Definitions, the ASAM Criteria and the DSM-5

David Mee-Lee, M.D. is a board-certified psychiatrist and is certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM). He is a Senior Vice President of The Change Companies, Carson City, Nevada. Past academic appointments have included clinical affiliations in the Departments of Psychiatry at Harvard University, the University of Hawaii and the University of California, Davis. Dr. Mee-Lee is based in Davis, CA and is involved in full-time training and consulting both nationally and internationally. For over 30 years, he has focused on developing and promoting innovative behavioral health treatment that values clinical integrity, high quality, and cost-consciousness. He also has over 30 years experience with co-occurring mental and substance-related disorders treatment and program development. Dr. Mee-Lee is Chair of the Coalition for National Clinical Criteria. Since the late 1980s, he has led the development of The ASAM Criteria and is Chief Editor of The ASAM Criteria -Treatment Criteria for Addictive, Substance-Related, and Co-Occurring Conditions. These criteria are used in over thirty states in the USA and also by the Department of Defense in addiction programs around the world. Dr. Mee-Lee has provided training and consulting services to both provider and practitioner groups; county, state and national agencies and organizations; as well as managed care companies. More recently he has embarked upon changing the treatment and community culture from sick-care to health and wellness; and is Vice President of the Institute for Wellness Education, in Teaneck, NJ. He is also a Senior Fellow, Justice Programs Office (JPO) of the School of Public Affairs (SPA) at American University, Washington, DC.