Facility Placement
Recovery happens when a structured plan is followed over a period of time. We will look at the different options of facility placement including residential treatment, detox, and intensive outpatient treatment.
- Residential treatment is an ideal option for recovery. There are many different types of treatment centers, choosing the best option for your loved one will ensure success.
- Detox is a short term residential option that typically lasts three days to a week. Depending on the AP’s level of use, this type of medical attention may be necessary.
- An Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is an option for those seeking treatment outside of a residential program. Although it does not require leaving home, it demands a great deal of work including meetings and therapies that account for at least 11 hours a week.
Residential Treatment
When considering facility placement, residential treatment is the fastest way to ensure positive change. The family has already been through many empty promises to cut back, only to fall in the cycle of addiction again. The promise to change after an intervention will only last a few days. It is best to seize the moment that the AP agrees to get help and get them secure in a residential program.
There are many programs across the country with a wide array of approaches to treatment. Research needs to be done to find the best program for your loved one. This includes consideration of their personality, desires, psychiatric issues, and financial capabilities. Only performing a Google search is not the best way to find a treatment center. This is a time when you need to seek out professional guidance for the optimal treatment program.
Residential treatment may be the only option if an addicted person does not live in a stable environment. It is likely stress levels are high at home, stepping out of the home and living in residential might be the only option to get started on the right foot.
Considering Rehab For Facility Placement
While most people dread the thought of going to inpatient treatment, we often find that afterward, they look back on rehab as one of the best things that they did. In life, we rarely get an opportunity to take 30 days off, just for ourselves, to focus on our mental health. The opportunity is too good to not offer it to your AP.
Choosing a treatment program needs to start with finances. Most insurances cover inpatient treatment. Treatment centers differ in what insurance they accept. Begin with your loved one’s insurance ID card and ask several treatment centers to run the benefits of that specific insurance.
Your loved one will have hesitation about going to an inpatient facility. The family should consider what objections the addicted person will have such child or pet care, pet care and work obligations. List all the potential objections and work through them before the intervention.
Detox
Detox is a short residential level of care. It might not be safe to wean off of drugs or alcohol without medical (physician) supervision. Detox is typically 3 days to a week, depending on the AP’s pattern of use in the weeks leading up to check in. If the AP has had seizures in the past while using, medical detox is required. Most residential treatment programs (rehabs) offer detox on sight.
A stand-alone detox is an option if the AP has a strong and legitimate at-home plan for recovery. A detox on-site at a residential program is preferred, as people that complete detox often want to return home and are unlikely to go on to a 28-day residential program once discharged.
IOP
There are alternative options to facility placement. Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP) is a structured program for recovery that typically runs for 6 weeks. IOP consists of meetings, group therapy, and private sessions with a psychiatrist and therapist. Many people find that IOP is a better option than residential, as they don’t have to take 30 days out of their life and can continue working. There is minimal transition back to “real life” upon discharge.
The addicted person will always choose this option during an intervention because it seems like minimal commitment. It is best to not lead with this option in an intervention, as the AP might see this as an “easy way out.” The family gets their hopes up, and two weeks later, they learn that the AP is not attending the IOP. An out-patent program might not give the family what they need, stability and trust. We assess the living situation of the AP when determining if an IOP will be successful. If the AP’s home life is stressful, or there is a lot of use in the house, IOP may not be effective.
Detoxing before IOP
IOP’s will not accept someone that is actively drinking, a stand-alone detox is the ideal entry point into an IOP. The family must create benchmarks (i.e. “if you continue to drink after 1 week, it means that IOP is not intense enough, and you agree to enter into residential treatment”). Starting with IOP is excellent, as it expands the team of people working with the addicted person. IOP is very successful. They are always recommended after residential treatment to help get the AP into their second and third months of recovery.
About Adam Banks
Adam Banks is a certified interventionist and the owner of Adam Banks Recovery. After receiving an MBA from the University of Chicago, Adam built a company acquired by United Health Care. His discipline and attention to detail comes from his former career as an airline pilot, holding an ATP, the FAA’s highest license.
Today, Adam is dedicated to helping others achieve long-term sobriety. His work has guided executives, pilots, and physicians on paths to recovery. Adam brings families together through a loving and inclusive approach. Adam has authored four books on addiction. His recent work, Navigating Recovery Ground School: 12 Lessons to Help Families Navigate Recovery, educates families on the entire intervention process. He also offers a free video course for families considering an intervention for a loved one.
Adam is available for alcohol and drug intervention services in New York, Long Island, the Hamptons as well as nationally and internationally.
