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.
