Based on an individual’s severity with their addiction and the level of care that is needed, they may be placed in one of the following treatment settings
Residential/Inpatient:
This happens within specialty substance use disorder treatment facilities, facilities with a broader behavioral health focus, or by specialized units within hospitals. Longer-term residential treatment has lengths of stay that can be as long as 6 to 12 months and is relatively uncommon. These programs focus on helping individuals change their behaviors in a highly structured setting. Shorter-term residential treatment is much more common, and typically has a focus on detoxification (also known as medically managed withdrawal) as well as providing initial intensive treatment, and preparation for a return to community-based settings.
Outpatient Treatment:
Outpatient treatment varies in the types and intensity of services offered. Such treatment costs less than residential or inpatient treatment, and often is more suitable for people with jobs or extensive social supports. It should be noted, however, that low-intensity programs may offer little more than drug education. Other outpatient models, such as intensive day treatment, can be comparable to residential programs in services and effectiveness, depending on the individual patient’s characteristics and needs. In many outpatient programs, group counseling can be a major component. Some outpatient programs are also designed to treat patients with medical or other mental health problems in addition to their alcohol or substance use disorder.
Partial Hospitalization/Intensive Outpatient:
These programs have people attend very intensive and regular treatment sessions multiple times a week early in their treatment for an initial period. After completing partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient treatment, individuals often step down into regular outpatient treatment, which meets less frequently and for fewer hours per week to help sustain their recovery.
Long-Term Residential:
This type of treatment provides care 24 hours a day, generally in non-hospital settings. The best known residential treatment model is the therapeutic community (TC), with planned lengths of stay of between 6 and 12 months.
Individual Counseling:
Individualized counseling not only focuses on reducing or stopping the illicit drug or alcohol use, it also addresses related areas of impaired functioning—such as employment status, illegal activity, and family/social relations—as well as the content and structure of the patient’s recovery program. Through its emphasis on short-term behavioral goals, individualized counseling helps the patient develop coping strategies and tools to abstain from drug or alcohol use and maintain abstinence. The addiction counselor encourages 12-step participation (at least one or two times per week) and makes referrals for needed supplemental medical, psychiatric, employment, and other services.
Group Counseling:
Many therapeutic settings use group therapy to capitalize on the social reinforcement offered by peer discussion and to help promote drug-free lifestyles. Research has shown that when group therapy either is offered in conjunction with individualized drug counseling or is formatted to reflect the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy or contingency management, positive outcomes are achieved. Currently, researchers are testing conditions in which group therapy can be standardized and made more community-friendly.
There are a wide-variety of treatment options available, and we can help ensure you get the care best suited to your situation. Some people respond better to a group setting, while other people get more progress through 1-on-1 situations. We have access to all sorts of treatment services that can give you the best chance of successfully completing the rehabilitation process. For more information on the types of treatment, or for information about a specific service, contact the attorneys at Appelman Law Firm at (952) 224-2277.
