Library: Program Standards

Program Standards

Tobacco Cessation Program Standards
Arizona Standards
The Resource Directory
Meeting the Standards

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Meeting the Standards

Does your program meet the standards offered by the Public Health Service (PHS) Guideline and the TEPP standards? Some of the questions that may arise when considering your own program standards are:

Certification of providers: what percentage of providers contracted by your Local Project are certified Treatment Specialists?
Program content: does your program include an assessment of the client's readiness to quit?
Program format: does your program offer follow-up with the client, or have another agency follow-up?
Session format: do you offer sessions that last at least 30 minutes?

Pharmacological therapy: is NRT made readily available to all clients?

All of the standards are important, whether they relate to program content, format, or pharmacology. You may find, however, that because the population you serve has special needs, pharmacology is a more important area than program format. The examples below describe situations in which meeting the PHS Guideline recommended standards may be difficult. They are presented to emphasize how the unique character of a cessation program might make meeting the PHS Guideline standards challenging. Because of the many differences in clients, programs often adapt their curriculum to meet the needs of special populations, thereby de-emphasizing some services and applying more resources towards others.

Example: Those who work in service areas that recruit a high level of transient clients (winter visitors, for example) may have outcome indicators that do not truly reflect their program's success, because it is difficult to follow-up with such a population. The program may choose to shift resources toward developing more effective follow-up techniques, such as following up during instruction.

Example: A program in a rural, low-income area may offer several types of NRT at a generous cost reduction, and then discover that the client retention rate is very low - once the client has received his nicotine patch and gum, he no longer sees a reason to return for counseling. Some clients have been discovered swelling their medications for a profit. The problem is addressed by offering the medication discount on a sliding scale, based on income, and giving NRT only after two sessions have been completed. Medication is then distributed at the end of each subsequent session.

Successful tobacco cessation programs have high retention rates, quit rates, and client satisfaction. This is usually because they offer convenient services that last long enough to engage clients, have fully trained and experienced staff, and offer clients creative options for quitting tobacco use. Your program should strive to meet the minimum standards of the PHS Guideline, but it may accomplish great success in areas beyond those addressed by the standards.

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