Substance Abuse Treatment Centers

What they do and how do they do it...

substance abuse treatment centers

The costs to society of alcohol and drug use disorders are staggering. In 2002, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimated the cost to society of drug abuse at $181 billion, associating $107 billion of this amount to drug-related crimes.

Add to that amount another $185 billion attributed to alcohol abuse issues, and the financial impact of substance use disorders becomes alarmingly apparent. Lost work days, shorter life-spans, economic difficulties, and higher health care costs all add to the nation's price tag for individuals struggling with substance abuse and behavioral disorders.

Alcohol and drug treatment centers are the main cost-cutting mechanisms for substance abuse in the country today. Cost cutting occurs through:

  • Rehabilitating individuals so they are able to return to productive jobs and functional families.
  • Stemming the destructive emotional and physical consequences that drugs and alcohol impart, reducing health care costs.

Treatment centers vary in scope and purpose, meeting the needs of those addicted to certain drugs, or addressing all types of substances- since many addictions are to more than one type of substance. They employ certified and licensed substance abuse counselors, doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and other health care professionals.

Some of the common types of available treatment centers:

  • Residential treatment centers
  • Inpatient treatment programs
  • Outpatient treatment programs
  • Partial-hospitalization treatment programs
  • Methadone or opioid clinics

Residential treatment centers

Residential treatment centers are "temporary homes" for individuals requiring long-term, comprehensive programs. Treatment can last from a month to over a year, depending on the severity of the addiction or abuse. Research has shown that most individuals admitted to residential centers require at least 90 days in these facilities - otherwise relapse probably will occur.

These type of treatment centers offer a "phased" approach to treatment, starting with the client having little to no contact with family, friends, or other individuals outside of the facility. This helps the client adjust to treatment, become a part of the community, and remain focused on the goals and individual treatment plan established by the staff at the treatment center.

Each succeeding phase gives the client more opportunity to re-engage with family and friends, and possibly get to a point of leaving the facility in the evenings or for entire nights. Residential programs entail "educational" classes and sessions where clients learn about their disorders, how to stay drug-free, and how to cope outside of the treatment center.

Other classes offered in these centers focus on life-skills training, such as using better communication skills, building self-esteem, problem-solving skills, job and career training, time and money management, anger managements issues, and others.

These treatment facilities, sometimes referred to as rehabilitation centers or "rehab" often succeed when clients have tried other programs, such as outpatient programs, but have repeatedly relapsed, finding it almost impossible to stay sober without extensive, long-term care away from their normal, daily home and work environments.

Inpatient treatment centers

Inpatient treatment centers are usually located in special hospital units, and treat those who could harm themselves if left unattended. They also provide medically supervised detoxification or withdrawal services to those whose withdrawal from certain substances could cause serious illness or even death.

Outpatient treatment programs

Outpatient treatment programs provide some of the same programs and therapeutic modalities as residential or inpatient programs, but clients attend the clinic during the evenings or on weekends. This allows clients to continue working or attending school, and to live at home during treatment.

Outpatient program locations:

  • health clinics
  • counselors' offices
  • hospital clinics
  • health department offices
  • residential programs with outpatient clinics

Similar to residential treatment programs, the longer the client stays in outpatient treatment, the more likely the client will remain drug-free. In order to keep clients abstinent during treatment, many outpatient programs combine 12-step-programs (such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous) with other interventions. Outpatient programs typically run from about 2 months to 1 year.

Partial-hospitalization treatment programs

These programs require that clients live at home, but come to a hospital setting or other treatment center for 4 to 8 hours a day. These programs are available for clients who require intensive therapy and counseling, similar to residential programs, and also some life-skills training, but don't necessarily require living away from home.

The 90-day criteria for successful rehabilitation also applies to partial-hospitalization programs.

Methadone or opioid clinics

For those heavily addicted to opioid drugs, such as heroin, OxyContin or vicodin, withdrawal or detoxification sometimes requires medication-assisted treatment, using the medicine methadone.

Substance abuse counselors do not consider withdrawal a part of the individual's treatment plan, only a first step toward recovery and treatment. Clinics are set up to medically supervise individuals who take methadone, and often extend their services to include the counseling and therapy interventions that other inpatient or outpatient clinics offer, providing a "continuum" of care and treatment.

For methadone-assisted recovery, 12-month treatment plans are the minimum, and some opioid-addicted individuals continue to benefit from methadone maintenance for years.

Substance abuse counselors

Substance abuse and behavioral counselors develop, design, and monitor treatment plans in all types of substance abuse treatment centers and facilities. To work as a counselor, most treatment facilities require a master's degree and certification, and some states require licensing. To plan a career working for a substance abuse treatment center, request information from schools offering master's degrees in psychology, and inquire about any specialized classes or certificates in this field.

Click here to explore SAMSHA's Substance Abuse Facility Locater, which helps individuals find the appropriate facility closest to their geographic locations.