows. Change becomes something organizations build from within, supported by coaching, data,
and proven methods, rather than something imposed from outside.

Behavioral health is essential to the well-being of our communities. Providers are doing
extraordinary work under extraordinary circumstances. Through the partnership of the NIATx
Foundation and Train for Change, we are committed to walking alongside organizations—offering
tools, coaching, and evidence-based methods that turn today’s challenges into momentum, and
momentum into lasting impact.

Learn more about the ASAM Criteria Implementation Training by connecting with Train for Change.

About the NIATx Foundation and Train for Change

Through the NIATx Model for Process Improvement, the NIATx Foundation supports teams in  reducing wait times, improving access and engagement, strengthening retention, enhancing staff morale, and creating sustainable operational change without costly technology investments or disruptive overhauls. We recognize that today’s challenges are not only clinical, but also operational,
financial, strategic—and effective solutions must address all of these together.

Since 2013, Train for Change—the training division of The Change Companies—has served as ASAM’s primary training partner and a Designated ASAM Criteria Training Organization. Over the past decade, Train for Change has delivered over 2,000 trainings, empowering more than 60,000 learners across 42 states and internationally, including Guam and Japan. Trusted by over 10 single-state agencies, 15 county behavioral health departments, and numerous healthcare providers nationwide, Train for Change offers a comprehensive portfolio of ASAM Criteria-supportive services, including implementation training for organizational leadership, hands-on skill-building and clinical decision-making training for frontline staff, and an extensive on-demand learning library known as the ASAM Criteria Track.

➡️ Submit the form to access additional resources for the implementation training.

Evidence-based, behavioral health Interactive Journaling® curricula are available digitally on Atlas. Atlas can save staff time while supporting fidelity to evidence-based practices.

Ready to see what Atlas can do for your program? Visit our website to schedule a personalized demo today. Learn more about Atlas →