Factors in Addressing Young Professionals in Drug Rehab
As support staff, counselors, therapists, or directors, there are a number of factors that are issues in the treatment of addicted young adult professionals. It may not be a huge difference in a larger picture, but many times successful recovery and sobriety lies within the details of a specifically designed and carried out treatment plan.
A drug treatment team must have a nondiscriminatory attitude as part of its culture. This must also come from the client culture as well. This culture will be conducive to gaining knowledge of the responsibility as a counselor and as positive peer member. Addiction treatment for professionals requires a high level of competence and legal and moral standards from the directors down to the trenches of support staff.
With confidentiality issues weighing heavy on the mind of a young adult professional seeking treatment from drug addiction it is important that a drug rehab facility understand the sensitivity of this subject. Confidentiality of clients is made a priority so that other important issues can be focused on as well such as interpersonal relationships, trauma, or family dynamics.
Life Skills for Our Young Adult Drug Rehab Program
It is not often as a young adult 18-25 to both have the understanding and opportunity to get and apply good advice. Finding yourself in a drug rehab program so early in life allows for this realization. Maybe the way you were doing things wasn’t working and there are some lessons that can be learned in a little easier manner.
Some advice for our clients in young adult drug rehab is that although you are planning for your future using a variety of life skills, it is still necessary to take it one day at a time therapeutically. Planning for the future and staying in the moment is not a simple lesson to learn. Through effective addiction treatment, life coaching, and peer counseling it can be achieved over a period of time.
It is always important for this young adult population to keep moving forward while in drug treatment. Whether they are learning new skills or trades or furthering their education, keeping momentum going for real life can have an empowering effect on a client in structured rehab facility.
Dual Diagnosis Drug Treatment
There are many factors that go into quality drug rehab treatment for addiction. The most important aspect that a drug treatment center can focus on when creating a treatment plan for a client is the personal background information of the individual. Personalizing an effective recovery process based on an individual’s mental, substance abuse, and family history is essential for positive outcomes.
One of a more common issue drug treatment centers see in individuals is a dual diagnosis assessment. This co-occurring disorder diagnosis is a mental health disorder along with a substance abuse disorder. Not all drug treatment centers have the ability to take on these types of individuals. A common mental health disorder occurring in drug rehab clients is Bipolar Disorder.
Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse Disorder co-occur in about 61% of those with Type I bipolar and 48% of those with Type II bipolar. Subgroups of the bipolar population have are more prone to Substance Use Disorder like men, those with rapid cycling, and those who are diagnosed at the typical age of onset (between 20 and 30)
Some significant issues this population faces are in regards to medication management, effects of current and past drug use on medication interactions, and poor treatment adherence. Also there is an increased risk of suicide, increased health concerns due to medication, and lack of appropriate research for this specific subgroup.
Relapse bipolar symptoms are another problem because of the increased risk for discontinuance of treatment, suicide, and substance abuse when this occurs. Even with medication relapse rates of bipolar symptoms are as high as 40% within the first year, 60% within two years, and 73% within five or more years. Medications such as anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics are prescribed to help deal with the symptoms.
Current research suggests that the most effective form of recovery at a drug rehab center is integrated treatment. This is when recovery and relapse prevention from both disorders is taught simultaneously, usually involving group therapy and psycho educational groups. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been shown to be an effective modality to use in integrated therapy. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy also has shown promising results in helping decrease symptomology of both disorders.
Quality Young Adult Drug Treatment
Between the age of eighteen and twenty-five, young adults are still dealing with changes in psychological and physical characteristics. They are developing a sense of self, maturity, and knowledge of their surrounding world. When an adolescent chooses to use alcohol or drugs there still can be some ignorance about the possible ramifications, in the young adult years this is not quite the case. The sense of self, maturity, and knowledge of the surrounding world slows and sometimes evens become dormant for a period of time during and after drug use. Young adults struggling with addiction comprise a significant amount of that special population. Most often, these individuals come from an unstable home and there is frequently a history of mental illness in the family. All of these factors must be taken into account when creating a drug treatment plan for a substance dependence disorder.
Treating young adults presents many different challenges that are always common with adult treatment. Counselors must remember that young adults are continually developing psychologically and they have not reached the level of understanding their feelings and emotions in the way that adults are capable of. The most important thing that occurs in young adult drug treatment is the change in perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors that revolve around addictive chemicals. The young adults must come to understand and recognize that they have a problem and develop tools of recovery. Unlike adults in treatment, young adults must focus on understanding their identity and who they are as well as building life skills and emotional regulation.
Some of the most difficult aspects of treating young adults are helping them understand they have a problem, getting them to communicate, and making them comply with the rules. One of the most successful treatment approaches is the therapeutic community. Clients hold their peers at high level of accountability giving the treatment team leverage, providing for faster behavior modification. The TC model teaches the client self-discipline and how to delay gratification. Love, support and trust are crucial parts of helping the client grow. Once they feel genuine love from the drug treatment team, the young adult will start to take a look at themselves and work towards sobriety.
Recovery Issues in Young Adult Drug Rehab
Interpersonal
Interpersonal issues include focusing on healing relationships and restoring an atmosphere of love and trust. In recovery individuals are encouraged to find a higher power, love others and themselves. If one of these areas is neglected they will be vulnerable to relapse. These issues need to be resolved by building relationships one on one with significant others.
Personal interventions are another way to take a look at who you are as a person. Family work, grief work, assertiveness training, dispute resolution, and personal relationship building are areas interventions can be effective with.
Working on yourself and the role with family members both immediate and extended leads to a better understanding of triggers and builds a strong support system. Many times grief is a strong underlying issue in young adult drug treatment. Individuals can cover up long standing difficult emotions and feelings and need to address them to stop the abuse.
Communication skills are an area that consistently needs improving with individuals in young adult drug rehab. Learning how to be assertive and express yourself in healthy ways is one key to recovery. Learning how to confront constructively is another. Both these areas are key components of building strong, sober relationships.
Utah Drug Rehab Grief Counseling
Grief in Drug Rehab
Many drug rehab centers in Utah are dual-diagnosis cable and can address a variety of different mental health disorders along with substance abuse or chemical dependency in treatment. Often times individuals will be showing symptoms of grief, stress, depression, or other mental health issues but are not fully diagnosed with a disorder.
Individuals finding themselves self-medicating with drugs or alcohol during the unresolved grief process need to talk about it to move on and accept the reality of their loss. Substance abuse treatment centers can focus on this as an underlying issue towards the abuse in both individual and group therapy settings. There are many assignments, role-plays, and other processes to assist foster this growth. Both good and bad memories need to be shared as well as discussing events prior to, during and after the event or loss.
Utah drug rehab centers provide an effective place for individuals suffering from grief to gradually adjust to a new environment. This may include coming to terms with living alone, managing finances, learning to do chores, facing a new empty house, and changing social relationships. They need to begin to withdraw emotionally from the loss, reinvest in new relationships, and acquire new interests to fill the void left behind.
Individuals in the grieving process need to be reassured that they have a program full of caring peers and staff, which fill the need for trust and friendship. They need to see what was lost accurately, with all the positive and negative qualities. The individuals who see only the good things will not work through the grief. These individuals need to develop new relationships in the program. They need to be encouraged to increase their social interaction with their treatment peers.
New Roads Adds Joellyn Manville, LCSW to the Team
Joellyn Manville, Clinical Director
Joellyn joins New Roads as Clinical Director. She has extensive experience in the field of inpatient substance abuse. Her background includes direct services to individuals, groups and families, as well as in administration, supervision, and program development. Her training and experience integrates psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral approaches to healthy individuation, the development of positive self esteem, and trauma resolution.
Joellyn brings sensitivity and compassion to her expertise in restructuring patterns of self-regulation and motivation and the development of substance-free coping and social interaction. She embodies a love of the outdoors and a passion for healthy living.
Closing the Gap in Young Adult Drug Treatment
Recent research shows the most difficult demographic of addicts to get into and provide drug rehab for is the young adult population. Millions of young adults in the US are current users of illicit drugs. The highest percentage of drug use is between the ages of young adults 18-20.
Substance abuse in the young adult population is highly associated with delinquency, low education achievement, suicide and other personal and family issues. Not all substance abusers attain severe dependence, however a lot of them need specialized and specific treatment at a young adult drug rehab facility. There is a significant gap between young people in need of rehab and those that are actually fortunate enough to be receiving addiction treatment.
8.4 percent of 18-25 year olds in the United States are in need of some sort of help for addiction, but under a tenth of them ever get it. This treatment gap is linked to a public concern regarding the effectiveness and quality of the facilities and programs that are currently in the industry. A lot of individuals working in the healthcare setting feel that there is not a lot that can be done as far as substance abuse is concerned. There is however, new empirically validated research supporting new kinds treatment approaches for consistent positive outcomes.
Therapeutic Services in Utah Drug Rehab
Assessments
The Utah drug treatment program admissions process involves several comprehensive assessments of each resident’s condition and specific issues or needs, including medical, psychiatric and psychosocial status. Whenever possible, collateral information is collected from additional resources including family, schools and previous treatment provider(s).
Medical/Psych Assessment
Medical Director - Board Certified Addictionologist: Dr. Troy Lunsford - Dr Lunsford will conduct a medical and psychiatric assessment. We will also utilize outside resources of family referrals to aide this process.
Psychological Services
Psychological Services are provided by contracted psychologists. These services may include a comprehensive assessment of personality characteristics, intellectual functioning, social adaptability, and screening for organic dysfunction. Occasionally, residents may be referred to psychologists that specialize in areas outside of the scope of specialty of the New Roads staff. Many Utah drug treatment centers are connected and share available resources when necessary.
Chemical Dependency Assessment
The first assessment that is utilized is a chemical dependency screening. This interview examines psychoactive substance use and related issues, establishes a baseline and identifies areas of need and issues. The assessment measures seven chemical dependency-related domains: drug use, alcohol use, medical problems, psychiatric issues, legal issues, family/social issues, and employment/support issues. The assessment will also help to determine if there are any psychological issues that would prohibit your loved one from attaining complete recovery, if there are any risks for danger to self or others and if there is any propensity towards mood, personality or cognitive disorders. This assessment also evaluates a client’s treatment and recovery belief systems and determines if there are any indicators that your young adult child would be resistant to the treatment process.
Psychosocial Assessment
The psychosocial assessment reviews a client’s medical history, family history, leisure and social functioning, developmental history, educational functioning, legal history, drug and alcohol history and any significant events that could impact your teen's treatment process.
Individual Family Sessions
Individual sessions with young adults and their family members will be conducted by the Family Therapist primarily for the purpose of assessing family therapy needs to complete treatment goals and addressing conflicts and sensitive issues that the family may prefer to discuss privately rather than address in group therapy sessions.
Multi-Family Group
This group is held on Saturday one time a month. It is open to all clients and is facilitated by the Family Therapist. The multi-family group addresses issues that are common to all families such as communication, handling conflicts, and maintaining boundaries. It also gives us all a chance to “Re -identify” who we all are. Family members and residents share in a supportive atmosphere. This group also provides families with feedback and support from other family members who are experiencing similar difficulties.
Inside Utah Drug Treatment Centers – The First 72 hours
Gaining perspective on clients is key to developing an effective and efficient treatment plan. It is important that the treatment team and client build a rapport within the first few days of treatment. Utah drug treatment centers have the advantage of a beautiful environment to make the initial admittance process a bit less hectic.
Some initial information that needs to be gathered to help this process:
- Brief description of client’s childhood – This is important to see if there is any trauma or outside influence that led to addiction. A happy childhood can be a sign of a loved one directly influencing the addiction.
- Significant events that may have contributed to using drugs or alcohol – This creates a timeline on use and gives insight into particular issues that may need to be worked through.
- Describe any drug treatment centers in Utah or elsewhere completed or attended – This can help answer a couple of questions…Why did the use start again? What didn’t work? Were there issues with rules? These questions will start the process of individualization.
- Name five or more reasons why you are in treatment now – This helps see where clients are emotionally and psychologically, where an effective starting point would be, and allows the treatment team to get a feel for them as a person.
- Discuss the consequences that addiction has brought to the past and present - their understanding of the ramifications – This allows for the clients need to feel, brings up any legal problems, lets them reflect and brings them to the present.
- Describe how addiction has influenced relationships with family, friends, and significant others – This allows for clients to come to grips with their situation, how addiction affects others, seeing enabling from family or friends, loss of friends, how isolation develops, use patterns and partners, and any history of abuse.
- What do you want out of treatment, and from life? – With so much focused on the past and information gathering, this allows clients to gain perspective, gain support and understanding from the treatment team and encourages them to focus on positive next step in life.