This is a guest post by Sheila Shilati, Psy.D., with some excellent tips on what to look for in a rehab facility.
Few things in life can feel more complicated or stressful than trying to choose the right method of treatment for a child struggling with addiction.
Parents often find themselves in the difficult position of arranging treatment while their son or daughter experiencing a drug/alcohol problem goes back and forth, sometimes refusing, other times agreeing to go. Rather than becoming frustrated and detaching yourself during this difficult time — when your child needs you more than ever — there are other courses of action you can try to take.
One way that you can reach out and show how much you care is by doing some research on treatment centers. Not all rehabs are created equal, but finding just the right program for your son or daughter, can help ease him or her into the idea of getting the help they deserve.
The following nine aspects are just some of the key things you may want to look for when deciding on an appropriate rehab facility that will help your young adult start the healing process:
General Family Programs
One of the best things you can do to support a loved one’s rehab journey is to get involved. Do some work together as a family to ensure the best possible result and build an educated, understanding support network. While most rehab facilities do offer some sort of family outreach or family therapy weekend, it’s important to seek out a facility that truly understands the value of intensive family work.
If possible, opt for a facility that offers a general family program. One that allows you, your child, and the rest of your immediate family to experience breakthroughs that can’t be made alone. Remember: addiction is a family illness, and you’ll want to better understand the role you’ve played in your child’s life and how you can support his or her long-term sobriety.
Activities for Various Interests
A very common symptom of addiction that you may have noticed in your loved one is a reduced interest in his or her former hobbies and activities. Because of this, one of the most important elements of rehabilitation is helping those with a substance use disorder re-develop healthy interests and focus on the hobbies they love – rather than using drugs.
Look for a rehab facility that offers a variety of indoor and outdoor activities throughout the day so that your loved one can begin having fun and exploring different interests again.
Support for Dual-Diagnosis/Co-Occurring Disorders
For many in active addiction, their struggles involve more than just substance abuse. Clinically speaking, a dual diagnosis is one in which an individual has a substance addiction as well as a co-occurring mental disorder. A person may, for example, be dealing with alcoholism as well as PTSD or bipolar disorder. Because there are multiple facets to the addict’s experience and personal struggles, it’s of the utmost importance that the rehab facility you choose is experienced in caring for multiple diagnoses at once.
When it comes to mental health treatment, research has found that those who are treated with a combination of therapy and medication have a greater chance of success in quickly reducing symptoms than either kind of treatment by itself. Treatment with medication must be properly managed and monitored during addiction treatment, so it’s important to select a facility with professionals who are experienced in such management.
Compatibility with Insurance (and Free Insurance Verification)
Of course, affordability and insurance coverage are very practical concerns when it comes to selecting a drug rehab facility. Some rehabilitation centers will perform a free insurance verification to help you determine exactly how much coverage you’d be able to get for a given treatment program (through an existing insurance policy). This insurance check can help you determine financial feasibility and make an appropriate plan to pay for treatment well in advance.
A Relaxing Location that Encourages Healing
In addition to having a comfortable, compassionate atmosphere inside the treatment center, having a relaxing geographic location that allows one to heal in the beauty of nature can make all the difference. Especially if your loved one is known as an admirer of the sun, surf, mountains, forests or any other sort of natural beauty, you’ll want to choose somewhere that allows them to be in that kind of comforting and inspiring environment.
Expertly Trained Rehabilitation Staff
The science of addiction and the standard methods of treatment are always changing and improving as we learn more about how the brain responds to various substances. Because of this, it’s important to choose an addiction treatment center that has a properly trained, well-educated staff. Make sure that you carefully research each facility to determine whether their expertise fits your loved one’s situation. Don’t be afraid to contact a facility to ask questions about their staff’s education and experience.
Group Therapy
Because humans are social animals, the benefits of participating in group therapy during addiction treatment cannot be understated. Discussing shared struggles and learning coping techniques in groups provides a sense of camaraderie and creates a natural support system.
Group therapy allows addicts to see others succeed in their recovery and receive feedback on their own progress in a safe peer environment. It keeps those with addiction issues from isolating themselves and provides accountability to others that can prevent them from caving to the temptation to use.
A Holistic, Full-Body Approach
Just as it’s important to consider any co-occurring mental health conditions when treating a patient for drug addiction, it’s also important to consider any other physical conditions and to address the overall health and wellness of the addict. A rehab facility with a strong holistic approach will incorporate a variety of wellness therapies to help treat the entire individual and not just his or her addiction.
Aftercare Planning Resources
Addiction recovery doesn’t end when the treatment program is complete. Especially in the first few years after rehabilitation, maintaining sobriety will involve continued support and healthy decision-making. While there’s much to be said for the help and encouragement of friends and family, it can be especially helpful when similar aftercare assistance is provided by the rehab facility. Such resources may include coping strategies for dealing with relapse as well as follow-up therapy and local 12-step programs.
Sheila Shilati, Psy.D., is the COO of Seasons in Malibu, a dual diagnosis, addiction treatment center in Malibu, CA. The trained staff at the CARF-accredited Seasons in Malibu work with individuals ages 18 and older, struggling with addiction, prescription drug abuse, alcoholism, cocaine, and other forms of addiction. Dr. Shilati collaborates with the rest of the team at Seasons in Malibu to create individualized treatment programs for each guest.
This is an excellent and much needed resource, Cathy. So many people who are looking for help for their loved one (or themselves) are not even sure what they should be looking for – thank you for this!
For some many, looking for a treatment program can feel overwhelming and confusing, so I hope these suggestions are helpful. Thanks, Lisa
When it was time to send our son for treatment, we looked at a place that was the less expensive choice…for good reason. We found it lacking in the essentials mentioned above. We hired an Educational Consultant whose job is to travel the country, get to know the therapists and programs and the reputable programs from the bad. We are so grateful to have found this gentleman for he has not only guided on us the programs, therapists and facilities for our son but gave us great input on the “words and music” to use when dealing with our son. He showed us at this dark time that there was real hope in our future. He helped keep us sane. Today our son is 19 and almost 3 years sober! We are grateful that our Ed. Consultant on the other side of the state of Ohio steered us on our journey! He was worth every penny!
Congratulations Kathy on your son’s progress. An Educational Consultant can be very helpful as they know the programs and can do some of the legwork for you. I’m glad the process worked for your family.
This is such a valuable resource, Cathy. I wouldn’t know where to being if I were to look for a treatment center for a relative or friend. I can see how each of these factors could make such an important difference.
Hi, Sandra,
It does help to have knowledge of what to look for when you are searching for treatment. Otherwise, it can feel daunting. Thank you for stopping by.
Thank you for this very helpful post. For families to have an informative, thoughtful resource like this when they most need it, is invaluable.
Thanks so much Debbie!
Most people looking for a rehab facility don’t know what they don’t know and, therefore, don’t know what criteria to use. This is a great resource to help those searching to be more focused on what’s important.
Glad it seemed helpful Paige. The more knowledge that parents and other loved ones have when trying to find a rehab facility, the better.
Research your choices before child is in crisis so you’ll be better equipped to commit when the moment presents itself. Look for EBT, evidence-based treatment (use a search engine). If child is 18, make sure account is in child’s name so you are not financially liable if child chooses to leave treatment against medical advice. Even then, legally they can only bill you for days of actual services rendered. Sharing from the vantage point of hindsight.
Good tip, Jill, “If a child is 18, make sure account is in child’s name so you are not financially liable if the child chooses to leave treatment against medical advice.” It is so important to plan ahead when making treatment choices. Nice to see you here. Thanks for stopping by.
What a valuable article Cathy…I honestly don’t know how you manage to write on the very topic that I’ve been reading about…but you’ve done it again.
How incredibly useful this is to anyone who needs help and support. As always thank you for all you do in this area…more and more we can see how much you are needed in today’s world.
Thanks, Elle.
Such helpful information Cathy. Thank you for sharing.
xoxo, Z~
Great to see you here, Zeenat. I appreciate you stopping by.
How do I go about finding an Educational Consultant?
Hi Liz,
You can search it through the internet for your area, but the one way is to ask other people who have experienced substance use disorder if they know of someone who places people in treatment programs. I would also ask your doctor or a local therapist. If your child is in high school, the counselors may have some resources they can share. It does pay to be careful though to find someone who is independent and not being paid by a treatment facility, so I do suggest doing your homework and asking a lot of questions.
Very good article Cathy. Thanks for posting. Fortunately I was part of a large parent support group in our community with children who were either in active addiction or early recovery. I learned much from these parents. The group regularly shared references for treatment facilities. I let nots for two years. When it was time for my son to go, I had two places in mind. He went 7 years ago and now has six years of sobriety. As you know, parent support groups can be so helpful.
Sorry. Typo in my comment. “I listened to the parents”.