Types and Process of a Drug and Alcohol Rehab Facility

There are four different types of rehabilitation centres available to those looking for drug and alcohol rehab facilities: Primary care, extended primary care, secondary care and tertiary care. These different drug and alcohol treatment centres accommodate all the different stages in the treatment process and a patient will usually complete at least two of these by recommendation of their therapist or recovery counsellor.

Primary care facilities

Primary care facilities usually have a programme lasting three to four weeks and are an intensive treatment type which requires a doctor or psychiatrist to examine the patient and refer them to the centre. Clients will stay in the centre as in-patients for the duration of their stay but are allowed visitors at allocated times and only after their first week in the centre. The first week is generally a time for detoxification if needed or if it has not been completed in a hospital already, and also a time to settle in and become introduced to the recovery programme of the centre.

The programme at a primary care rehab will consist of intensive therapy groups, individual counselling and written work throughout the day and attending recovery meetings such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous. In primary care, addicts begin the process of living each day without drugs, yet without much stress of exposure to the outside world as this may cause heavy emotional reactions resulting in the relapse of the patient. Primary care treatment centres are extremely costly and whilst some medical aids do pay for the treatment fees, many do not.

Extended primary care facilities

Extended primary care is a type of facility that runs an inpatient programme similar to a regular primary care facility, but the client stay for a longer period; usually three months but in some cases and when the client is still not ready to progress to the next stage of their recovery they can stay longer. Extended primary care facilities will run a recovery programme exactly like the normal primary care facilities with all day groups and one-on-one counselling.

The difference between the two types of centre is that extended involves a longer stay, the patients will perform therapeutic duties such as cooking dinner at week-ends, making their beds and gardening as well as their therapy. With extended primary care treatment, patients are able to access the same level of therapy as in a regular primary care centre, but for much longer, allowing clients a better chance at recovery.

Secondary care facilities

Drug and alcohol rehab patients will often leave a primary or extended primary care facility to move to a secondary care facility for further assistance with their substance abuse problems. Every treatment centre differs from another but a secondary care centre will generally have a less intensive programme than primary care centres and allow much more freedom than primary or extended primary.

There is usually an all day programme but with only one or two therapy groups per day. Clients participate in career counselling, therapeutic duties, written work and house meetings as well as the therapy, whilst some that have jobs or are studying are allowed to go out during the day to work or college/university.

Patients at a secondary care facility are free to go out during the evenings, whether it is to recovery meetings or to have good, clean fun. There is a curfew and every client must fill in a daily plan detailing their plans for the next day which must be followed. In secondary drug and alcohol rehab facilities, clients are reintroduced back into society gradually and without too much pressure, but still having a programme to follow at their treatment centre.

Tertiary care facilities

Tertiary care is a drug treatment facility that allows a little more freedom whilst still helping the addict to immerse themselves further back into society and additionally providing a safe place to return to at night. Tertiary care facilities usually do not run a day time programme except for maybe an occasional art therapy group or step work group and will have group therapy a couple of times per week in the evening.

Clients are free to spend their day as they wish as long as they abide by the rules of the centre such as no using substances, no association with anyone using substances, no visiting bars or night clubs etc; they also do not need to provide a daily plan with their intended whereabouts. Job seeking or finding some meaningful way to spend time working on themselves is compulsory, this could entail voluntary work for instance. The curfew of the centre is generally later and patients can often request to sleep at home on weekends as long as their home is a safe place.

Research has shown that addicts who receive long term, in-patient treatment in a drug and alcohol treatment centre are more likely to remain abstinent than those who participate in shorter programmes.

Drug and alcohol rehab centres are a very successful way for struggling addicts to seek help for their addiction and most centres will refer clients to further centres to help them start a successful life of recovery. Clients benefit from healthy living, intensive therapy and a daily programme of recovery in a drug and alcohol rehab, giving them the chance to begin a new life and maintain it once they have finished with their addiction treatment.