How To Determine Where to Go To Drug Rehab – A Consumer’s Guide to Drug and Alcohol Treatment in the United States
The addiction treatment industry has been flooded in recent years with countless drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. There are so many drug rehabs to choose from that a person may become overwhelmed at the shear number of options out there. Not every treatment facility is the same, and some are worse than others, but there are a few things every consumer must know before making one of the most important decisions they will ever make for themselves or a loved one when choosing a drug rehab.
First, make sure that the http://www.AddictiontoRehabilitation.com”>drug rehab, or addiction treatment facility, is licensed and state certified. Most will be, but it is important to check. Almost all addiction treatment facilities will mention whether they are state certified and approved on their websites, and those that do not say that they are state licensed and certified on their websites should be suspect.
Second, make sure the addiction treatment facility has a continuum of care, from inpatient treatment to extended care treatment. It is the general consensus among researchers that the longer a person stays in a drug rehab, the better their chances are at staying sober for the rest of their lives. If the addiction treatment center only offers 30-days of treatment, then make sure they have extended care addiction treatment facilities that they refer their patients to after discharge.
Third, look at the staff! Go to the drug rehab’s website and look at their staff. What are the staff’s qualifications? Do they have psychologists, MFTs, and nurses on staff? Or, do they contract out for these services? There are many drug and alcohol treatment facilities that contract out for these professionals, and that’s fine, but ask the treatment facility how often they are at the treatment facility and how involved the outside professionals are in a client’s care and treatment planning. And remember that the cheaper the rehab the more the rehab will have to contract out for psychologists, psychiatrists, and MFTs.
Fourth, what is the drug rehab treatment philosophy? Do they use the 12-Step model of recovery or do they focus more on psychological treatment? The best treatment facilities will be heavily focused on the 12-Step method of treatment and incorporate other psychological philosophies to treat co-occurring psychological disorders. Also BEWARE of addiction treatment facilities that say they are dual diagnosis treatment centers but do not offer their clients weekly therapy from a trained psychologist or MFT. Furthermore, a dual diagnosis treatment facility should have psychologists/therapists on their full-time staff if they are truly a dual diagnosis addiction treatment facility. It’s o.k. if the therapists or psychologists are in training (i.e., doing their internships at the facility) as long as they are there for more than 20 hours per week and participate in clinical staffing. The best treatment facilities will offer weekly therapy and include it in their pricing!
Fifth, when you call the addiction treatment facility to ask questions about their facility tell them about the other treatment facilities you are looking at and see what they say. If the person on the other end of the phone begins to badmouth another treatment facility in an effort to get you to go to their treatment facility, then that should send up some red flags as to the character of the drug rehab center doing the badmouthing. The reputable drug rehabs in the United States will talk well about each other and help you make the most informed decisions about where to send your loved one when it comes time to get them in to treatment.
Sixth, does the drug treatment facility offer gender separate treatment or gender specific treatment? How often are men’s issues addressed while in treatment? How often are women’s issues addressed while in treatment? There is a case to be made for male only and women only drug rehabs, but I have found that the most effective drug rehabs are ones that separate the genders in groups, living quarters, and activities and have a treatment program specifically designed to address men’s issues in men’s groups and women’s issues in women’s groups.
Seventh – COST!!! Just because a drug rehab costs the most money does not mean it is the best. Many drug rehabs will quote you a price, then tell you about ancillary charges such as extra charges for therapy, psychological assessments, psychiatrists, etc… There’s nothing wrong with ancillary fees for services, but remember that the money you end up paying for a cheaper drug rehab after all the ancillary fees may end up being just as much as one of the more expensive places that includes all of those services. There are a few drug rehabs out there that have been able to include all these services and keep the price low, but they are few and far between. And remember, when you are trying to cut costs on drug and alcohol treatment for your son or daughter, or wife or brother, that you are talking about their life and death and it’s not about finding the cheapest place it’s about finding the best place. One more thing…an executive director of one of the more popular treatment facilities once helped put things in perspective for me when I was concerned about the cost of addiction treatment…. He said, “Whenever I hear that a family is shocked to hear that the cost of addiction treatment is $30,000 or $40,000 for 90 days, I always want to ask them how much they paid for their last car and ask them if their loved one’s life is worth that much.” Sure, the statement is a bit cold, and I don’t know whether he has actually ever said that to a family, but it has always helped me put the cost of drug rehab in perspective.
By Brendan Bickley, Doctoral Candidate
National Therapeutic Services