How to Find a Good Addiction Treatment Program

Finding the right rehabilitation program can be difficult and expensive owing to the trial and error involved. Individuals and families sometimes spend thousands before finally arriving a treatment program that gives results.

The right rehabilitation center presents a paradox: it must offer a wide range of services, but it must also be able to offer treatments tailored fit for each patient. Here, we compiled a number of questions that you need to ask first before signing up for treatment.

1. Does this center treat other conditions apart from addiction?
   Individuals suffering from drug addiction often suffer from other mental conditions. The right rehab center should be able to offer treatments to these conditions on top of drug rehabilitation.
2. What medications do you include in your treatment?
   A number of medications have long been proven to improve the conditions of rehab patients, such as methadone and buprenorphine. A good program would include these medications in their list of treatments.
3. Do you offer post-treatment programs?
   An addict’s recovery period varies, and the risk of a relapse is ever-present. A good rehab center should not only provide you with a good program during and after treatment.
4. How successful are you with your treatments?
   The success rate of rehab barely reaches 30%, so a center claiming a hundred percent success rate is likely pulling your leg. The right center should be able to tell you that success will vary depending on the individual.
5. What treatments do you offer?
   A number of treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, have been proven to work, while others are almost in the realm of mysticism. You should do your due diligence by checking the science behind the treatments they offer.
6. How do you decide the level of treatment?
   The American Society of Addiction Medicine has a guideline to determine the level of care needed. The right treatment facility should be able to honestly gauge if you need treatment or not, because not all cases require rehab.
7. Do you have licensed staff?
   This one hardly needs an explanation. A competent rehab center should be manned by licensed physicians and nurses.
8. Are you part of a credible healthcare network?
   Hospital and healthcare networks often refer patients to healthcare providers within their network. Rehab centers are no exception. The right rehab center should be able to give you a list of the healthcare network they are a part of.
9. Are you recognized by insurers?
   An effective rehab center should also be recognized by most major insurers. Before signing up, ask first what insurance the center accepts.
10. Is your center accredited?
    Accreditation is a sign that the center has taken the steps to be at certain standard within its segment. A credible rehab center should be able to show their state license and their accreditation from bodies such as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and the Joint Commission.

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

Research | Editorial