Every addiction treatment center will tell you that its facility is the best, but how do you know which one truly is the best fit for you or your loved one? How do you find out what type of services you really need, and if they’re covered by your insurance?
Below is an overview of the addiction treatment center selection and admissions process, with tips to help you prepare. By familiarizing yourself with this process and taking informed action, you can help ensure a relatively smooth process for entering drug and alcohol rehab.
While Addiction Treatment Services does not offer addiction treatment, we can provide you with information from our site to help you understand the process better.
Verify Your Insurance Coverage s
Explore Alternative Payment Options
In some cases, your insurance may not cover all of the needed care or types of treatment recommended to you. For example, your loved one’s situation may require a 90-day residential treatment program, but insurance may only cover up to 30 days.
Fortunately, there are additional payment methods besides insurance, including loans and private-pay options. Specialists in the industry can help you explore alternative payment options based on your particular situation.
Schedule an Intervention
If you’re going through this process for a loved one who hasn’t yet committed to treatment, schedule an intervention.
We highly recommend that you seek out help from a professional interventionist, because this is not an easy conversation to have, and things can easily go in the wrong direction.
A professional interventionist not only oversees the actual intervention. He or she can also provide the entire family with training on how to handle themselves during the intervention process, and what they can do to support their loved one during and after treatment.
The intervention can also be a time for healing for family members, giving them an opportunity to break away from the cycle of codependency with their addicted loved one and shed the emotional burdens they’ve been carrying for so long.
Find A Recovery Center By Narrowing Down Your Options
After you learn what your insurance will cover, you can begin narrowing down your list of addiction treatment options based on your or your loved one’s specific needs.
If you’re planning an intervention for a loved one, you’ll want to choose a treatment center ahead of the day of the event. That way, there’s no delay in entering treatment as soon as the intervention concludes.
When evaluating treatment centers, you’ll want to consider criteria such as:
- Length of inpatient program
- Availability of outpatient and/or aftercare services
- Dual diagnoses capabilities to address co-occurring disorders, if applicable
- Specialized services and programs, types of therapy offered, etc.
- Location
Schedule a Tour and Select Your Ideal Recovery Center
If possible, schedule a tour of the top one to three facilities you’re considering. If you’re looking at local facilities, an in-person tour is ideal. If you’re not able to visit an out-of-state facility in person, see if the center has a virtual or video tour online that can give you a sense of the place, the people and the overall environment.
Also, be sure to speak to some of the people who will be working with your loved one, including therapists and client representatives. Look for testimonials online, and see if the rehab center has an alumni network you can reach out to and ask about their experiences.
Once you’ve found a place that you feel comfortable and confident about, contact its admissions team to schedule the first day of treatment.
If you or your loved one has already committed to treatment, then simply take into account the time needed to request time off from work (if needed) and to pack, travel, etc.
If you have an intervention already planned, then schedule an admission to treatment for later that same day or first thing the next day. It’s important to avoid delays in getting your loved into treatment after he or she agrees to go.
Plan for Your Stay
Ask your addiction treatment center what to bring to treatment, and what not to bring. For most facilities, what you need to bring is very minimal.
Most treatment centers also prohibit the use of technology, especially internet-connected devices, because they want clients to be completely focused on treatment and not distracted by happenings outside the facility. However, most facilities allow communication with family members during treatment on an as-needed basis.
Most treatment centers list their packing checklists and do’s and don’ts somewhere on their website. Their admissions staff can also provide you with this information.
Make Travel Plans
Next, figure out travel arrangements for transportation to the center and any accommodations that might be needed along the way. Many treatment centers will provide handouts or information online that suggests transportation options, lists nearby airports, etc. Some centers will even drive clients to and from the nearest airport.
If purchasing airfare, check with your treatment facility as to whether they recommend you purchase a one-way or two-way ticket. Some clients may need additional time in treatment or may decide not to return to their hometown because they want a fresh start after treatment. So, it’s a good idea to at least have tickets that are tradeable and/or refundable for maximum flexibility.
