A solid treatment plan is a comprehensive set of tools and strategies that address the client’s identifiable strengths as well as their problems and deficits. It presents an approach for sequencing resources and activities while identifying benchmarks of progress to guide evaluation.
During the screening and assessment phase before residential treatment, the potential client needs to be matched to the proper treatment plan. The treatment plan is where the information gathered is used to put treatment into practice, and it is seen as the map that specifies where clients are in their recovery from substance use, where they need to be, and how the resources available can be allocated to help them get there.
There are many different approaches to treatment planning, but they all possess some common ground. The severity of substance abuse-related problems must be identified because it determines where placement in a treatment program will take place. If someone is struggling with substance abuse, they could potentially have a co-occurring disorder that fuels their drug habit. If the conclusion is reached that there is a co-occurring medical disorder, that information will determine the placement and type of treatment. Another factor will include someone’s willingness to change their behavior and lifestyle. A person who is forced into treatment will require a different approach than someone who has reached rock bottom and is open to change.
Millions of people seek treatment every year, and while most addictions are similar in their uncontrollable nature, they affect the body in different ways. Alcohol addiction is going to look completely different from someone who has a heroin addiction, and each drug user will have a unique combination of personal history, co-occurring disorders, health conditions, and social factors that all contribute to their addictions as a whole. As such, the treatment center that you attend must acknowledge and respect each person’s unique struggles with drugs or alcohol. Recognizing individuality is the first step in the long continuum of care when ensuring equality for each client.
Once the assessment phase has concluded and you have detoxed from all of the drugs or alcohol in medical detoxification, you may be placed in a residential treatment center. So how do you know if your experience will be unique? It depends on what you look for in a rehab center. Not all treatment centers are the same and seeking out a program that is accredited and offers evidence-based research gives you a greater chance of having long-term success.
What to Look for in a Treatment Center
Choosing a residential treatment center for yourself can be an overwhelming process, but there are guidelines put in place that ensure you receive top quality care. Today, more than ever, clients need to know what to look for in a residential treatment center that guarantees their treatment plan will be unique.
Accreditation, Licensing, And Certifications
Top quality treatment centers are accredited by The Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit organization that bases accreditation on industry performance standards, demonstrated results, quality, and value. State licensing is not the same as accreditation because states vary widely in their licensing requirements. Rehab centers also need to be certified to advertise their services on Facebook or Google through LegitScript, a verification and monitoring service for online pharmacies. The certification ensures that a rigorous vetting process has taken place and that the center is qualified to advertise their product.
Clinical Staff Credentials And Licenses
Licenses and credentials determine whether the individuals who provide drug rehab programming and services meet nationally recognized standards for professional practice. If the staff is not licensed or accredited, they likely do not have the training and experience to provide the best care.
Evidence-Based Practices
The most respected treatment programs implement evidence-based practices that are proven through science-based research. Some examples of these practices include:
- Twelve-step programs
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
Mental Health Services
As mentioned above, those who have drug or alcohol addiction often also have mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder. To provide the right treatment for the client, an accurate diagnosis is required. For those who are given a dual diagnosis, the best treatment will incorporate care for the addiction as well as the co-occurring mental disorder.
Principles for Individualized Addiction Treatment
Many factors contribute to addiction, and it is nearly impossible to create a one-size-fits-all addiction treatment. Each approach to addiction must be customized, and instead of making one kind of treatment work, top quality centers will individualize the care that they offer. That National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) outlines the following principles drug and alcohol rehab programs use to customize treatment for each client. They go as follows:
- Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior.
- No single treatment will be adequate for everyone.
- Individuals require quick access to treatment.
- Treatment will address all of the client’s needs, not just drug use.
- Staying in treatment long enough is essential.
- Counseling and behavioral therapies are the most commonly used methods.
- Medication is a vital part of treatment, especially when combined with behavioral therapies.
- Treatment plans must be modified to fit the client’s evolving needs.
- Medically assisted detox is the first stage of treatment.
- Treatment does not always need to be voluntary to be effective.
If you are looking for a treatment center, those that offer services listed above are more likely to help the client achieve abstaining from drugs or alcohol long-term.
Individual Therapy Plans
Another approach that makes residential treatment unique is to implement varied and individualized therapy sessions. Treatment can include any of these therapies:
- Educational programs on how to stay sober and prevent relapse
- Individual counseling
- Family counseling
- Group therapy
At first, treatment is often intensive in that clients attend multiple sessions each week. Once intensive treatment ends, the client can begin to transition to outpatient therapy. The purpose is to work through the continuum of care and allow the client to focus strictly on the treatment and not worry about anything else.
Unique treatment will allow for the most excellent chance at abstinence. One thing to consider is that after a few months of sobriety, most clients will show a decrease in negative moods related to their substance use. Some will achieve a level of adjustment that allows them to continue in treatment, but others will require more intensive intervention for their disorder.
Sufficient resources are needed for assessment and treatment planning that include proper staffing and clerical support. To make the process unique, the client must be involved in all aspects of the treatment planning process, and it must address motivation and readiness for the chance to incorporate a strengths-based approach.
