Tobacco Treatment Specialist
Standards of Practice

The Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence has developed a set of competencies to guide the provision of intensive treatment for tobacco dependency and to ground this practice in the best evidence for effective treatment. The committee members who contributed to this process represent a wide range of practitioners, researchers and educators with extensive experience in the field of tobacco treatment. There has been growing interest in the establishment of such standards. It is our belief that widespread endorsement and dissemination of a set of standards will serve to guide clients, employers and third party payers in the selection of qualified individuals to provide tobacco treatment services. In addition, as training programs proliferate these standards will help to provide a template for curriculum development. It is not the intent of ATTUD to serve as a certifying body or to promote certification as a requirement for providing treatment. We recognize that the intensity of these standards may not be appropriate for all tobacco treatment settings. However, we believe the establishment of well-accepted standards will assist the organizations and states that are moving toward the development of certification processes.

Definition: A Tobacco Treatment Specialist is a professional who possesses the skills, knowledge and training to provide effective, evidence-based interventions for tobacco dependence across a range of intensities. The TTS may have various professional affiliations and may work in a variety of settings including but not limited to hospitals, community health centers, HMOs, medical and dental practices, educational settings, social service agencies, tobacco treatment centers, telephone quitlines, drug abuse treatment programs and mental health centers. The TTS may engage not only in providing treatment but also in educating others (health care professionals, administrators, scientists, smokers, nonsmokers) about tobacco dependence treatments.

Standards for Tobacco Treatment Specialists