Addiction is a family disease. Addiction treatment family support is an integral part of the treatment process as interpersonal relationships become very strained during active addiction. Here are some frequently asked questions about treatment for families.
How long is the treatment program?
The length of the stay is determined based on the successful completion of each phase of our continuum of care and meeting the individualized treatment plan goals and objectives.
The treatment episode begins with a comprehensive bio psycho social completed by our clinical staff. This assessment allows us to not only gain a deeper understanding of the specific needs of the client, but to also develop a more comprehensive and personalized treatment plan. Participants will attend daily process groups and psycho educational lecture groups, while also meeting with their primary counselor once a week to address their treatment needs on a more one on one and individualized basis. The focus of the program is to assist CT’s complete a sober lifestyle treatment plan that will provide them with the keys to live a life free from active addiction, integrate into the sober community, improve communication within the family system, and obtain employment or be enrolled in some type of a vocational or educational path. Participants are tested 2x weekly for substance use through all phases of treatment.
What can we do to support our son?
The best way to support your loved one is by participating in the treatment and recovery process of not only your loved one, but also examining the impact that addiction had on you and your family’s life. Family therapy is included as an integral part of our outpatient program.
What does he need as far as financial assistance?
When talking about finances while in treatment, it is important to distinguish between needs and wants. Excess cash or access to money may possibly trigger an individual to use or propose other health and safety concerns while in treatment and in early recovery. The “basic needs” of an individual such as shelter, safety, food, and water are met throughout the treatment episode by treatment programs and or the families. The “wants” of each individual vary based on upbringing, background, and family preferences. As a rule of thumb, it is always recommended for families to avoid directly providing their loved one with cash or other monetary means, and to utilize the family’s resources such as the treatment team, or sober living as to find the best and safest way to allocate those finances in an appropriate way to the client. This allows for accountability and provides an additional line of communication between the client and their funds.
How should we bring up sensitive topics in addiction treatment family support groups?
Utilize your resources such as your son’s primary counselor, therapist, or other members of the clinical team to gain a better understanding of communication techniques and strategies to have open and honest discussions about sensitive topics. The family question board and discussion board is a great resource to learn from other families on what has worked or has not worked for them. Another great solution is coordinating a time in which the family, the loved one in treatment, and the primary counselor or therapist can facilitate a family phone call to support the family in discussing sensitive topics.
Where will he live when he’s done with the program?
Research shows that individuals who are in a structured living such as a sober living that supports abstinence and sobriety for the first year of their recovery have had a significantly greater chance of maintaining their progress and their sobriety when compared to those who leave a sober environment after the completion of their treatment. This extended time in a sober setting allows for the continued development of a foundation for personal recovery, continued accountability, access to ongoing support, and improved their chances of integrating within the sober community.
Should we allow him to come home in the middle of treatment for a visit?
Not all home visits are created equal. The clinical readiness and appropriateness for travel, length of time sober, exposure to potential triggers while home, and risks related to the loss of continuity and routine all need to be examined on a case by case basis. Utilize your resources, share your concerns, and explore different options with your son’s case manager as they will be able to provide you a more personalized response to travel in treatment. If the visit is clinically appropriate and approved, your sons case manager will assist your son in completing a safety plan and a recovery plan in which your son will describe in detail what the trip will entail, a meeting routine, and an accountability plan that he will be held accountable to while on pass.
It is not uncommon for clients to need to travel back home for pre-arranged court hearings and legal matters. Our clinical team can assist the client and their families by providing appropriate and necessary documentation such as admission, progress reports, and program completion letters at the request of the client and or their family. Clients also can sign a release which enables our team to communicate directly with attorneys and other individuals who may also need the above-mentioned documentation.
What does “Vocational Services” entail?
Two weeks into the treatment episode a member from our vocational and educational will meet with each client to complete a thorough vocational assessment. This assessment will identify the needs of the client as it relates to vocational development, educational pursuits, or both. Clients will be approved for the vocational program based on their progress made in treatment and meeting specifically designed criteria that clinically supports the readiness of the client to return to work or school.
What about further education? Can you help with getting my son enrolled in school?
Our vocational and educational services will assist in clients who have expressed their desire to attend school in completing their financial aid forms, scheduling appointments with educational and vocational counselors at local community colleges, and helping clients navigate through the anxiety of attending or returning back to school.
Can he still be in sober living if he’s going to school and not working?
Absolutely. As part of the client’s progress through the continuum of care offered at OCRS, they will be required to be working full/part time and OR attending school full/part time.
Can you help getting my son his GED or High School equivalency?
We have helped many clients in connecting them with the appropriate resources within the community and assisting them with obtaining any literature or textbooks needed to complete their G.E.D as they take the steps in successfully passing their tests and completing the course work required to obtain their degree.
When we come, visit can we meet with my son’s counselor?
Not only do we encourage families to come meet our treatment team, but it is strongly recommended.
We welcome family participation and involvement throughout the treatment process. Each week the primary counselor will call the families to provide them with updates and progress in treatment, at this time families can also notify the counselor of their travel plans and arrange for a family session on their visit.
How does our son get ready for life after treatment ends?
Clients are ready for discharge from the program when they have successfully completed all the requirements of their treatment plan and have could demonstrate the following:
Have an established personal recovery plan that includes accountability, set schedule and routine for maintaining personal recovery outside of treatment, be actively working with an AA sponsor, and be integrated into the sober community. Clients are recommended to demonstrate their ability to follow through with their created recovery plan for 3-4 weeks prior to discharging. This is often completed at the individual only level of treatment that was described earlier in previous questions.
Clients need to demonstrate their ability to implement their relapse prevention skills. Identifying their triggers, effectively using their coping skills, and successfully regulating their emotions and decreasing craving levels clients can maintain their sobriety even after treatment.
At this stage of treatment, the client has demonstrated their ability to actively work or attend school while continuing to work on their personal recovery program. They have processed their fears and anxieties related to returning to work or school, and have shown their ability to effectively prioritize their recovery while working towards achieving balance in all areas of living.
To manage the stress related to life, each client must demonstrate their ability to create and follow through with a self-care plan that effectively decreases stress levels, and allows the client to return to a healthy level of thought and emotion. This can be done through cardio vascular exercise, weight training, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, guided visualization and a mindful approach to nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
How do we know our son is clean and sober?
Each client is tested at random through comprehensive urine analysis 2x each week. The results of each tests are monitored and recorded for maintaining the integrity of the treatment process.
How often will I get updates from someone?
We also take great pride in providing weekly progress updates. This is a time that can be arranged by families with the primary counselor and in that time families can expect to get an update on the overall progress in treatment, and also have a platform to ask questions, receive life feedback, and even schedule and request additional family support. We understand a lot of our families are not able to participate physically in our program due to logistical limitations, our commitment is to overcome those barriers anyway we can to improve the overall effectiveness the treatment episode.