According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, selecting an appropriate facility for drug and alcohol treatment can be a daunting task. The spectrum of treatment methods that exist and the lack of standardized terminologies that define the focus and scope of such treatments can be confusing.
Every state has an agency that reviews public and private addiction treatment programs. Often these agencies publish directories of state licensed treatment facilities. A thorough investigation of treatment options will help individuals choose the facility most able to provide the type of care and guidance they need.
Outpatient Facilities
SAMHSA notes that inpatient treatment offers no distinct advantage over outpatient in terms of effectiveness. Private outpatient facilities are helpful for those who seek treatment, but are not able to commit to prolonged stays in a treatment facility because of family or work obligations. Outpatient treatment facilities might offer counseling with a psychiatrist or other addictions treatment specialist. Psychiatrists can help determine whether pharmacological approaches to addiction treatment would be helpful on a case-by-case basis. Other outpatient treatment models might involve little or no pharmacotherapy.
Outpatient treatment options vary in terms of duration and method of treatment. Visits typically occur once or twice per week, and involve counseling, social work and self-help group meetings.
Inpatient Facilities
Inpatient facilities are hospitals or addictions rehabilitation centers where a patient is helped through the initial days of withdrawal, and the subsequent weeks of emotional adjustment involved in embarking on a life of sobriety. These facilities offer an intensive 24-hour a day therapeutic environment where the patient is overseen by a team of health care professionals, including doctors, nurses and mental health workers. Inpatient facilities are particularly adept in helping the dually diagnosed, meaning people with mental health issues in addition to addiction. SAMHSA notes that inpatient treatment facilities also offer the option of medical monitoring of detoxification.
Residential Treatment Facilities
Some recovering addicts and alcoholics choose to reside in specialized therapeutic communities that provide a drug-free environment where peers surround them. This type of treatment facility functions not only in aiding recovery from addictions, but in reintroducing the individual to social norms that may have been abandoned during active drug or alcohol use. The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes "habilitation" as part of the therapeutic community's agenda. Habilitation aids the resident in relearning proper skills, values and attitudes that are necessary in finding a fulfilling function in society.
