Treatment Center Choices

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Whether you are thinking about intervention or just preparing to take a loved one to treatment, selecting a treatment center can be a daunting task.  Ours is an age when the internet can often be accessed at a moment’s notice via a laptop computer or smart phone.  When it comes to selecting a treatment center, Heartland Intervention strongly suggests that it is a bad idea to base a selection on your own research.  Here are three reasons why.

Web Page = Belly Button

Don’t feel bad!  We live in an age where marriages begin with selecting a date from a website.  But websites are marketing tools…nothing more!  And web pages are like belly buttons…everybody’s got one.  Treatment centers (even bad ones) spend thousands off dollars to create websites in an effort to funnel prospective patients their way.  They tend to focus on amenities and ease of access while promoting hope to the desperate families.  Often they avoid troubling aspects like treatment outcomes, therapeutic philosophy, MAT and cost.  You will never see a website that says, “We are overpriced and our outcomes are poor.”.

More Than You Know

A friend used to remind me that most subjects involve “more than you know”.  This is true with treatment selection too.  Often the published length of stay or cost includes some flexibility.  In addition, regular referral partners may be able to secure a bed or a ride from the airport quicker than someone calling the admissions department’s general number.  Some centers are not set up to do evening or weekend admissions but may be willing to do one at the request of a referring professional.  Heartland Intervention works hard to develop professional relationships with the very best treatment centers across the country and throughout Indiana and the Midwest in an effort to best serve our clients.

Treatment Outcomes Matter

When a loved one finally agrees to seek help for addiction it is a significant event!  It is important not to waste time selecting the treatment center.  It is equally unwise to use one that is convenient but may not be appropriate.   Sometimes that means medically supervised detox, a dual diagnosis program or special treatment for trauma.  Websites often fail to mention these offerings or fail to mention that they are available only at a significantly increased cost.  The bottom line is that treatment outcomes are a significant factor in selecting a center.  At Heartland Intervention, we work with only the VERY  best so that our clients will have an opportunity at strong clinical outcomes.

One Final Note

It should be stated that Heartland Intervention receives no stipend, kick-back or rebate from any facility for referrals.  To do so would be unethical.  From time to time we will be treated to a meal or participate in a professional’s weekend in an effort to better get to know the programming staff and their philosophy.  As a Board Registered Interventionist and a Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor and SAP, it is important that we remain independent so that we are always ready to best meet the needs of our Heartland Intervention clients.

If you have questions about treatment centers, please feel free to call us at 877/752-8811.

Off To Treatment

Call Heartland Intervention at 877-752-8811.

Call Heartland Intervention at 877-752-8811.

Intervention Planning is Key

The intervention process takes lots of planning and most of the work occurs well before the intervention itself.  Travel to treatment is an important part of the intervention planning process and is typically a time of tension and hope.  Planning travel to treatment should not be overlooked.  This is another reason you may want to consider using a professional interventionist if you are considering getting help for an addicted loved-one.

When planning an intervention, Heartland Intervention works with the family to assure a quality intervention.  That means putting together a team that will use love and hope to crack the barriers of denial, anger and fear.  We provide our families with excellent treatment options designed to meet their needs.  And we work with them to plan every aspect of the intervention including travel to the treatment center.

Treatment Travel Considerations

Families often ask if the interventionist should travel with a person to treatment.  The answer varies case by case.  Travel may mean driving across town or flying cross-country and several factors help determine who should take a person to treatment.   What follows are the most common options when taking someone from the intervention to a treatment center.

While it may be surprising, most families choose a non-reactive family member to escort a person to treatment.   This allows for a high degree of comfort and familiarity during a process that can be a little scary for everyone involved.  Heartland Intervention is also happy to travel with a person from the intervention to treatment.   While rare, some families prefer to have a trained sober companion travel. It often is a person who may be demographically (age, sex, substance of abuse) similar.

Cautions

No matter who is taking a person to treatment, there are things to be aware of.  While very rare, every interventionist has a story of a transport that didn’t go as planned.  Again, these are uncommon and often can be avoided with proper planning.  Boundaries and focus must be maintained.

If you have questions about intervention or the planning process, call Heartland Intervention, LLC at 877-752-8811.  We are the choice for intervention services in Indiana and beyond.  We look forward to working with your family if you have a loved one that struggles with drugs, alcohol or other addictive issues.

Lifeline Law Saves Lives

Heartland Intervention, LLC

Everyday the news is filled with stories about overdoses, gun violence and other tragedies.  Often drugs and alcohol use, abuse or sales play a central role in these tragedies.  As students head back to school we focus again on college campuses where the problem of substance abuse and sexual assault is a daily reality.  While others work to change the culture, there is one tool designed to save lives TODAY!

Indiana Lifeline Law

In 2014, State Senator Jim Merritt authored legislation designed to give immunity from alcohol related prosecution to any minor who calls to report a medical-emergency or crime.  Merritt explains that it’s not about giving bad behavior a free pass but rather getting life-saving help to those who need it the most.

Every year we read of accidental overdoses or serious injuries to students who are drunk or under the influence.  It is easy to sit back and be critical or wring our hands fearing that there is nothing that can be done.

Call to Action

If you are the parent, sibling, or loved one of an Indiana student you can help.  Make sure they are aware of Indiana’s Lifeline Law!  Click HERE to learn more about it.  And if someone you love is struggling with a drinking or substance abuse problem, do not wait.  Call Scott J. Watson at Heartland Intervention, LLC today at 317-752-8811.  We exist to lovingly offer recovery instead of addiction to families suffering from substance abuse and more.

When Substance Abuse or Addiction Appears

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A younger brother may find a picture or text on social media.  The phone rings with news that a family member has been arrested for underage possession or DUI.  A respected co-worker doesn’t show for work after failing a random urine drug screen.  Whether it begins with a hunch or a bombshell, it is not uncommon for families to find themselves face to face with addiction or problematic substance use,  may have the opportunity to join a Rehab for Crack Addicts in Thailand and turn their lives around.

Most families lack the experience to know how to react when drug or alcohol problems arise, or even how to find a rehab center.  Regardless of the substance being abused, families, freedom, finances, employment and health are often at risk unless something changes.  Families often are at a loss for what to do or where to turn, they need help understanding that a substance abuse clinic for teenagers is the answer.

Image result for substance abuse for teeenagers As a leading provider of rehabilitation services in Indiana and beyond, we work with families everyday who simply need guidance regarding assessment, intervention or treatment recommendations for loved ones. if you care about yourself or your loved ones, you can find rehab here.  While all substance abuse has certain common threads, each person and family is unique.  That’s why it is important to get independent  professional advice  for your family or friend. If you have a friend suffering from addiction tell them to visit these rehab facilities to recover.

Following an assessment, they will work with you on appropriate treatment, because this company can help with addiction. Among the factors considered are clinical appropriateness, co-occurring need, fit within the therapeutic community, cost, location and more.  We have no association with any treatment center so we can speak openly and honestly about each one that we recommend.  We work with a wide variety of facilities in order to best serve the families who trust us.  As our founder Scott J. Watson is fond of saying, “Because the stakes are high, we don’t recommend any clunkers.”

If you are concerned about a loved one’s substance abuse, do not wait! Call this treatment center today.  We look forward to guiding you as you navigate the world of drug and alcohol assessment, rehab and treatment.  The stakes ARE high.  Call us today.

After Treatment

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It may seem strange but one of the first questions that many families ask Heartland Intervention is what happens AFTER treatment for substance abuse.  More often than not, this questions comes up during the intervention planning process or when we are helping with treatment facilitation.  While it can be unwise to gaze into the crystal ball of discharge planning, there are several factors to consider when primary treatment ends.

Supportive Living

One of the most important issues to address following treatment is where a person will live.  Opinions and answers to this questions can be emotionally charged and contain a mix of hidden and differing agendas.  Families can be upset by suggestions a loved-one might not immediately return home to a spouse, kids or parents.  This recommendations does not indict a family but seeks to offer increased support to someone in early recovery.  Frequently, clients are urged to return home promptly and engage fully with family.  Others are encouraged to evaluate supported living facilities that offer structure, accountability and a recovery community that is likely to reinforce the lessons learned in treatment.

Continuing Care

Recovery from drugs and alcohol is on ongoing process.  Study after study has shown that the duration and intensity of treatment significantly impact the likelihood of a person remaining drug/alcohol free.  Given that it is often a good idea for a person to step-down to an outpatient program when discharged from residential treatment.  For those who have completed an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) a relapse prevention group is often indicated.  Most all clients are expected to engage heavily with a 12-step or similar support group.  Other clients engage with a therapist to both support recovery and address any underlying issues, such as trauma, that may hinder sustainable recovery.

Structure and Accountability

Just as addiction has a number of reliable hallmarks, so does recovery.   Most of our clients have found that structure and accountability are useful recovery tools.  Often that means that a person’s schedule is less fluid than before.  This includes work, 12-step meetings, phone contact with a sponsor or recovery mentor, and regular time doing service or other activities to support one’s spiritual condition.  The idea of structure can produce some resistance for addicts and alcoholics but most will report over time that it is important.

The Family

Often it is said that addiction is a family disease.  If so, then the family needs to take recovery steps as well.  This can involve 12-step meetings or therapy aimed at reducing codependency and strengthening boundaries.

At Heartland Intervention we are always willing to be involved and make suggestions when our clients transition through treatment.  We also trust the treatment centers that we use to guide and advise our mutual clients.  If you are worried about a loved-one’s use of drugs or alcohol call us today at 877-752-8811.  We are a leading provider of intervention services and substance abuse assessment in Central Indiana and beyond.