Every day, thousands of people fighting against addiction to drugs and alcohol search for a treatment center.  In fact, Google is the number one engine for this search query, so how do you know you are selecting the right addiction treatment center? Should you travel for treatment or go to a rehab near you? It all depends on many factors.  In this blog, we will outline the best way to find a rehab near you and gauge if they are a right fit.

It is important to note that we do not take into account people looking for luxury rehab facilities, or specific modalities.  If you are looking for a luxury facility or a wilderness program and you live in Kansas, chances are you will have to travel as there is not rehab near you that offers these things.

DETERMINING IF GOING TO REHAB NEAR YOU IS BEST

The first step here is to be honest with yourself.  Are you able to stick to a program when you are near your home, triggers, etc? One large issue we have seen with people staying local for their treatment is they leave when it gets hard.  When things really start to stare them in the face they can leave (no one can make you stay in a facility unless mandated) by Uber or Lyft and off they go.  If you travel to a location away from your triggers, you are far less likely to do this.

On the other hand, going to a rehab facility near you provides benefits.  When you are out of your 30-90 day program, you will most likely return home. Meaning, you will eventually face these challenges whether you stay local or travel for your inpatient recovery.

A large benefit of going to a rehabilitation center near where you live is that you build community.  It is proven that community is the key to last sobriety. By staying local you meet local people, build relationships with people in group meetings and “the rooms”.  You will also get a quality aftercare program that is easy to follow since it will be created by someone who is familiar with your local area.

As advocates for those fighting addiction, we like people to stay local.  We feel that building the community around you and working through the tough times with people you trust and who will be there for you after you leave the facility provides lasting results.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A TREATMENT CENTER NEAR YOU

You have made the decision to stay local for treatment, great work.  Now, it’s time to find the right center for you.  This can seem like a mountain of  a task, but if you follow these pointers, you should be able to find some quality facilities.

INSURANCE

Now, we always hate to talk about this part of recovery, but it is very important to understand.  Insurance covers the cost of addiction treatment thanks to the Affordable Care Act.  However, not all treatment centers are “in-network” with your insurance provider.  This means that you could end up holding the bill at the end of your stay which, is not a great way to start your new life in recovery.  So, ask them if they accept your insurance before anything else.  If you have Medicare or Medicaid, call the number on the back of the card to get a list of facilities near you that will accept your insurance.  The same goes for HMO insurance. Many of the facilities you see on Google are there because a marketing company helped them get there.

LEVEL OF CARE REQUIRED

Level of care speaks to which processes you need to go through at a local rehab facility.  This is as follows:

1-    Detoxification

2-    Residential

3-    Partial Hospitalization

4-    Intensive Outpatient

5-    Outpatient

These areas are based on your medical need, specifically, the detox level of care.  When you contact a facility, they will ask you about your usage of drugs and alcohol.  It is imperative that you are honest with them as this part is for your own safety.

TREATMENT OF CAUSES

This may sound strange, however, most people that are fighting the battle against addiction have an underlying cause.  For some it is depression or anxiety, for others it is a past trauma that they can’t even remember.  The treatment center you select should be well equipped to handle any of these areas through different modalities such as:

1.     Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

2.     Exposure Therapy

3.     Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

As the person on the phone of your local center if they offer these and ask to speak with one of the counselors prior to admitting.  This is where the real work is done.

AFTERCARE PROGRAM

So, you have gone through your 30-90 day stay at a local rehab near your home.  You feel great about what you have accomplished (as you should), however, now there is no one watching over you 24/7.  Temptation is out there waiting for you to have a weak moment.  This is where a quality aftercare program comes in.

Ask the intake person on the phone about their Aftercare Program.  What do they do for you prior to leaving the facility?  If they are located near you, and offer outpatient services, even better.  They will outline your meetings, appointments, etc. with people you have already been seeing while in their facility.  If they are local, but not that close to your home or work, then they should provide you referrals to doctors and clinicians who are.  This part is where all your hard work can come together or fall apart, so be sure to ask about it.

REVIEWS

It may seem silly, and it is a bit sad to say, but people lie.  The people on the phone at treatment centers, for the most part, are sales people there to do a job.  Most of them are in recovery and have a good heart and truly want to help, but like everything else, there are bad apples out there. So take your time and review the 3 centers you liked the most.  The 3 centers that checked your boxes as to what they offer, if they are near you, and if they accept your insurance.  Look at what people say about the facility, staff, food, and general experience.  We recommend you look at the negative reviews first.  If you see something over and over again, then that may be a red flag.  Same goes for positive reviews.

You have made a choice for yourself or loved one that entering addiction treatment is required for lasting happiness and that is the most important part.  If you follow these guidelines and take your time, you will find the right facility for you.  If you can’t find a facility near you, look at online options as well.  Recoverydelivered.com offer medication assisted treatment and CBT therapy online to alcoholism and opioid use disorder.  There are also other online rehab facilities as well such as Lion Rock Recovery.  Regardless of what you choose, anything is better than where you are today.