Treatment FAQ’s
Frequently Asked Questions About Treatment
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT:
Addiction is a disease of isolation. Part of an effective treatment program includes re-involving the patient into the stream of life without the use of drugs or alcohol. It should also include a chance to reflect on the consequences of addiction, the actions that no longer serve the patient and improving relationships using increased clarity of thought. For that reason, it’s important to choose a treatment center based on an appropriate level of interaction and lack of distraction. For instance, a facility that offers private rooms and shopping trips might be tempting but it could be counterproductive.
QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN INTERVIEWING TREATMENT CENTERS:
- Do you use a twelve-step model of treatment? If not, how does yours differ?
- Do you provide one-on-one counseling? What are the qualification requirements for your counselors?
- Do you take insurance?
- What does insurance cover?
- What would my financial responsibility be in the event insurance providers deny coverage before I complete treatment?
- What happens if I do not have the funds to pay the remaining costs? Will I be discharged from treatment?
- What is included in your price? (There can be many hidden costs in treatment and it’s best to understand this at the outset)
- Is detoxification Included?
- Do you provide medical detox or social detox?
- Per day costs or comprehensive? (Some addictions require longer detox)
- Labs?
- Medications?
- Doctor’s visits, psychiatric evaluations, nursing, personal attendant?
- What if the patient leaves without finishing treatment? Do you reimburse for unused time?
- Do you have a family program?
- Is that cost included?
- Do you provide follow up care after the patient has completed treatment?
- Is that cost included?
- Do you provide treatment for dual diagnoses?
- Do you provide any pain management services to assist those with underlying pain?
- Do you provide any exercise facilities?
Definitions
Medical Detox
A medical detox is usually done either in a clinic, hospital or detox facility. Some residential treatment centers also offer medical detox as a precursor to starting treatment. This is usually done under the supervision of doctors or nurses and involves the administering of drugs to the client / patient to relieve some of the physical withdrawal symptoms. These may include medications such as Librium, Diazepam, Lorazepam, (Benz diazepam family) among others. Although the detox periods vary in time for individuals, it usually lasts between 5-14 days. The benefit of having medical staff handy is, when there are complications, they are able to respond. Private medical detox may come with a hefty price tag.
Social Detox
The second option is doing a social detox. This is done by most residential treatment centers and is not that much different from the medical detox. Social detox usually involves visiting a doctor off-site to make sure that the correct medications are prescribed if needed. This would usually be the same type of medication used in a medical detox such as Librium, Diazepam, Lorazapam, etc. on a short-term prescription. The patient / client is supervised during their detox period by trained addiction staff rather than medical staff. The duration of the detox is similar to that of the medical detox. The benefit of doing a social detox is that it is more cost effective and is usually included in most treatment packages. The down side to the social detox is that if there are complications (for example a seizure experienced in roughly 5% of alcohol cases) you may be in for an ambulance ride and a night in hospital before being released back to your treatment center.
Insurance
We have found that insurance providers typically do not cover a complete 30-day program. From our experience, we have seen that patients receive some reimbursement. Often, however, the amount insurance providers will reimburse is less than satisfactory. Most insurance providers do quote a specific number of days per a specified time period. However, once a patient has completed a medical detox, the insurance provider might deny coverage and recommend a lower level of care for completion of treatment.
Dual Diagnosis
This refers to those who have been diagnosed with major mental health disorders and alcohol or substance addictions at the same time. At least 50 percent of the 2 million Americans with severe mental illness abuse illicit drugs or alcohol, compared to 15 percent of the general population, according to the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration.
Family Plan
In general, a family program helps family members identify and work through issues involved in dealing with a loved one who has been dependent on drugs and/or alcohol. These programs usually focus on the family member’s experience and helps guide the family member to be more productive around the patient after completion of the program.