Drug abuse is a scary topic, and not one that many people like to speak about. However, if you or someone you love shows signs of drug addiction, it is important to seek help as soon as possible.
There are thousands of treatment centers out there, and there is far-less standard of care regulation for rehab centers than many people realize. To ensure you receive the best care possible and find the best drug treatment center for your needs, follow the six-step plan outlined below.
The six steps to finding the best drug treatment centers include:
Education: According to Drug Strategies, there are nine things that each drug center must have to provide effective results for drug recovery. These things include, screening and assessment of the patient, services that address the medical, physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the recovery process, family involvement, therapies designed for each individual patient, methods and interventions to keep patients actively participating and willing to engage in further recovery, qualified staff, consideration of patient differences and cultures, full-service aftercare, and data-collection of the effectiveness of their treatment.
Screening and assessment:
First the patient should be screened to see if the drug problem warrants rehab treatment. Then the patient should be professionally evaluated to determine what treatment methods will have the biggest affect on the patient.
Networking: Communicating with others around you can be an invaluable tool that can help with long term recovery. From networking, you can connect with recovering addicts, find former drug addicts, and discover new treatment methods that might be effective for you.
Knowing what’s out there:
You must know all the different treatment options before you can determine the right one for you. Most centers vary between outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, day treatment or partial hospitalization, residential, or medically-assisted treatment.
Touring:
When you tour a center, you can see first-hand whether the center will provide the care you need. If a place doesn’t feel right during the tour, then it probably isn’t the one for you.
Asking questions:
You can help pinpoint the methods that each center uses for treatment by asking questions. You can ask questions as serious as what kind of therapies they use to as simple as what meal plans they offer.
Questions to Ask Potential Treatment Centers
There are many lists that offer questions that you should pose to a potential treatment center. Some of the questions you should ask include:
- Is the program licensed on the state or federal level?
- What is the patient-to-staff ratio?
- What is the education and experience level of staff members?
- Is the facility clean and organized?
- Does the center offer treatment based on other aspects of each patient besides drug addiction (sexual orientation, disabilities, and different cultural perspectives)?
- Are family and friends allowed involvement during treatment?
- What medications with the facility use to help with recovery?
Warning Signs of Treatment Centers with Poor Care
Not all centers provide excellent care for drug recovery. Watch out for these warning signs related to poor care:
Pressure to start treatment right away, or the same day you tour the facility: A facility should never pressure you to start care with them if the fit does not feel right to you.
No state certifications:
If the center is not certified, then they are not obligated to stick to treatment methods that are safe and effective. The center may offer treatment methods that are harmful or dangerous.
If you follow the above checklists, you will have a high chance of finding a center that will enable you to maintain the highest level of care and see a full recovery.