Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Settings

Drug and alcohol treatment settings are varied both in environmental and philosophical approaches. Each type of setting has its own unique qualities. The differences are described below.

Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Center

• Therapeutic Community
  Therapeutic Communities in the U.S. are primarily referred to in the field of addictive behavior as a mental health approach. They began in the early 1960's and were inspired by an AA member named Charles E. Dederich. Mr. Dederich utilized many aspects of 12 step work with emphasis on behavioral changes to be practiced in residential settings. Therapeutic communities rely upon the patient community, and not necessarily the staff, to implement change through mutual support, peer pressure and positive role models. Today's therapeutic communities are quite varied in style, content, and preferred lengths of stay and operate throughout the world in both residential, school- based and outpatient programs.

• Free-StandingResidential Treatment Center
  A free-standing residential treatment center is a stand-alone program, that specializes in the treatment of drug addiction, alcoholismand dual diagnosis. Patients reside within the addiction treatment facility 24 hours a day while under the care of a team of addiction professionals. While these rehabilitation programs may have other levels of care such as residential treatment, partial hospitalization or outpatient, the main focus lies in within providing 24-hour inpatient care. Some free-standing addiction treatment programs are capable of providing drug and alcohol detox, but not all programs offer this service in-house, nor do they provide on-site medical staff or certified addiction physicians, psychiatrists or nurses.

• Hospital Based Rehabilitation Unit
  Hospital based addiction treatment programs are exactly like they sound. These types of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers are units located in a general hospital. They are best suited for persons who suffer from drug addiction or alcoholism and who have also developed chronic or acute medical or psychiatric problems. Lengths of stay in these types of addiction treatment programs are short and not as comprehensive as those in the dedicated treatment centers. The focus in a general hospital is always on stabilizing the patient and not on long term addiction treatment and education. Oftentimes, an addict is referred from a hospital-based unit to a free-standing drug rehab facility to participate in a complete alcohol and drug addiction treatment program. The average length of stay in a hospital based drug or alcohol rehab unit is approximately 5-7 days. Some insurance carriers may not cover treatment in a hospital setting.

• Long Term Residential Treatment or Extended Care
  The average length of stay in a long-term addiction treatment center is approximately 90 days but some addiction treatment centers can provide care for up to a year or more. Today, it is not uncommon for people to access long-term addiction treatment when needed. These long-term alcohol and drug rehab programs are designed for people who have previously completed residential addiction treatment and for a variety of reasons required additional long-term residential treatment. Some criteria for long-term care are:

• Continued drug seeking behavior after completion of a thirty day addiction treatment program
• Relapse after a short term stay in an alcohol and drug rehab center
• Require additional time in a structured setting to resolve outstanding clinical issues

Types of Addiction Treatment

• Specialty Treatment
  There are certain populations that are particularly prone to the development of substance abuse and addiction, or are in a position where specialized addiction treatment must be provided to obtain optimal outcomes.  Women, the gay community, particular religions, teens, and those at the extremes of age all may require intensely individualized substance abuse programs.  These can be provided in the various types of treatment settings listed below. Clinicians who work with specialty programs should have training in the issues pertaining specifically to that population. The issues for each demographic can have a profound impact upon the patient’s ability to confront underlying problems and establish a solid foundation for recovery. Also, those trained in different specialty programs will have a sensitivity to those issues that the average clinician may not have.

• Community Based Substance Abuse Addiction Treatment
  Individuals who enter these specific addiction treatment programs are surrounded by others who have faced similar issues. This camaraderie provides a level of comfort that usually proves beneficial for more positive outcomes. Therapists are trained in the unique problems confronting each demographic. Typically patients in this type of program will attend 12 Step meetings and work for pay or volunteer. These programs should not be confused with halfway houses which are used as a transitional phase between treatment and returning home. Community based substance abuse treatment programs will include day or evening groups, individual counseling and are defined by the length of time spent in the program which can be anywhere from 6 months to 2 years.

• Religious Farms
  There are a few programs that claim to treat addiction with some form of spiritual foundation. Quality religious addiction programs will always be medically based providing drug detox and drug rehabilitation based upon best practices in combination with spiritual teachings.   However, there may be some religious programs that do not use best clinical practices in their approaches and attempt to only use shame based techniques that include prayer and meditation to help their addicted followers.

• Camps and Farms
  These programs are highly controlled drug and alcohol rehab programs that are used to treat repeat substance abusers. They were designed to break the cycle of addiction and criminal behavior. Beyond the structure, the quality camp or farm programs will provide therapy and addiction treatment using best practices. There are also a range of teen programs that use the camp or the farm structure to bring order back into the lives of these troubled teens. Some of the camps combine outdoor challenges (such as outward bound) to build self-esteem, trust, sharing, and insight.

Modalities in Substance Abuse Treatment

• Group Therapy
  Such therapy groups typically consist of seven to twelve individuals. Sometimes these individuals are dealing with the same issues, and sometimes people are placed in a group to learn to listen and identify with others in a safe environment. There are a range of issues that can be negotiated within a group context that might take longer in individual counseling.

• Individual Counseling
  An individual who meets privately with a mental health counselor, psychiatrist or psychologist discussing personal problems and is engaged in individual therapy.

• Family Therapy
  The concept of a disease affecting a whole family governs family therapy. Any disruption to the healthy social structure of the family unit is evident in the roles that individuals take. Addiction disrupts everyone’s life. To treat the addict successfully, the family unit and the dysfunction within the family unit must also be addressed.

• Vocational Training
  People who have suffered some form of disability will oftentime need vocational training. Vocational therapy involves a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s skills, intellectual aptitudes, interests, etc. Once the results have been evaluated, a match for a job will be made. This may include skills training, continued education, etc. Sometimes a person needs to be retrained for a different type of profession. There can also be workshops on money management, communication skills, appropriate work attire, behavior, etc.

• Occupational Therapy
  Occupational therapy allows patients to improve their ability to perform everyday tasks in both their living and working environment. Occupational therapy can teach a patient how to use a computer, increase his or her physical endurance, work on short term memory, approach abstract thinking, perceptual skills and coordination.

• Life Skills Groups
  According to the World Health Organization, life skills are “the abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.” Most professionals who teach life skills focus on skills that promote healthy living and healthy social interactions.

• Medically Based Treatment
  There are different types of addiction treatment programs, but not all of them are based upon a medical model. When a treatment program states that it utilizes a medical model that means that there are physicians on site and that the treatment is based upon best practices for the industry. Treating addiction at such a facility is based upon therapies including medications that have been tested in studies and reviewed for effectiveness.

• Lectures
  There are many ways of delivering information to addicts and alcoholics in treatment. In an attempt to utilize all the senses and ways that people learn, lectures are an integral part of the substance abuse treatment process. Lectures provide supplemental information to those lessons processed in group and individual therapies.

• 12 Step Programs
  The 12 Step programs based upon Alcoholic Anonymous is a philosophical and spiritual approach to living without taking a drink or a drug one day at a time. The success of the 12 Step programs is based upon a basic reality that a person can change, that life needs to be lived in the here and now, that a power greater than self can help the addict stay away from drugs and alcohol, and finally when one addict helps another both individuals are helped to stay clean and sober.  Service gets an addict or alcoholic out of self-centered thinking.

• Experiential Therapy
  Experiential therapy is a combination of Gestalt therapy, cognitive behavioral, family and other models which involve making the unconscious issues conscious and moving the client toward resolution. There are a number of techniques that can be used including art therapy, role playing, yoga, etc.  The client can then live in the present, reflect upon behavior and express feelings more freely.

• Meditative Therapy
  The technique of bringing one’s mind into the present has been practiced for thousands of years. There are two types of meditation both of which produce a calming, relaxed environment for the mind and the body.
  • Concentration meditation brings the mind’s focus to a single sound, sensation of breath, or an object.
  • Mindfulness meditation brings the focus to the sounds and sensations of the present reality as an observer. The body remains quite and the mind remains focused. Learning to quiet the mind and body has been shown to be beneficial to one’s health and to the healing process.

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy
  Is most effective for people who have engaged in self harm or those who have serious thoughts of hurting themselves. It is based upon a theory that sees the interconnectedness between biological, social, and emotional issues. DBT tries to change problem behaviors, find solutions and encourage healthy thinking.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  There are several therapies which are classified as CBT; these include rational behavior therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and rational emotive behavioral therapy. The basis for CBT is that thoughts produce feelings which then produce actions. If we improve our thinking, we feel better and take healthier actions.

• Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy
  REBT is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that places the focus on the present. It accepts that the past is with us in our present thoughts about ourselves or the values we hold. REBT focuses on the harmful beliefs, and allows patients to alter how the past influences thoughts, feelings, and actions today.

• Psychotherapy
  Psychotherapy is the treatment of mental health, emotional, and psychiatric disorders. It is for the most part based upon verbal communications and interventions with the therapist. It is based upon a trusting relationship between the patient and therapist. Sessions take place in a structured environment for a specific amount of time.

• Counseling
  Counseling is a form of therapy. It is an opportunity for someone to share present problems with someone else. Learning new skills in order to deal with daily stressors enables one to handle the present with greater confidence.  The training and work experiences one has, and the environment in which a counselor works varies greatly.

• Hypnosis
  Hypnotherapy uses exercises that place the patient into a sleep like state. It is a myth that one loses the ability to have free will and independent thinking. The patient is moved into a focused stated which then enables him or her to deal with emotions and awareness. This therapeutic approach enables one to reframe problems, let go of negative thoughts, and teach patients self-regulating skills.

• Population Care
  Population care establishes a broad perspective of problems, needs, and interventions that confront a general group of patients suffering from a condition. Guidelines are established to handle the individual’s needs within the specific group.

• Creative Arts Therapies
  The creative arts therapies utilize art, dance, music, and theatre to address patients’ emotional and physical problems. These specific creative approaches are combined with traditional therapeutic approaches to address the feelings, emotions, and thoughts that accompany the issues. The ability to express an experience or an emotion or thought in and of itself can be healing. The product of this expression can be used to mark progress in recovery as well.

• Art Therapy
  Art therapy is an expressive form of therapy that uses art materials combined with traditional psychotherapeutic techniques.

• Dance Therapy
  Using dance and movement can free a patient of constraints that have been self-imposed. This therapy can strengthen one’s connection to one’s own body if through trauma a disconnection has occurred.

• Drama Therapy
  This therapy (also known as psychodrama) enables patients to act out situations and feelings that have been hidden or remained unexpressed. Dramatic re-enactments allow the patient to transform the personal environment and thus aids positive decision making.

• Music Therapy
  A licensed, trained music therapist will use music to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of a patient. Exercises can include creating music, singing, movement and listening to different types of music. Music therapy can be useful for those who have difficulty expressing in words his or her feelings. Music can be the form used to give voice to these thoughts and feelings.

Related Content:

• Alcohol Rehab
  Alcoholism is a disease of the mind and body. It can destroy your family life, your physical and emotional well-being and the lives of your friends. Alcohol rehab can help.
• Drug Rehab Programs
  A quality drug rehab can help you get to the underlying reasons for your addiction. Combating addiction requires treating the whole person and a quality drug rehab can provide you with the needed tools.
• Substance Abuse and Addiction Treatment
  Choosing the best treatment program for your addiction can be overwhelming. Read about the types of treatment to help make an informed decision.

Talk with a Recovery Connection coordinator today and get the right treatment for your substance abuse problem. Our helpline is open 24/7, all calls are confidential and free of charge. Help is available, call us now.