Center of Excellence for Perinatal Substance Use Certification

An updated and revised Center of Excellence application (PDF) will launch on November 1, 2024. Please review the criteria carefully as you prepare your application. If you have any questions, or concerns, please email centersofexcellence@doh.wa.gov

How to Become Certified

1. Review the application (PDF) 

2. Ensure your hospital can meet the eight criteria listed in the application

3. Submit your application 

Note: Your responses are saved if you need to exit out of the application before it's submitted. However, we highly recommend completing the application in one sitting.

Contact us if you have questions or need guidance.

Eight Criteria and Resources to Meet These Criteria

These criteria guidelines, established by a consortium of experts, address maternal behavioral health care and treatment needs of Washington state. These resources may also be helpful if you are not a birthing hospital but want to support people with a substance use disorder who give birth.

In addition to the resources below, we suggest you utilize the free resources found in the Perinatal Substance Use Disorder Learning Collaborative online toolkit and the Washington State Perinatal Collaborative provider resources.

Criterion 1: Verbally screen every person giving birth for substance use disorder with a validated screening tool.

Screening Tools

Other Resources

Criterion 2: Verbally screen every person giving birth for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) with a validated screening tool (Note: This screening should be in addition to any hospital-wide mandatory mental health screenings and be validated for the perinatal population)  

Screening Tools

Other Resources

Criterion 3: Has a provider on-site or on-call that has the skills and scope to begin maintenance medications that treat opioid use disorder and/or adjust (titrate) maintenance medications that treat opioid use disorder during labor and delivery, and postpartum.

OR

If the hospital does not have an on-site/on-call provider, there is a procedure in place to consult with a provider to initiate or adjust maintenance medications when needed.

Criterion 4: Allows birth parent and infant to room together, unless the birth parent is in the ICU, or there are medical reasons outside of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome for the infant to be in the NICU.

Criterion 5: Have an evidence informed policy for breastfeeding with medications that treat opioid use disorder that is trauma informed and supports choice 

Criterion 6: Practice the use of on-pharmacological interventions as the first line of treatment for withdrawal symptoms in the infant  

Criterion 7: Have patient education requirements that include communication with parents about what to expect regarding the notification and report process for infants exposed to substances and what may be expected regarding potential interactions with child welfare.

Criterion 8: Have a system in place to support care coordination at discharge, including a warm handoff* if the patient is scheduled to receive care from a provider they haven’t met with before.

*A warm handoff is a transition between two members of the health care team in front of the patient (and family if present).