10 Questions You Must Ask About A Rehab Center
10 Questions You Must
Ask
By Dr. Ronald J. Hunsicker, President/CEO of National
Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP)
Perhaps the most important process to undertake once the
decision has been made to seek treatment for your addiction or the
addiction of a family member is "how do I go about making the best
decision on matching our needs with the strengths of a particular
treatment organization?" Just as there are appropriate questions to
ask when seeking the best place to receive treatment for cancer,
heart disease or surgery, that same discipline needs to be applied
to seeking treatment for addiction. It is just as
important to ask the right questions for treatment of addiction, so
these questions have been developed to assist you in determining
which treatment organization best meets your needs.
1. What state licenses and national accreditations does
your organization hold?
It is extremely important that the delivery of health care be both
regulated and periodically reviewed. By being licensed and by being
accredited, an addiction treatment organization commits itself to
maintaining the highest standards possible and to participating in
continuous quality improvement processes.
2. What are your organization's education and licensing
requirements for counselors? Can you supply a list with their
education, licenses and credentials?
Treatment of addiction is directly linked to the clinical staff
that delivers the treatment that it is important for you to review
the clinical staff and their credentials. You need to be
comfortable both with the staff and their training and
experience.
It is absolutely essential that you and
your family understand the communication process
3. Have you had any clinical practice lawsuits filed
against your organization in the last three years?
While lawsuits are not necessarily an indicator of negligence, they
may give you information about the culture of the organization and
the way others have experienced the organization.
4. Are there family sessions, when are they
scheduled?
It is absolutely essential that you and your family understand the
communication process in terms of frequency and the quality of
communication. Your input about treatment is best addressed prior
to commencing treatment. Clear expectations and clear
accountability eliminates a lot of anxiety for the patient and
family members as the treatment process progresses.
5. Do you accept insurance and will you process that for
me?
We all know that good health and recovery from addiction is
priceless, but at the same time all of us are limited by our
resources. It is important to have the treatment organization
completely explain all the costs associated with
treatment in their organization and review the various payment
options. Their experience with insurance is very important to
understand and to recognize that you may be responsible for any
unpaid balance not covered by your insurance company.
6. What are my responsibilities during treatment? Are
there limitations on my normal personal activities?
Addiction treatment may contain a different component than some
other forms of health care. You may have access to your phone and
contact with family and friends limited. You may be required to
participate in activities provided by the treatment organization.
It is critical that you have these options explained to you prior
to engaging in treatment.
Since addiction is a chronic disease,
treatment is about getting you started on the path of managing the
disease for the rest of your life.
7. What can I realistically expect after my treatment
with your organization?
When you have a hip replacement, it is standard to ask the
physician what to expect in terms of mobility, range of motion, etc
after surgery. Likewise, it is important to ask the treatment
organization what to expect in terms
of change, behavior, etc as a result of treatment. Since addiction
is a chronic disease, treatment is about getting you started on the
path of managing the disease for the rest of your life.
8. What resources do you provide in assisting me to
manage my disease for the rest of my life after I leave your
treatment program?
For most persons, the treatment experience is the beginning of a
journey that lasts the rest of their life. This disease needs
management as does hypertension, diabetes, etc. You should know
what support services this organization has available for you and
what is and is not included in your total costs.
9. How will my other medical professionals be informed
about my treatment for addictive disease disorder?
As health care becomes more and more integrated, communication
between all health care providers will grow in importance. Knowing
the position this organization takes in terms of keeping or not
keeping your health care providers informed will be critical.
10. What is your position on the use of medication to
assist me in maintaining abstinence both initially and long
term?
There is a growing reliance on the use of medication to assist
persons with their abstinence. For some persons the decision to use
medication frees them up to take the step toward recovery. For some
organizations, the use of medication is not part of what they
offer. It is essential that you get all the information possible on
the different ways to approach treatment for your disease and that
you select an organization that offers an approach that best meets
your needs.
All Treatment does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.
