How to pick a Drug Treatment Center
December 2004 - GCR Newsletter

Here is our step-by-step guide to picking out a treatment center that is right for you or your loved ones.

In all honesty, finding a treatment center, any treatment center at all is a good start to recovery, however when looking for a treatment center that will provide the most of what you need and the greatest chance for continued sobriety, there are a few characteristics that a person should look for. Our guide shows you the steps to finding the treatment center as well as what to look for in that center.

Step 1: Look online or through magazine classifieds for treatment centers in your area. If you are able, it is also helpful to contact a drug and alcohol therapist or consultant, because this person will be able to narrow down your search to only centers that provide the best treatment for what you are struggling with.

Step 2: Make contact with a few treatment centers via email, mail or phone. This way you will have brochures to compare. It is very helpful to talk to someone over the phone because this helps ensure a certain amount of accessibility. If contact by phone is unavailable, email is probably the quickest and most effective way to get a response. Make sure to use the websites available to you; here you will be able to find the credentials of the treatment center as well as any other information you desire.

Step 3: Visit or enroll in your treatment facility. If you have found a treatment center that you like either visit or find out further details such as cost, location, program availability and length of stay. For some people it is very important to find out what types of insurance the facility accepts. This can usually be found out on the phone or via email.

These three steps seem easy enough, but it is also important to take a number of different factors into account. One quality that may be of high importance is the availability of a 12-step based program. This is essential because 12-step programs not only provide a way of living that can be continued after treatment, but these programs also provide support systems to people who fear relapse or going back to old unhealthy behaviors. Some programs do not advertise their association with 12-step programs however this information is readily available if you ask for it.

Most treatment facilities have a specialists and medical professionals with expertise in a variety of different areas. Such areas include psychiatry, psychology, social work, nutrition, fitness and holistic activities. Some people believe that holistic and other spiritual activities in addition to the set treatment plan are crucial to recovery and many treatment facilities offer this type of care if it is desired. Understanding the different medical professional options is very important as well if there are any other mental issues or conditions that need to be addressed. For some people, they have never considered the possibility that their problems with drugs and alcohol might stem from something bigger like a chemical imbalance or a mental disorder. A treatment center that provides psychiatric care can be essential to a person’s recovery process.

In addition to proper care, it is also important to find the location that is right for you. Obviously aesthetics can play a role in the choice of treatment center, however safety is an even bigger issue. Choosing an environment in which there is the greatest possibility for serenity and viable recovery is very wise. From this experience many people will seek out an environment after treatment that best suits their sobriety needs.

<back to Newsletter Archive