Guide To Treatment Program Selection
01 Addiction treatment is health care and must be chosen as such.
Do not be swayed by photography and marketing of luxury amenities rather than necessary health care services.
02 There are knowable indicators of quality in addiction treatment.
Indicators include clear descriptions of programming, professionally credentialed staff and accreditation. A visit and tour of the facility will reveal much. Look for programs that are Members of the National Association, or that are Joint Commission or CARF Accredited, and that are state licensed for all levels of care they provide.
03 Transparency of Treatment center information is essential
The deeper you look, the more useful information you should find including location, years of operations, outcomes data (but not “guarantees”), depth of clinical information, inquiries into consumer medical history, and cost information.
04 A treatment program should pledge compliance and accountability to a Code of Ethics.
Has the program adopted the NAATP Code of Ethics or similar comprehensive criteria to which it holds itself accountable, including and accountability system.
05 When talking to a treatment program, be sure you are talking to an actual employee of that particular program.
Do not rely on internet based commercial directories, generic websites, sites that offer free treatment placement by calling an 800 number (including TV ads), or websites that offer unsolicited referrals, Be wary of sites that provide “Top Ten Treatment” lists, unverifiable treatment center rankings, or present themselves as informational resources while offering to help locate treatment.
06 More information is better.
Look for programs that seek in depth patient medical history to assess appropriateness of fit. Be wary of providers that do not ask in depth questions about a person’s presentation, substance use history, family history, and diagnoses. Look for programs that have detailed bios of their staff, location, and program. Ask about licensed housing and the fees associated with that particular service.
Questions To Ask Potential Treatment Center
Are you state licensed, if so, for what levels of care?
StR is State Licensed for Partial Hospitalization, Medication Assisted Therapy, Intensive Outpatient, Outpatient, and Transitional Living.
Are you accredited, if so, by who? What specific services have been accredited?
StR is accredited by the Joint Commission for our Housing and Clinical services. We are also accredited by the Human Rights Campaign, as measured by the Health and Equality Index for healthcare services provided to the LGBTQ community.
How long has the facility been in Operation?
StR has been licensed since 2013.
Do you have a Medical Director on Staff? Are they certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine?
Dr. Sommons is our Medical Director. Dr. Sommons is a board certified Psychiatrist with over 15 years of addiction treatment experience.
What qualifications do your clinicians have? Are group and individual counseling sessions provided by Masters level staff?
Our clinicians’ qualifications range from Masters in Social Work and Counseling with multiple years experience in the drug and alcohol field to Certifications and Licenses that are specific to the approach they specialize in. During Phase 1 our clients receive 2 individual sessions a week by their primary clinician. Our clients also have the right to choose their group counseling sessions according to an elective schedule that provides a variety groups our clinicians specialize in.
What are the program’s placement criteria?
StR makes a preliminary determination on admission to our program by reviewing a person’s pre-assessment and medical records. If a person is preliminarily approved, they will do an on-site History and Physical, Bio-psychosocial assessment, as well as a Psychiatric evaluation to determine final admission status and treatment plan. We look for things like family history, use history, treatment history, medical and psychiatric diagnoses, medication, social welfare, employment status, relationship status, housing status, legal status and much more so that we can create a treatment plan that is appropriate, individualized and comprehensive. If a person does not qualify for our care we will use all of our assessment criteria to recommend the appropriate provider. We are committed to engaging a person in treatment no matter if it is with us or someone else.
How often are Drug Screens conducted? Are there guidelines and procedures outlining the frequency and facilitation of drug screens?
In Phase 1 clients are drug tested upon admission and discharge. They are also tested randomly once a week. During phase 2, clients are tested twice weekly. If at any point, a person’s presentation changes abruptly or they begin to show signs of use, we will test. We have very specific guidelines that outline the frequency and facilitation of our testing here at StR. All policy has been submitted and approved to the PA Department of Health, is CLIA certified and is COLA accredited.
Does the facility provide family counseling? Are there additional costs associated with this service?
We provide individual family counseling throughout the day and evening during the week. Individual counseling is conducted with the client’s primary clinician. We also provide group facilitated family sessions on Saturdays from 9-12 and two Wednesdays a month from 6-7. There is no additional cost for any of our family services.
What types of support services are provided after treatment? Does the provider have an Alumni program? What type of discharge planning is used?
StR believes and embraces the principle that discharge planning should really be a part of treatment planning. This means that a big part of someone’s treatment here at StR is centered around planning their success after StR. For that reason we integrate a lot of services during each phase of the program that include employment development, housing support, 12-step fellowship integration, and community education. After treatment at StR we provide a General Outpatient group for all alumni every Saturday from 12-1. We also have a bustling Alumni community that plans events once a quarter and meets twice a month.
What type of oversight is provided at the housing location? Is staff trained and qualified? How does housing and clinical components interact?
Our Phase 1 housing is supervised 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Every hour of the day is a scheduled part of a person’s comprehensive treatment plan. The Care Coordinators that supervise clients while they are living in our housing are trained according to PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Program Licensing requirements. This means they receive 20 plus training hours every year in Addiction Treatment, De-escalation, CPR, First Aid, Universal Precautions, Recovery skills, and much more. They are supervised by our Housing Support Supervisor, who is in turn supervised by our Clinical Director. We believe in an integrated approach, so a client’s presentation in the housing part of our program will have an impact on their clinical treatment plan and vice versa.
Using Our Addiction Treatment Program Guide
After you use our addiction treatment program guide, you will quickly realize that Steps to Recovery is the ideal Pennsylvania addiction treatment center. Contact Steps to Recovery today by calling 267.719.8528 and ask use these important questions to ask every treatment center.