I have choose 3 students papers and 3 different responses from other students in different post. It’s just basically answering these two questions from the post and responses
- What have you learned from others’ responses?
- What were the most compelling points from the interaction with your fellow students?
Student 1
The Timberline Knolls Residential Center is a non-hospital campus. It is located on a 43 Acre private wooded area.This is a private residential center that caters to women, starting at age 12 and up, that have an eating disorders, addictions, mood disorders, and trauma.They have available staff members such as psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and nurses around the clock.They are affiliated and recognized by several disorder associations, including American Society of Addiction Medicine (Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, 2018).
Timberline’s seems to follow a therapeutic approach to healing.The woman are screened extensively and live on this campus.They are providing one on one support as well as group therapies to help retrain how these women think.They spend an extensive amount of time being questioned about their personal goals and future so that the program can be tailored to meet personal needs.The program seems to help them build new lifelong relationships so that they can have a likeness with peers with whom they can relate. They all want to recover.The program seems to focus on individual women who have been in other programs but had many relapses.They focus on a teaching strategy (Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, 2018).
I believe that this treatment is effective for recovering addicts.It has a highly structured program that gives the woman new strategies and teaches them to recognize feelings that cause them to want to relapse and then uses a teaching/retrain structure to help them learn how to make new choices.At the same time living in a community can give these women confidence that maybe they could not find in less structured programs.Another effective strategy for this treatment center is the 24 hour staff.They can collaborate and review cases more often; so that treatment can be altered if it needs to be (Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, 2018).
In order for a person to be successful in recovery; they have to own the problem and want to change.From reading the reviews and watching personal stories from several woman it is obvious that they wanted to change.Some people who are not accustomed to being held accountable 24/7; or do not do well in highly structured organizations would probably not do so well.As with any type of addiction recovery program; it does not work for all.I think the women here do well because it is therapeutic. The location and scenery are very clever.I believe it is also successful because they have created an alumnae program as well. This will keep the women connected even after therapy (Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, 2018).
As with any program they is always room for improvement. They have a pretty extensive program.I do not know why they only chose to cater to women, but perhaps creating some type of program for men would be something to add.At this point I do not see any one thing that sticks out as something I would change.
Student 2
The Greenhouse Treatment Center is located in Grand Prairie, Tx and they specializing in drug and alcohol addiction. “ When a client first arrive at Greenhouse, they undergo a comprehensive medical and psychological evaluation that looks at their substance abuse history, co-occurring mental health disorders, and ongoing medical issues. This initial assessment ensures that they receive the customized care that will most effectively address their needs.” ( https://www.greenhousetreatment.com/addiction-treatment-services-dallas/levels-of-care/ ) They offer a variety of treatment models to include; Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Contingency Management Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, ERP Theray etc. A client can be placed either in group, individual or family therapy depending on the outcome of their initial assessment.
The facility has an aftercare recovery and skills building group which focuses on relapse prevention. During this period of treatment the client has often completed the inpatient care which can last for as long of 6 months. The client is not just released back into the community expecting to “pick up where they left off” the facility ensure they are enrolled in the aftercare program which is designed to help in their rehabilitation. The client learn coping skills and is encouraged to partake in community activities. They are introduced to other individuals who has similar addiction issues, they receive help with employment search and also receive help with with their resume, and at times get a recommendation for a particular job.
From reading most of the facility “blogs” I can tell that the treatment offered works. They have had many successful client because they use such a wide variety of treatment plans. I believe their treatment is effective because of the policies they have in place. I leaned in a class that the most important part of treatment is the intake and assessment process; which looks at the client drug history, medical history etc. Because Greenhouse has this process in place they have a good understand of what the client needs, then they are treated using the treatment model that works best for them.
The Greenhouse treatment facility would be very effective for addicts of all ages, as stated above the facility covers a wide variety of treatment options therefore people of all ages can enter the facility and be successfully treated. I also believe that for an individual to fully recovery and not relapse they need a strong support system, the Greenhouse treatment center offers this support by encouraging their client to partake in group or family therapy. I believe this facility is a great one which can be a great help to all individuals hoping to recover from their drug use. From the research I have conducted I would not change anything about the programs offered because they work and I am a strong believer in “why fix something that’s not broken.”
Student 3
Treatment model
The treatment model is a different view of addiction as a chronic disease and has inspired the medical model of treatment, which implies that the client has an earlier form of disease or a dual diagnosis. There are many facilities that treat each patient as a dual diagnosis as a standard practice as they assume if a person has an addiction problem he or she will almost always have a significant mental illness coupled with addiction.Personally I like the Betty Ford Center. There has been much success in their patient’s recovery from addiction to drugs or alcohol. One reason why is because they try to customize treatment plans to meet each individual patient’s needs. The second reason is all of their treatment programs are evidence based. What this means is that there is scientific data to prove what they do to treat alcohol and drug addiction works. Third, I like that they choose the Twelve Step principles which has helped millions of individuals in recovery throughout the world.They use spiritual principles which focus on allowing the patient to look for a higher power of their choosing.
Recovery and relapse prevention model This model is based on a biopsychosocial model of addiction it is a developmental model of recovery as well as a relapse prevention model. After the patient leaves the center the outpatient treatment most go into effect. The Betty Ford Center has a continued plan for the recovering addict, a place where they can go and learn coping skills training, that uses psycho, social, emotional, as well as the spiritual therapy. They also use cognitive behavior therapy as well as lifestyle modification which I feel is very important to have a successful recovery. Aftercare is a very important part for recovering addicts to have a successful recovery. The Betty Ford Center has this model as a part of their recovery to prevent relapse.
Why is or why isn’t this treatment effective for recovering addicts? This type of treatment can be very effective mainly because it is an evidence based treatment plan it has been proven to be effective for the recovering addict. The cognitive behavioral therapy aims to treat the individual through a variety of goals such as group therapy and one on one therapy. It focuses on the present instead of the past. It also helps them unlearn negative thoughts and habits, and teaches them positive thoughts. This also may include meditation and exercise which will help when triggers would otherwise lead them to relapse. Betty Ford is for people who have a lot of money.
Who do you think it would not do well, and why? The 12 step program for example may not be what every person needs.The program is designed to help one overcome addiction by surrendering to it in a way that only a ‘higher power’ can help them recover. I think it takes away certain personal responsibility with regard to making decisions by saying “I am powerless to my disease” may not be what is best for every client.I am not necessarily ‘knocking’ 12 steps as it has proven effective in the lives of many people and is a great place to air out the mind to people who definitely understand.However, people are as unique as their illnesses and people who are empowered to fight and to take responsibility for their actions will have a higher than likely chance of long term recovery.One of the main characteristics of an alcoholic for example is responsibility.They significantly lack in the area of responsibility.My theory is that when we make the addict and the alcoholic responsible for their drinking in that they chose to take the first drink and they chose to continue by their own free will then maybe they will still choose a higher power but strength to be responsible and to care about destroying other people’s lives.I haven’t read a single article where an addiction center offers this type of treatment.It seems that the addict is pitied.The mental illness perhaps cannot be helped.But I suggest that the addict enters and exits addiction the same way; by personal choice.The Betty Ford Center can cover a wide range of disorders. It is difficult to treat a dual diagnosis where the person is addicted and has a mental illness.The reason is because when symptoms are present it can be hard to tell whether or not the person is having withdrawals or if the person is acting out of their mental disorder so therapeutic treatments such as medication for chemical imbalances can be difficult.It is like a game of cat and mouse in finding out which layer of the person one is dealing with when an episode occurs.The Betty Ford center has been very effective in this type or disorder treatment.
Do you think you can add to these interventions? If so, how? Yes I feel there needs to be more attention on the spiritual need of and recovering addict. Twelve step programs are used but they don’t clover enough treatment in that area. I feel that this is one of the main reasons why there is so much relapse. Also during the aftercare period there should be more focus on developing the patient’s lifestyle with some type of outdoor treatment, like fishing hunting are even bike riding. Because when the addict has time to ‘think’ they might miss getting high or drunk or both.Keep them occupied with a lifestyle change and this can be an effective strategy in keeping them in recovery.As a footnote, the addict has the type of personality that goes headlong into desired activity.Finding the clients talents and encouraging growth in those talents can be how the addict avoids triggers while in recovery which matches with the Narcotics Anonymous belief that one has to change people, places and things to stay clean and sober.
Response 1
You made some good points here about the Betty Ford Center. You also noted that the Betty Ford Center staff “try to customize treatment plans to meet each individual patient’s needs.” However, I would like to clarify a few things. First and foremost, the treatment plan is viewed as a living breathing document in the field of addiction treatment. The treatment plan itself is “a written guide to treatment that includes a person’s goals, treatment activities designed to help him or her meet those goals, and ways to tell whether a goal has been met, and a time frame for meeting those goals” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004, p. 11). As such, a well designed treatment plan benefits the client, the treatment provider, and any stakeholders in the process. That said, however, treatment plans should never be “one size fits all” or static. The treatment plan should be developed collaboratively with the client and it should be reviewed and updated regularly, usually at least once every 30-60 days. It should also be tailored to the client’s needs, and as such it should be unique and specific to the client. Furthermore, a client’s issues can and will change as treatment progresses, so “the treatment plan must be viewed as a dynamic document that can and must be updated to reflect any major change of problem definition, goal, objective, or intervention” (Perkinson and Jongsma, 2001, p. 3).
You also addressed the use of 12 step programs as part of the treatment process, which is a common enough practice. Specifically you wrote, “The 12 step program for example may not be what every person needs. The program is designed to help one overcome addiction by surrendering to it in a way that only a ‘higher power’ can help them recover.” One of the criticisms of AA, NA, and other 12 step self help programs (which, by the way, are peer support programs as opposed to formal treatment) is that they are composed of a self selected membership–i.e. people who are in some way motivated to get and stay clean. This reality is built into the programs themselves, as their literature says the only requirement for membership is a desire to quit drinking. AA and programs like it work great for many people, but as you noted, they are not for everybody. They can, however, serve as an effective adjunct to treatment.
Response 2
Your discussion was well written and easy to understand. I liked that you wrote about a facility that caters to teens, over the years we have found that more and more teens tend to experiment with drugs. Having a facility such as Newport Academy is great because while many other facility offer treatment to everyone no matter their age or gender. I think that teens will benefit more from a facility that have people they can connect with. Seeing others the same age as they are, going through similar situation can help in them connecting to others and in turn wanting to change. I believe that having a strong support system is vital in recovery, including the client’s family member in their recovery can be very beneficial to them staying clean. From your discussion I think Newport Academy is a great facility and will continue to help teens on their way to recovery. Great discussion.
Response 3
Thanks for writing such a detailed discussion. I liked the fact that the center you chose catered to females only. I also noticed that you included in your recommendation that they should also provide their services to men as well. I’m not sure if I would make such recommendations only because there are many other facilities that offer treatment to both gender so I think it is ok for them to cater only to females. I do agree that for someone to fully recover from addiction they must want the change, however for some people they have to be forced into wanting that change. I think Timberline is a great facility from reading your discussion. It is good that they allow their clients to stay at the facility until they are fully recovered.
