CHOOSING the best

ADDICTIONTREATMENT

GUIDE TO

ONE SIZE DOES NOT

FIT ALLYou may have discovered by now in your search for treatment that there are thousands of different options available. Finding the best treatment is a challenge, but it is necessary if you are going to get the most out of your time and money invested in getting treatment.

Treatment can often times mean the difference between life and death. With so many options out there, it can be difficult to know where to even start. This ebook has been created for those struggling with addiction and their families to help them navigate the confusing and complicated world of addiction treatment. The book covers what addiction is, why treatment is important, and the components of addiction treatment. At the end of the book you will find a worksheet that will help you to compare different treatment options based on the nine components of addiction treatment.

Alright, soWHO WROTE THIS?

Lawrence Adler is the founder and CEO of Serenity Acres Treatment Center in Annapolis Maryland. Larry has been personally touched by substance abuse issues and is committed to serving people struggling with addiction. After watching people close to him go through numerous treatment programs that were ineffective, he started researching all other options available. What he found is that most treatment programs are strongly grounded in a single treatment philosophy; meaning they only treat the addiction, and not the underlying causes. Working with some of the best addiction and treatment specialists, Larry designed a different type of treatment option with the mission of treating the individual, not the masses. Serenity Acres provides a unique and integrated solution for addiction and mental health treatment.

Lawrence Adler, CEO of Serenity Acres Treatment

LET’S START WITH THE BASICS...Ready?

TIP 1: No one wakes up one day and decides to become an addict. Although it may start out innocently, over time addiction progressively gets worse and worse. The sooner the addiction is treated, the sooner recovery can begin.

IT’S ONLY GETTING WORSE.

IS TREATMENTREALLY

TIP 2: Detoxing is much safer in an inpatient facility than outpatient or cold turkey. Withdrawal from drugs and alcohol can be severe and in some cases even life threatening. In any case, detoxing alone and without professional help is uncomfortable, dangerous, and should be avoided.

DRUGS ARE DANGEROUS.

NECESSARY?

Rehab physically removes you from the all the triggers and environmental dysfunctions and gives you space to focus on treating both your addiction and the underly causes.

Rehab provides an environment that is conducive to emotional and physical stabilization without the use of drugs. It is very difficult to create this environment without physically removing yourself from your normal day-to-day surroundings.

In most cases, addiction is the result of underlying emotional and psychological issues. Rehab provides the patient with tools to deal with these issues so that they can learn how to live again.

Now what?O.K., SO I NEED TREATMENT.

Once you’ve made the decision to seek help, there are many questions to ask, and many decisions to consider. The treatment offered will vary from one facility to the next. Addiction Treatments vary widely according to the addictive substance, the existence of co-occurring illnesses, the average age, gender and cultural background of the patient and many other variables. They must be addressed together.

You have to consider all aspects of the treatment center you are looking at. For example, most treatment centers have over 100 patients at once. What does this mean for you? Not much.

Literally. Not much treatment at all.

DETOX/MEDICALDIAGNOSISPROGRAM

MODALITIESAMENITIES

FAMILY

AFTERCARECOST/INSURANCELICENSING

THE COMPONENTS OF TREATMENT 9

Most all treatment centers are comprised of some combination of these nine components. The following pages describe in detail how to evaluate each component for the treatment centers you are considering.

COMPONENT 1:DETOX AND MEDICAL

Treatment centers can be deceptive about their actual offerings in terms of medical services and detox. They may, for instance, transport patients to off-site facilities for doctor appointments and detox at a local hospital rather than in house. It is always better to have doctors and nurses on-site. Detoxing in house is often times much more comfortable and you get more personalized attention from on-site medical teams. It is also important to have 24 hour on-site medical staff in case of emergencies. Make sure to know what hours the medical team is staffed. Are they there once a week or full time?

What you see is not always what you get.

Make sure to advocate for yourself to getthe best treatment possible. Medical care and detox are really important for your safety and comfort during treatment.

Be skeptical.

COMPONENT 2:MENTAL HEALTH AND DIAGNOSIS

Some treatment centers only treat addiction and do not have separate mental health treatment. Dual diagnosis facilities treat both. More than 80% of those struggling with substance abuse also have mental health needs.

In order to develop a treatment plan for individuals with both mental health and substance abuse disorders, diagnosis is the first step. The process for diagnosis is not simple and it takes time to be done accurately. Different facilities will have different approaches to diagnosis of mental health disorders. Some facilities will diagnose you within an hour of intake. At this point, you are in withdrawal or even intoxicated and are not yourself. It is important that you make sure a facility does mental health screening and diagnosis AFTER you have been fully detoxed.

It is advantageous to get a mental health diagnosis during inpatient treatment where all medical staff are on-site. This gives your medical team the opportunity to collaborate on evaluation of your overall physical, mental, and emotional health for the duration of your stay.

TIP 3:

YOUR DIAGNOSIS MATTERS.

Dual Diagnosis Some programs treat only substance abuse, where others treat both mental health disorders and substance abuse disorders. More often than not there are underlying mental health issues that precede substance abuse disorder or are caused from prolonged substance abuse. A dual diagnosis program is likely more comprehensive and overall a better option.

Diet and Food Understand before you begin treatment what the food options are, who is preparing the food, how often food is available, and whether or not there is a dietitian on staff.

Therapy Many treatment centers will only offer group therapy and have little or no individual treatment. This is one of the most important factors in determining the quality of treatment you will be getting. The ideal treatment will offer one to two individual sessions per day and have individual therapists for substance abuse and mental health.

COMPONENT 3:TREATMENT PROGRAM

Gender Specific Best practice treatment centers separate group and living areas by gender. This is important because typically people feel most comfortable opening up when they are in a group of the same gender. The more specific the program is to you, the better.

Recreational Activities Treatment programs vary drastically in terms of recreational activities. Some centers may have some on-site facilities for sports or fitness, others may go off-site. Make sure to understand exactly what recreational activities will be available during your stay and how often they will be available.

12 Step Some rehabs use the 12 step program as a set of guiding principles to educate and provide tools for patients where others do not. The 12 step program is a proven system of support and is widely accepted throughout the substance abuse community as part of a best practice treatment program. If a center does not use the 12 steps, make sure their methods have been proven to be affective.

Modalities are the types of treatment options a rehab uses to treat both addiction and mental health. Modalities vary drastically between treatment centers. It is important to do your research on all the modalities that are important to you and make sure the treatment center you choose can accommodate them. Some examples of treatment modalities are:

Massage and AcupunctureYoga and MeditationSauna TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)Art TherapyMusic TherapyVitamin IVMedicationEquestrian TherapyFitness ProgramAdventure Therapy

COMPONENT 4:TREATMENT MODALITIES

COMPONENT 5:AMENITIES AND FACILITY

Access to stores for hygiene products, etc.Access to laundry machinesCleaning staffSmoking areasOutdoor activities

When attempting to conquer addiction through rehab, look for a facility that is comforting. Treatment centers can be deceptive in their online marketing about what their facility actually looks like and what amenities are readily available. Always make sure that the facility in the pictures you see is the facility you will be staying in and not a satellite facility. It may be wise to tour the facility before committing to treatment there. Treatment options in terms of facility go from hotel style dormitories, to tents in the desert, to individual dwelling units. There are luxury facilities and more rustic options depending on what you are looking for. Amenities could include:

Private or group bathroomsShared or private roomsLarge or small bedsAccess to books, TV, entertainmentAccess to snacks, food between meals

COMPONENT 6:FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

Family involvement is crucial for most patients when rebuilding their lives after struggling with substance abuse. In many cases, relationships may be severely damaged with close relatives. Individual family therapy while in treatment can help begin the process of recovering as a family and rebuilding trusting relationships. Some treatment centers offer family involvement only over the phone, where others offer group, and yet others have no family involvement programs. Also, some treatment centers provide educational programs for families that can help aid in the process of recovering relationships. In evaluating a treatment center, you should understand how often and in what setting you will be interacting with your loved ones.

COMPONENT 7:AFTERCARE PROGRAM

Recovery from substance abuse disorder and co-occurring mental health disorders does not happen overnight. Inpatient treatment is just the beginning of your journey toward freedom from drug or alcohol dependence. That said, it is important that whatever treatment center you choose is thinking about aftercare from day one. This means everything from figuring out where you will be living, working, or going to school and who you will be interacting with. This also includes ongoing medical and mental health treatment.

COMPONENT 8:COST AND INSURANCE

It is no secret that drug and alcohol rehab can be very expensive, but many treatment centers will accept some form of insurance. There are many factors that come into play when determining cost of treatment. Some centers may accept state insurance, while others may only be covered by out of network benefits. You have to check with each center individually to see if they have the ability to work with your insurance. If your insurance will not cover treatment, out of pocket costs can be very high, but the price of not going to treatment could prove to be much higher. No matter what treatment option you choose, it is important to have the mindset that you only want to do this once. With that in mind, be picky about where you spend your money and what services you are willing to give up while price shopping.

COMPONENT 9:LICENSING

Licensing for drug and alcohol treatment centers is different in each state. Facilities are required to have proper licensing and the state or local governments are responsible for making sure that the licensed facilities are following adopted regulations. These regulations determine the rules in which a treatment center is bound to when working with patients. Because each state has different regulations, when you have narrowed down which state you are interested in, it may be beneficial to investigate the licensing of the facility as well as whether the regulations are more in favor of the facility or more on the side of the patient. Another thing to consider when looking into a particular facility is the licensing and qualifications of the actual staff. The more qualified the staff is, the better treatment typically will be.

Ask the length of the program? When they opened the facility? Do they admit people that are court mandated?

How many patients does the facility have at one time?

Are patients transported o�-site for sleeping and/or any other activities?

Gender speci�c programs?

Medical Doctor and Nurses- Are they located on-site? Are they full time employees or contractors?

Detox- Done on site? Or at a local Hospital?

Modalities therapists have been trained in?

Licensing requirements of the Clinical Supervisor? Mental Health Therapists? Counselors?

Is individual therapy available? How many sessions are provided? The length of each session?

How many hours of group therapy daily? Be wary of programs that only use group therapy.

Find out about the programs that are o�ered through the treatment facility and research these modalities.

Is the program approved for dual-diagnosis clients?How does the program address mental health issues?Do clients have one-on-one sessions with their mental health therapist? Length of session and frequency?

Do clients have private family counseling sessions? Length of session and frequency?

Are there education programs for families? How does visitation work? Phone call policy?

Twelve Step meetings? Type? On or O�-Site?

Is there a Dietitian on-site to work with each patient on nutrition and any eating disorders?

How are meals provided? Is there a Chef on-site? How are allergies and special diets handled?

Amenities- Bed size? Roommates? Cleaning sta�? TV access?

Is there an Aftercare program? Does it help the patient plan the next steps? Housing/Sober Living Houses? Work? Education? Life Skills?

Continuing care options available to patients. Ask how long the continuing care continues and what form it is in. Ask about formal e�orts to link patients with Outpatient, IOP, PHP or other mutual help groups.

Activities on-site? Activities o�-site?Fitness Activities- Gym? Fitness classes?

If the patient is a smoker, can they smoke at the facility?E�ective treatment involves monitoring of substance use throughout treatment. Ask if the program provides random drug tests.

TREATMENT CENTER AQUESTION TREATMENT CENTER B

Ask the length of the program? When they opened the facility? Do they admit people that are court mandated?

How many patients does the facility have at one time?

Are patients transported o�-site for sleeping and/or any other activities?

Gender speci�c programs?

Medical Doctor and Nurses- Are they located on-site? Are they full time employees or contractors?

Detox- Done on site? Or at a local Hospital?

Modalities therapists have been trained in?

Licensing requirements of the Clinical Supervisor? Mental Health Therapists? Counselors?

Is individual therapy available? How many sessions are provided? The length of each session?

How many hours of group therapy daily? Be wary of programs that only use group therapy.

Find out about the programs that are o�ered through the treatment facility and research these modalities.

Is the program approved for dual-diagnosis clients?How does the program address mental health issues?Do clients have one-on-one sessions with their mental health therapist? Length of session and frequency?

Do clients have private family counseling sessions? Length of session and frequency?

Are there education programs for families? How does visitation work? Phone call policy?

Twelve Step meetings? Type? On or O�-Site?

Is there a Dietitian on-site to work with each patient on nutrition and any eating disorders?

How are meals provided? Is there a Chef on-site? How are allergies and special diets handled?

Amenities- Bed size? Roommates? Cleaning sta�? TV access?

Is there an Aftercare program? Does it help the patient plan the next steps? Housing/Sober Living Houses? Work? Education? Life Skills?

Continuing care options available to patients. Ask how long the continuing care continues and what form it is in. Ask about formal e�orts to link patients with Outpatient, IOP, PHP or other mutual help groups.

Activities on-site? Activities o�-site?Fitness Activities- Gym? Fitness classes?

If the patient is a smoker, can they smoke at the facility?E�ective treatment involves monitoring of substance use throughout treatment. Ask if the program provides random drug tests.

QUESTION TREATMENT CENTER A TREATMENT CENTER B

treatment center

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solution that treats the mind, body, and spirit.

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www.serenityacres.com