Alcohol and Drug Rehab
Treatment: Critical Decisions
By David Westbrook
Choosing the right alcohol or drug rehab center can make all
the difference when it comes to entering long-term recovery from
an addiction. The task of finding the “right” drug
rehab center is complicated by the fact that there are over 13,000
drug rehab facilities around the country. Each of these treatment
centers is unique, but being unique does not necessarily mean
that they are all equally good. It does, however, mean that you
have many drug rehab centers to choose from and if you do not
find the right one immediately you should continue searching
as there are many high quality centers.
Here are ten questions to help you in your search for the right
drug or alcohol rehab facility.
1. How does the treatment center define success and what is
their success rate?
Many drug treatment facilities will have had independent reviews
of their success. However, success can be measured in many ways.
One treatment center may say they have a 74% success rate, but
only be considering clients who remain sober for 6 months; another
center may claim a 68% rate based on the results of clients after
one year. Whatever their claimed success rate you will want to
know how they measured it and what they consider success.
2. Are they accredited as a drug rehab center? And if so by
whom?
There are a handful of national accreditation organizations
including Joint Commission On Accreditation Of Healthcare Organizations
(JACHO) and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
(CARF), among others. Organizations accredited by these bodies
frequently have undergone site reviews and have measured up to
national standards.
3. What are the credentials of their staff?
Most states have a system for credentialing drug and alcohol
counselors. These individuals may be Certified Addictions Counselors
(CAC) or Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC). These
are minimum certifications, lead counselors should hold be MSW
or LCSW level or higher.
4. Do they provide medically supervised withdrawal?
With some drugs proper withdrawal supervision can be a matter
of life or death. If the treatment center does not have a detox
center can they recommend one for attendance prior to treatment.
5. What does a typical week in their drug rehab facility look
like?
There should be a balance of group and individual therapy. Education
sessions, opportunities for reflection and support groups along
with other components.
6. Can the provide testimonials?
True, no treatment center would put on display their failures,
but they should be able to tell you about their successes.
7. How do they assist in setting up aftercare?
Aftercare has been found to be crucial to the success of long-term
recovery. A good treatment center should either offer aftercare
of be able to assist you in locating aftercare in your community.
8. Do they have a diverse group of counselors, and how will
you be matched up?
One of the primary determinants of treatment success is a good
client-counselor relationship. Therefore, a match between counselor
and client should be worked towards.
9. What is their treatment modality or philosophy?
Find out if they are 12-step oriented, use motivational, cognitive
or behavioral therapies, and then ask them to explain any terms
you might not understand.
10. Do they work with your insurance company or can they set-up
a payment plan?
Make sure you ask if they can work with your insurance company,
or if your insurance does not pay for treatment work out how
payment is to be handled.
Use a systematic program for identifying treatment centers which
may be right for you. You may wish to print these questions out
and keep a separate worksheet for each center’s answers.
Remember, the right drug rehab center is waiting for you to call
today.
© 2005, David Westbrook
About the Author: David Westbrook is a freelance writer and
the creator of http://www.addictionsresources.com and http://www.alcoholismresrouces.com |
