Recovery from active addiction often requires you to seek help from a local treatment center. There are several different types of treatment available so that you can choose what may be the best path for your situation. Most individuals find it difficult to detox and embark on recovery by themselves, so having the assistance of professionals along each step of the way will help increases the chance of success. Some individuals begin their journey at an inpatient facility.
Inpatient is when they stay on the premises during the first twenty-eight days to detox safely and start a recovery program. Others find that outpatient is a better option. Many combine outpatient therapy with twelve-step programs. Outpatient requires you to attend one-on-one counseling sessions and groups but also provides a point of accountability. Outpatient also gives you the chance to live at home, work, and continue with some of the daily activities of your life with minimal interruption. Your first step with outpatient is the intake process. Several steps will help both you and your counselors agree on where you are at in your recovery.
Transfering from Inpatient
Some people transfer from an inpatient facility into an outpatient facility. If this is the case for you, here are some things that you can expect from your intake appointment. The first thing you will do is a lot of paperwork. Although many of your records will be transferred from the first facility, each treatment center has its paperwork that they need to fill out about your case.
The intake coordinator about your past drug use, current medications, support systems, any current medical conditions, insurance, and who your primary doctors are. If you don’t know the answers to these questions, someone will be assigned to you to help work through each process. Chances are, you will also need to do a drug screen. A drug panel will help counselors gauge where you are in your recovery and provide a control point for accountability until the drugs are completely out of your system. They will also help you set up a longer-term treatment option with medications to assist in your recovery.
Self-Referral to Outpatient
Some individuals do not go to inpatient facilities but refer themselves or other agencies (like probation) to attend an outpatient treatment center. If this is the case, most of the same steps are taken as far as intake from an inpatient facility, with a few added measures. First, the drug screening will be more critical. If you are coming in off the street, the agency needs to know exactly where you are at medical-wise so that they can make the best treatment plan for you.
Coming from inpatient, they assume that you have some relative recovery and clean time. However, coming into outpatient with no immediately previous treatment requires more medical questions and drug testing. Second, self-referrals for outpatient will have an intake process that will help them balance outpatient with regular life. Outpatient is different from inpatient because most individuals had to leave their jobs, homes, and families. Those attending outpatient only may have other circumstances. Expect to fill out a lot of paperwork and be asked a lot of questions. Your level of treatment is based on the information you provide.
What to Expect from Outpatient
Outpatient is an excellent way to attend groups and counseling sessions to help you maintain your recovery for the long run. Coming from inpatient, it is a great bridge back into everyday life but will still provide some accountability and support in the transition. If you are entering outpatient as your first level of recovery, you will learn some valuable tactics to help you stay clean and linked to resources that can help you progress in your life.
Outpatient coordinators will help you to set up resources in the community that you may need, including doctors, psychiatrists, and workforce development, to help you begin living the best life you can without the use of alcohol or drugs. The intake process will involve many questions and paperwork, but it is only the first step. The information you provide allows you and your counselors to agree on exactly where you are in your recovery program and which treatment options will be best suited for your success. Call me at 833-820-2922.