It’s overwhelming when it comes to choosing a drug or alcohol rehab program or center for yourself or your loved one. It can also become a difficult and time-consuming process as well.
With the unfortunate rise of the opioid epidemic, there have been many unethical practices of illegitimate drug rehab programs and centers popping up. Those who are only out for monetary gain and have deceptive marketing tactics. They lure many people seeking help with their addictions into their faux treatment centers and programs. This leaves many innocent people confused, disheartened, distrustful, and rightfully angry about where and how to find legitimate and effective treatment options.
People today, more than ever, need to know what to identify in a legitimate rehab center or drug rehab program. When you speak with rehab providers and research treatment centers, keep in mind important questions to ask and topics to cover, such as:
Accreditation, Licensing, and Certifications
Being accredited by The Joint Commission of the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) ensures that the drug rehab program or center is creditable. Both the CARF and the Joint Commission are nonprofit organizations, independent, which base accreditation on industry performance standards and demonstrated results of quality and value. Accreditation in terms of state licensing varies by state, being each state has its own licensing requirements.
In order to advertise their programs and services on platforms such as Google and Facebook drug rehab centers must have LegitScript certification. This ensures only legitimate, quality treatment centers can advertise their services. It provides another level of protection for the consumer.
Always be aware and never discount negative news stories about a drug rehab program or center. It may not always be clear which rehab centers are unethical or ethical. Therefore, it is important to be cautious when doing research.
Clinical Staff Credentials and Licenses
If clinical staff are not accredited or licensed they are probably not trained. Also, they more than likely do not have the experience needed to provide the proper care for treatment. This is why credentials and licenses indicate their qualifications where they meet the standards in providing the proper care for treatment.
Addiction treatment professionals’ specific credentials held may include LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), LADC (Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor), CAC (Certified Addictions Counselor) or CCDP (Certified Co-occurring Disorders Counselor).
Multidisciplinary Treatment Team
Having a multidisciplinary care team is the highest quality inpatient rehab abuse treatment program. Addressing all aspects of the disease, and giving attention to your mind, body, and spirit. In doing so by working with a team of professionals who work together to help create an individualized treatment plan for you to follow. All team members should be licensed to practice in their particular field. It should be concerning if one team member has many fields they work and specialize in within the rehab center. Treatment teams usually consist of these licensed professionals:
- Psychologist
- Chemical dependency counselor
- Wellness specialist
- Medical doctor
- Nurse
- Spiritual care counselor
- Nutritionist
- Psychiatrist
Use of Evidence-based Practices
Science-based research is what is considered to be a type of evidence-based practice. Those are the most effective treatment programs. Examples would be Facilitation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Twelve-Step and Medication-assisted treatment.
Mental Health Services
Co-occurring mental health conditions are when a person is struggling with addiction along with another mental health issue. For example, that could be anxiety or depression along with substance abuse.
In providing the right treatment a dual diagnosis is needed. Addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders need specialized treatment and services in order to be successful in their recovery.
At Aria, we have drug rehab programs that are supportive of treating co-occurring mental health disorders.
Treatment Success Rate/Outcomes
Be wary of treatment centers that claim to have, “the cure,” or 100% success rates. If success rates happen to be quoted make sure the data is research-based or has come from publications in a peer-reviewed journal. Oftentimes treatment outcomes are measured inconsistently and they’re not even measured by rehab providers.
Medical Detox or Medication-assisted Therapies
Going through a medical detox with the assistance of medical staff is important. The medical detox can be provided through your hospital or clinic prior to entering your treatment program. You can also go through a medical detox through your rehab center as well as you begin your rehab process at the same time.
For a medical detox, you should be supervised at all times. The medical staff should include nurses, physicians, and even counselors who have experience in helping with discomfort of helping to manage withdrawal. Also, keep close monitoring of your physical health as your body rids the toxic substances.
Specialized Programs
It is very important to find a drug rehab program that makes sure your treatment and care are individualized and tailored to you. The treatment plan needs to be as unique as you are! It needs to take into account what type of therapies would be most beneficial for you and your recovery. For example, group or individualized therapy, or perhaps a mixture of both!
Rehab Program Length
If progress isn’t made within an estimated time period, usually the treatment time can always be extended. This is why the length of treatment is usually determined by progress rather than a specific set amount of days.
It’s important to find out though for your treatments that when progress is made if they provide multiple levels of rehab. Therefore, you can step into a less-intense level of care as you move forward.
Post-treatment Recovery Support
It’s very important to have a support system in place to help prevent relapse. Even though addiction treatment does involve a deep level of support and clinical care, you need a support system for when you go home, too.
However, good quality treatment centers do have various post-treatment options to help strengthen your support system when returning home. Those options include outlets such as phone-based coaching, community care groups, apps to build and strengthen recovery, and other resources and support.
Family Support
Addiction affects the entire family which is why it is often called a family disease. The entire family needs to recover and heal from the heartache of addiction. A lot of it involves setting healthy boundaries and building trust in relationships. When the family is educated about addiction and is involved in the recovery, patients tend to have better recovery rates overall.
What Else Should I Know?
Reading reviews are paramount in helping to have a glimpse into knowing if a rehab treatment center has an overall positive community review. You can find reviews on Facebook, Google, Yelp, and other sources.
Sitting down to write down a list of your specific needs and/or situations can be helpful in coming up with additional questions in asking treatment providers in helping to select the right drug rehab center.
Doing a web search in finding more information about certain drug rehab centers can be helpful. Here are some questions to help get you started in your web search:
- What type of accreditation or licensing does your facility have?
- Do you offer family support?
- What credentials or licenses does the clinical staff hold?
- Do you provide any mental health services?
- Is treatment done by a multidisciplinary team?
- Do you offer any medical detox programs or other medication-assisted treatments?
- What is the patient-to-counselor ratio?
- Do you offer treatment that is specific to teens, young adults, older adults or other populations? (as it applies to your situation)
- Do you use evidence-based practices?
- How long does the program last?
- How long have you been providing addiction treatment?
- Do you have gender-specific programs?
- How successful is your treatment program?
- Are you in-network with my insurance?
- What kind of post-treatment support do you provide?
Live Life Free of Addiction
Addiction treatment is a big step for anyone who is ready to live their life free of addiction. The revolutionary changes you make and the skills you learn going through a rehab treatment program to give you the foundation of a life of sobriety is paramount. It stays with you forever.
The treatment team who help guide you and support you through the process as you recover and help you, in the beginning, will also develop your post-treatment plan, along with other team members joining in along the way. It will help ensure you continue your recovery, no matter what challenges life brings, so you can continue with your sobriety. Keep this in mind as you choose a treatment center.
You will want an excellent treatment team, and that means you will want an exceptional rehab center. Ultimately this is the formulation needed for building a strong foundation for a lifelong recovery from addiction.
Addiction Recovery Institute of America
Aria, which is the Addiction Recovery Institute of America, is located around south Florida.
We offer many substance abuse programs for alcohol, cocaine, prescription drugs and more including the initial medical detox program.
At Aria, we have a first responder’s addiction treatment plan, as well as a gender-specific treatment plan, too.
For our treatment programs, we do offer residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient.
When it comes to therapies at Aria we provide family therapy, individual therapy, group therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
We also provide nutritional support services because we believe that the food choices you make play a significant role in addiction recovery. You are what you eat!
We do accept insurance as well.
Contact us, here at our ARIA, to get into one of our drug rehab program options today.