Recently, HBO’S John Oliver aired a segment highlighting the unchecked substance abuse rehabilitation market. The clip forced viewers to become more attentive when it comes to rehabilitation advertising and reputation. Sadly, the pictures illustrated of many facilities is exceedingly deceptive from reality. Earlier this year, Google announced it would be suspending the display of rehabilitation advertisements. The search engine empire was made aware of hundreds of deceitful and misleading endorsements, and was quick to take action. In January, both the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration cited 11 companies for promoting addiction services and products with no factual proof of assistance. Compiled are five sets of questions to ask when searching for a rehabilitation program that best suits you:

What accreditation does the facility hold? Who is the accreditation provider? Is the medical director ASAM certified?

Most importantly, any facility you may be considering needs to have proper accreditation. Additionally, the staff should be licensed accordingly as well. The first person to thoroughly examine is the property’s medical director.  At Seabrook, our Medical Director is Joseph N. Ranieri, Doctor of Osteopathic medicine, fellow of the Society of Addiction Medicine, and President of the NJ chapter of the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Assisting Dr. Ranieri is a highly trained staff of nurses whom tend to patient 24 hours a day and all are CARF certified. On the clinical side, Michele Smith, MA, LCADC, ICADC, WTS is our director of clinical operations. Michele oversees our dedicated of therapists, recovery coaches, drug and alcohol counselors, and long-term residential communities. If you would like to learn more about our highly trained staff follow the corresponding link: Meet Our Treatment Team

 What qualifications does the staff hold? Do clinicians have specialized training in treating SUD?

While embarking on the journey of recovery, it is important to feel supported, respected, and as relaxed as possible. Staff should be welcoming of any questions or concerns you may have during your stay. Second, therapists should be open to helping you determine your aspirations, teamed with case managers eager to assist you in planning how to achieve those goals. Treatment plans ought to be individualized; catered to accomplish personal perceptions of success. The care and compassion of rehabilitation personnel should not expire towards the end of treatment. Assisting in the construction of aftercare plans including job placement, outpatient services, and encouraged continued contact are qualities of a good program.

Does the facility offer a variety of services? Are attention and resources devoted to family counseling?

There is no one-answer fix to addiction. Patients need a variety of opportunities to aid them in achieving and sustaining sobriety. Additionally, different approaches benefit different people. Utilizing Eastern and Western medicine is a great way to diversify a treatment place. At Seabrook, while our medical staff promotes MAT (medically assisted treatment), we also have a health and wellness department that specializes in practices such as acupuncture, yoga, incense, and holistic approaches such as herbs to cure common ailments. Aside from a variety of treatment services, rehabilitation programs should have an assortment of contemporary services. Look into if the facility you are considering has transportation assistance, an event coordinator, alumni relations, and recreation departments to list a few. Finally, many studies have magnified the importance of family involvement. Rehabilitation programs who actively involve families and encourage mending relationships have much higher sobriety success rates. At Seabrook, we have an extensive family matrix program. Over a three-day period, the program dives deep into the problems plaguing families, and begins to heal the broken relationships between patients and their loved ones.

What evidence based practices do you utilize?

It is always beneficial to do research when evaluating potential rehabilitation opportunities. Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry, and needs to be treated as so. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death. It is recommended the rehab you chose be structured around evidence-based programs. Examples of evidence-based programs are motivational interviewing, detoxification drugs such as Naloxone, Vivitrol and Suboxone, cognitive behavioral therapy, and community reinforcement.

When facilities are short staffed, quality of care plummets exponentially. Look for curriculums with high staff to patient ratios. Being fully staffed allows caretakers to give further and greater value attention to each person who entrusts them with their care. Companies not ashamed of their practices will be completely transparent with their patients.

What types of support services are provided during and after treatment? Does the provider have an alumni program?

Substance abuse treatment is centered on compassion. If a program is not involved in local communities, their empathy might not be as strong as their advertising may suggest. Does the facility have an active alumni community? Does the program offer scholarships? Are they contributing proportionately to their local neighborhood? All three questions are practical to consider.

The treatment of addiction has evolved vigorously since the first state funded “inebriate asylum” opened in 1864. 100 years later President Linden B. Johnson would encourage insurance companies to begin compensating those suffering from addiction for their treatments. With the technology and convenience of the 21rst century, it is easier than ever to open a rehabilitation facility. However, it is laborious to maintain a successful and advantageous program. For the last 44 years, Seabrook has been committed to putting in the extra work to assure a satisfying experience for each of our 75,000 patients treated.

Our New Jersey facilities offer a safe and supportive environment for you or someone you love to begin the journey toward lasting sobriety. To learn more about our addiction treatment services, contact us today: (888) 223-0298 or www.seabrook.org