Rehab is an important decision. It requires a significant investment of your time and money – and understandably, you want to make sure that investment is going to pay off. But with over 15,000 addiction treatment centers in the US, how do you know if you’re choosing the right one?
Committing to healing from addiction, depression, anxiety or trauma is one of the most life-changing decisions you can make. You’ll want to come away from this process with a renewed connection to life, not a sense of personal failure.
Let’s go over some criteria for a good-quality rehab program, and some questions you can ask addiction treatment centers you’re considering.
Check Their Team’s Qualifications
Some rehabs admit counselors onto their team whose credentials don’t qualify them to work in other professional settings. Check the team page on their website and ask their admissions staff about their therapists’ background and experience.
Ask About Clinical Hours
How many individual sessions will you attend, and what does a typical day look like?
Most rehabs offer only two private sessions per week, with the core part of their program consisting of various groups. Group therapy is very effective but should be facilitated by a professional psychologist. Check with the center you’re considering to get specifics on how they plan and conduct sessions.
Do They Offer a Variety of Modalities?
As psychiatrist and addiction specialist Lance Dodes says about avoiding bad rehab treatment, “A rehab must never be a boot camp to whip you into accepting their belief system.” That is, treatment centers should ideally have a variety of therapies for you to try, so you can find out what works best for you. Ask rehabs about their treatment philosophy and find out if they allow you to explore different avenues, or only really offer one treatment model.
What are Your Treatment Fees Paying For?
We wish it were safe to assume that higher fees mean better quality. But many luxury treatment centers steer their revenue towards image-friendly “extras” like expensive amenities and activities. We fully agree that physical setting has therapeutic value and is important to your treatment process. And we understand that it’s vital for you to be comfortable during treatment. But the main focus should be on the quality and intensiveness of the program. And the program cost should reflect the amount of personal attention you receive from a highly qualified team.
How do They Measure Success?
Does the treatment center you’re considering collect data on their effectiveness? If so, how do they incorporate it into their programming? Many rehabs advertise their “success rates,” but these aren’t based on any standard criteria.
Aside from abstinence, what quality of life indicators do they use to measure the success of treatment? Do they simply look at the numbers of people who complete their program and stay sober during the following year, or are they concerned with how happy and well their clients feel?
What’s Their Screening and Assessment Process?
Comprehensive addiction treatment starts with a thorough assessment. This should cover:
- The severity of your substance use
- Any related medical conditions
- Your mental health history
- Family and relationship factors
… and more. Your life is a complex picture made up of many interrelated factors, and your treatment needs to take all of these into account. This stage of the process should be conducted by a qualified professional and include a medical screening to determine your readiness for treatment.
Is Treatment Comprehensive and Integrated?
Sustainable recovery requires a deep dive into your psyche to identify and address the causes of your behaviors. But in reality, most addiction treatment programs focus on managing symptoms. Does the rehab you’re considering offer holistic healing or just techniques to soothe unwanted moods? If the answer is the former, what means do they use to help you reach a healed and whole state? You may also want to consider:
- Are they able to treat co-occurring mental health disorders (also known as dual diagnosis)?
- What’s their policy on medication?
Do They Have a Family Program?
Involving your loved ones increases your chances of completing treatment. It also helps you feel supported throughout your time in rehab and ensures the process is truly holistic. Family members and partners are cornerstones of our lives, and having them on board during your journey is key to healing.
Continuing Care
Most rehabs focus on getting clients in the door, and aftercare becomes an afterthought. But sustainable recovery requires support during your transition back home, and well after you leave treatment. What steps does a potential rehab take to make sure you have this support in place? To what extent will you stay in touch with them after leaving residential care? Feel free to ask their admissions staff for more details on what their aftercare program consists of.
Achieving True Transformation
At The Sanctuary, guiding people through this healing journey isn’t just a job. It’s our calling; our passion; our life’s work. We put an enormous amount of heartfelt care into making sure this experience is as comprehensive as possible. And after 15+ years of experience, we still continue to develop and refine our program as we apply new knowledge we gain on our own paths.
Our admissions coordinator is here to provide more information on anything you’d like to know about our unique approach to addiction and mental health treatment.
Call us today to discover your possibilities.
He is the Founder, Administrator, Counselor at the Sanctuary at Sedona. He has a BA in Political Science and is currently Senior teaching staff at Four Winds Society, an international school of energy medicine. His credentials also include being an Ordained Minister; a Certified Shamanic Breathwork® Facilitator; a Founding Member Society for Shamanic Practitioners; a Member of Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology; a Member of the National Institute for Holistic Addiction Studies. [email protected]