For Clinicians + Referral Partners

Mothers Move Mountains provides residential substance use disorder services for women age 18 and older, including pregnant, parenting, and reunifying women.

Clinical Eligibility

Clients must:

  • Be age 18 or older

  • Have a DSM-5-TR diagnosed substance use disorder

  • Meet ASAM Level 3.1, 3.3, or 3.5 placement criteria

  • Be medically and psychiatrically stable for non-hospital residential care

  • Be willing and able to participate in recommended programming, including parenting programming, and follow program guidelines

Children residing with their mother must meet applicable program age and safety requirements, and appropriate custody documentation must be provided.

Levels of Care

Mothers Move Mountains serves clients who meet criteria for:

  • ASAM Level 3.1 — Clinically Managed Low-Intensity Residential Services

  • ASAM Level 3.3 — Clinically Managed Population-Specific High-Intensity Residential Services

  • ASAM Level 3.5 — Clinically Managed High-Intensity Residential Services

Placement is based on clinical assessment and individual need.

Length of Stay

Length of stay is individualized according to level of care, clinical need, treatment planning, and ASAM criteria.

Program benchmarks may include 60 or more days for Level 3.1 and at least 30 days of residential treatment for Levels 3.3 and 3.5, as clinically appropriate.

Coordinated Support Services

Services and care coordination may include:

  • Case management and community resource linkage

  • Peer and family peer recovery support

  • Parenting education and parent-child programming

  • Child developmental screening and early-intervention linkage

  • MAT coordination with external prescribers

  • Prenatal and pediatric care coordination

  • Vocational, educational, and benefits coordination

  • Transportation coordination

  • Recovery community activities

  • Discharge and continuing care planning

 

  1. Part 2 — Clinical Admission Criteria (ASAM Level 3.1)

    Admission to Mothers Move Mountains' ASAM Level 3.1 (Clinically Managed Low-Intensity Residential Services) program follows the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria and is administered in accordance with Maryland's COMAR regulations governing residential substance use programs. Prior authorization and ongoing utilization review are managed through Carelon Behavioral Health of Maryland.

    General Eligibility

    • Age 18 or older.

    • Documented substance use disorder diagnosis.

    • Self-care capability: able to independently manage activities of daily living (cooking, hygiene, basic upkeep) without an on-site medical aide.

    • Level-of-care need: requires a 24-hour structured, sober living environment.

• Treatment intensity: able and willing to participate in a minimum of 5 structured clinical service hours per week (individual or group counseling, therapy, or psychoeducation).

Core ASAM Dimension Requirements

Dimension 1 — Acute Intoxication/Withdrawal Potential: Minimal risk of severe withdrawal; any active symptoms do not require 24-hour medical or nursing monitoring. [1]

Dimension 2 — Biomedical Conditions: Physical health is stable, or sufficiently managed, such that it does not interfere with participation in a low-intensity residential program. [1]

Dimension 3 — Emotional/Behavioral/Cognitive Conditions: Ready to engage in a low-intensity setting; any co-occurring mental health conditions are stable enough that they do not require high-intensity or acute hospital-level care.[1]

Dimension 4 — Readiness to Change: Demonstrates active motivation and willingness to participate in structured treatment and community reintegration.

Dimension 5 — Relapse/Continued Use Potential: High risk of relapse or continued use without the 24-hour structure, peer support, and accountability of a sober living environment.[2]

Dimension 6 — Recovery Environment: Current living environment is unsupportive of, or unsafe for, recovery — necessitating placement in a supervised, licensed Level 3.1 residence. [3]

Program & Administrative Rules (Maryland)

  • Self-Care Capability: Must be able to manage activities of daily living independently, without on-site medical aides.

  • Treatment Intensity: Must participate in a minimum of 5 structured clinical service hours per week. [3]

  • Prior Authorization: Referring providers submit clinical notes and utilization-management requests through the Carelon Behavioral Health of Maryland provider portal to confirm ongoing medical necessity and secure covered days.

    Provider portal: maryland.carelonbh.com

    Sources

    [1] Maryland Final Parity Analysis (Maryland Dept. of Health) [2] Residential Low-Intensity Level of Care overview
    [3] COMAR 10.63.03.11 (Maryland regulations)
    [4] COMAR Title 10.63 (full chapter)

    [5] Optum/Public Behavioral Health System Provider Manual, Jan. 2020 [6] Maryland Dept. of Legislative Services — Assembled Report
    [7] Residential Treatment overview (example program reference)
    [8] Carelon Behavioral Health of Maryland — Provider Portal