Content integrity

Editorial guidelines & clinical review process

How the information on this site is researched, written, clinically reviewed, updated, and corrected — and who's accountable at each step.

Our editorial principles

Accuracy first

Clinical claims are sourced to primary references. When evidence is mixed, we say so.

Person-first language

We write about people, not labels — a person in recovery, not “an addict.”

No stigmatizing language

We avoid moralizing terms and describe addiction as the medical condition it is.

Education vs. admissions

Informational pages help you understand a condition or level of care — not push you toward treatment with us specifically.

Where our information comes from

Clinical claims on this site are sourced in roughly this order of priority. We don’t cite anonymous blog posts, content farms, or our own marketing pages as evidence.

Federal health agencies

SAMHSA, NIDA, NIAAA, NIMH, CDC.

Clinical societies

ASAM, American Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association.

Peer-reviewed research

Published studies from journals such as JAMA Psychiatry and the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

Pennsylvania state agencies

PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, PA Department of Human Services.

Clinical review

Clinical pages on this site are reviewed by a credentialed member of our clinical team before publication. Reviewers check that:

Diagnostic and treatment information matches current DSM-5-TR criteria and SAMHSA/ASAM guidance
Descriptions of our levels of care (PHP, IOP, outpatient) match how Bold Steps actually delivers them
Statements about insurance, coverage, and state programs are current
Language throughout is person-first and free of stigmatizing terms

Reviewer name, credentials, and review date appear on each clinical page. Not sure what a credential means? See our credentials glossary.

See the credentials glossary

How often we update

High-change content

Insurance, coverage, medication options, state programs — reviewed every 6 months, or sooner if guidance changes.

Stable clinical content

Diagnostic criteria, therapy modalities, level-of-care definitions — reviewed every 12 months.

Facility & team information

Updated whenever the underlying fact changes.

The “Last updated” date at the top of each page reflects its most recent review.

Corrections

Found an error — a wrong statistic, an outdated detail, language that shouldn’t be there? Email us with the page URL and what’s wrong. We aim to respond within five business days. Material corrections are noted on the page along with the update date.

Email corrections

Accreditation

LegitScript certified

Independent verification of our transparency and compliance with required standards. Verify →

The Joint Commission Gold Seal

Independent accreditation of our quality and safety standards.

Authors and reviewers

Content is prepared by the Bold Steps editorial team in collaboration with our clinical staff.

Current confirmed reviewer: Lara Slimmer, MA, LPC, NCC — Clinical Director

[Dr. Ikram’s credential line — to be inserted once confirmed]

Meet the full team