Different treatment plans exist depending on the type of addiction, insurance plan, financial capability, family inclusion and so on, therefore finding the right treatment plan that caters to your needs and that of your family is all too important. This can be quite overwhelming but fear not, this article is here to help you make your choice. What qualities should you look out for?
- Comprehensive Assessment and Treatment Matching
An effective treatment begins with a proper and valid screening and assessment for a range of substance use disorders and related conditions.
This is followed by a more comprehensive assessment of substance use history and related disorders, medical history, psychiatric history, individual’s family and social networks, and assessment of available recovery resources. This is necessary to help uncover the many interrelated and underlying factors affecting the patient’s functioning and aspects that could compromise the recovery process.
2. A well-educated team:
A facility run by an addiction treatment expert with a master’s or doctorate licensing or board certification is your best bet at getting all round, research and evidence based effective treatment.
An inpatient drug and alcohol rehab program should have a multidisciplinary staff as well as a medical doctor who would be responsible for the physical health of the person as well as administering any prescriptions the patients require.
3. Frequent Individual and group counseling sessions
Effective treatment programs should also include frequent one-on-one counseling sessions for participants provided by trained addiction experts. Group therapy also serves to form relationships, build lifelong bonds, bring a wide range of experiences and perspective to the entire group and an added layer of accountability.
4. Comprehensive, Integrated Treatment Approach
Addiction disorders and mental illnesses are not mutually exclusive. Given these high odds of suffering from a dual diagnosis, it is very important that a top inpatient addiction treatment program be equipped to treat co-occurring disorders.
Dual diagnosis treatment is associated with better outcomes including: Improved quality of life, reduced substance use, decreased hospitalizations, Improved psychiatric symptoms, Increased housing stability, Fewer arrests.
5. Long-term approach
Research has documented that recovery rates improve dramatically when a long-term treatment plan is in place. according to The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) residential or outpatient programs should consist of a minimum of 90 days.
This approach usually begins with an inpatient or intensive outpatient care and extends a sober living program, a relapse prevention program depending on the individual’s needs.
6. Evidence-based therapies
Many types of therapies are used to treat substance addictions and mental disorders. The best programs offer programs that use evidenced-based treatment modalities. SAMSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) defines Evidence-based programs as, “programs that have been shown to have positive outcomes through high-quality research.”
When researching a treatment program, in addition to asking what types of therapies are offered, you want to know that their use is based on research.
7. Nutritionally focused
Addiction often goes hand-in-hand with a poor diet. It harms the body and the brain and weakens the immune system This can leave the person underweight, overweight, or with bad skin. Good nutrition can reverse these conditions and improve physical appearance. This can help boost self-confidence and self-esteem. An excellent rehab program includes a Medical Nutritional Therapy (MNT) plan. Addiction.
8. Physical fitness/ Exercise
Various forms of exercise offer different benefits. Aerobic exercise, such as running, actually increases the neuron reserves in the part of the brain that is responsible for learning. In addition to increasing the ability to learn, regular exercise relieves stress and tension which makes it easier for individuals to release negative emotions.
It also releases endorphins. Endorphins are nature’s “feel good” hormone and offer a natural high that is free of the negative risks of drugs. Lastly, exercise increases self-confidence and optimism, as well as lowers rates of depression and anxiety.
9. A family program
Addiction not only impacts the individual but the entire family suffers. sometimes family members assume certain roles in the family just to cope with the situation. Healing the family prepares the family to better support the person in recovery and sobriety and prevent addiction from spreading to other family members or future generations.
10. Personalized Approaches that include Specialized Populations, Gender and Cultural Competence
Stemming from individualized comprehensive screening and assessment, programs should treat all patients as individuals attending to their needs accordingly. One size does not fit all, and neither does one treatment approach work for every individual.
High-quality treatment programs identify the potentially different needs of men and women, adolescents versus adults, and those from different minority communities (e.g. LGBT) or cultural backgrounds, creating in turn, treatment and recovery plans that address their specific needs and acknowledge their available strengths and recovery resources.
11. External Accreditation from Nationally Recognized Quality Monitoring Agencies
Accreditation from external regulatory organizations such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare organizations (JCAHO; aka “the Joint Commission”), the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), and the Council on Accreditation (COA); and other programs licensed by the state are required to offer minimum levels of evidence-based care.
These licensing and accreditation requirements serve as quality assurance that the treatment program is incorporating a certain level of evidence-based care in its model and is open to random audit of its clinical care.
11. Connection-building activities among clients
Addiction also isolates a person emotionally therefore establishing strong emotional connections and bonds pave the way for a healthier life. An excellent treatment program encourages and fosters camaraderie among clients.
The success of an addict’s recovery is as good as his/her treatment plan.