Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Treatment Center

February 24, 2016Detox & WithdrawalTyler Collins

There are so many treatment centers for drug and alcohol addiction available today that sometimes making a choice can seem overwhelming. Analyzing all the different programs can be a difficult task. However, deciding on a rehab for drug and alcohol addiction is clearly an important decision. So here we have compiled some questions to ask before choosing a treatment center for drug and alcohol abuse.

The most important thing for the client to figure out before they choose a treatment center is – “What services and standards do I consider essential for my treatment?” In other words, what will make or break your decision on which drug and alcohol rehab to select?

Regardless of your specific needs, all treatment centers should serve the same purpose – to help the individual become clean and sober. But focusing on these questions to ask before choosing a treatment center will help you make a more informed decision:

Does the Center offer Detox Services onsite?

Many rehab centers offer medical detoxification services for people coming off drugs and alcohol. Clients are under the care of a professional medical staff familiar with physical health issues related to withdrawing from substance use.

• Hospital Environment: Detox often takes place in a hospital or in a hospital-like environment where a doctor sees clients daily, monitors their vital signs and administers medical treatment as needed.
• Prerequisite to treatment: In many cases, clients are required to undergo detox as the first stage toward achieving sobriety.
• Round-the-clock supervision: Clients in detox are monitored constantly to ensure their safely.

Does the Center offer 24-hour On-Site Care?

Those who go through rehab need access to mental and physical health experts 24 hours a day.

Client care staff is made up off several different levels of professionals. Some examples are:

• Nursing staff. Nurses are usually available around the clock or as needed (on call) to provide care to people experiencing physical withdrawal, general illness or pain.
• Mental health professionals. Psychiatrists and counselors are either available on call or on site 24 hours a day to assist clients undergoing crises, experiencing psychosis, or who may need support to avoid returning to use of drugs.
• Support staff. The support staff consists of those who preferably have been in recovery for a substantial period of time or who are at rehab centers to support clientele in their quest for sobriety. This can be either men or women.

Is the staff experienced with substance use treatment?

Most of the staff at a rehab center have both training and experience in training substance-use disorders, may it be personal recovery or professional experience.

• Certification: Most states have a certification program for substance use treatment; rehab center staff are usually required to have a current certification of this sort.
• Master’s degree or higher: Some staff, depending on their position, must have at least a master’s degree in counseling psychology and substance abuse treatment.
• Familiarity with substance-use disorders and their treatment: All staff should be aware of the different drugs that are available and trending for abuse, their effects, their symptoms, and the reasons people use drugs and the best ways to treat substance abuse disorders.

Does the Center offer Mental Health treatment or treat Dual Diagnosis?

Effective rehab requires mental health treatment to assist clients in staying sober when they are under stress. Many times there is a mental illness or some sort of mental disorder underlying when the addiction is masking it’s symptoms.

• Dual diagnosis programs: Some people struggling with addiction also have mental illness. A treatment center qualified to handle both conditions for rehab would be most effective for long term sobriety.
• Psychotherapy: Group and individual therapy is often a mandatory part of rehab
• Psychiatric assessment: New patients may receive a psychiatric assessment to diagnose issues that could be driving their drug addiction, determining a more appropriate and suitable treatment once identified.

Relapse Prevention Education is a MUST

One of the goals of treatment is to help clients in taking responsibility for their lives and their sobriety. Clients need to be educated on how they can help themselves in staying sober in order to eventually live independently again.

• Self-help groups. Rehab clients attend 12-step groups during their stay in rehab. This helps them incorporate group meetings into their routine once released into the real world again, so that they rely on them to prevent relapses.
• Strategy sessions. Sessions with a therapist trained in addiction studies may focus on developing relapse-prevention strategies such as calling a friend, writing about feelings and finding new hobbies or activities to substitute for addictive behavior.
• Trigger lists. Clients in rehab are often encouraged to make a list of triggers that motivate them to use, so that they can avoid situations which make relapse more likely and incorporate new strategies for dealing with those triggers.

Is the environment at the treatment center Abstinence-only?

Most rehabs require clients to remain drug free and alcohol free while they are in the program.

• Zero-tolerance policies. Many substance abuse rehabs have strict rules about using drugs and alcohol while actively in treatment. Clients who choose to violate these rules can be asked to leave the program.
• Random drug tests. Clients may have to submit to drug tests on a random to regular basis to ensure they are staying clean.
• Strict visiting hours. Friends and family can only visit on designated days and clients must stay on the premises. This minimizes the risk of relapse while the client is in treatment.

These are only a very limited few areas of program elements that someone looking into alcohol or drug treatment may want to check into. Of course there are more areas of interest such as

• What does the rehab offer in terms of family integration treatment?
• How long are the various programs offered and what are the benefits of each?
• Is there a gym onsite or daily exercise routine included?
• Do they provide transportation to and from treatment?
• Is the program gender specific?
• Is the rehab certified and/or licensed by the state?
• Is an aftercare program included?

This is only a limited list, usually treatment centers are willing to work with you and your needs as long as they are not substance related. Lighthouse Treatment Center offers a wide variety of treatment options administered by a caring, professional staff. Contact us today with any questions.

References

Consumer Affairs 2015, “Best Drug and Alcohol Rehab for 2015”