Sobering Care Standards

The National Sobering Collaborative is pleased to present the first-ever National Standards of Care for Sobering, released in October 2023. These standards are the result of years of work and experience and have included input and review from experts across the country. These experts come from a variety of social locations, areas of expertise including emergency medicine and law enforcement, various positions within sobering care provider organizations, and include individuals with lived experience with substance misuse, including those who have benefited from sobering services.

 

The standards are divided into five domains, or categories, to be used as a framework for evaluating sobering care and the centers that provide it. These domains were chosen to address important aspects of sobering care, including the administration of services, connection to the community, safety, management and staffing, and evaluation and quality improvement. Each domain features standards detailing the specific measures and considerations related to that domain.