Background:
Communities throughout the United States have facilities that provide various types and levels of treatment for addiction to alcohol and other substances. These facilities provide services which vary from outpatient levels of care, inpatient levels of care, and long-term residential levels of care. Outpatient addiction treatment services often include Intensive Outpatient Programs, referred to as IOP or Partial Hospitalization Programs or PHP. These programs incorporate several hours of group therapy multiple days per week, along with individual counseling sessions, and case management. Many communities have facilities that provide services in which patients reside within the facility for 28 days or longer and receive individual and group treatment. Some facilities provide residential care for 1 year or longer. Most addiction treatment facilities provide various types of evidence-based treatments designed to assist patients to achieve long term recovery from addiction. Some facilities may provide faith-based services while others utilize Medication Assisted Treatment or MAT with a harm-reduction approach. Medication Assisted Treatment utilizes specific drugs such as Suboxone or Methadone to assist patients in avoiding relapse on drugs such as Heroin, Fentanyl, or prescription opioid medications.
Interview Questions:
Name and location of the facility.
Is the facility a non-profit or for-profit company?
Does the facility provide only outpatient, inpatient, or residential services or a combination or various services?
What is the length of time for these services? (28 days, 6 months, 12 months, etc.)
Does the facility accept Medicaid, Private Insurance, or Self Pay or a combination of all payment methods for services provided.
Who is the Director of the facility?
How many staff members?
Does the facility employee Clinical staff (Counselors, Social Workers, Case Managers, etc.)
Are clinical services provided in person or via teleheath?
How many hours of Clinical services are provided daily?
Does the programming include individual and group sessions?
Which clinical approaches are used with patients? (CBT,DBT, ACT, etc.)
Are Targeted Case Management and Peer Support Services included in the services provided.
What type of medical staff does the facility have on sight? Nursing, Nurse Practitioners, Physician’s Assistants, Medical Doctors.
Does the facility provide Medication Assisted Treatment of any form? If so, which medications are used?
Does the facility utilize Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery, or other addiction recovery-based resources as part of the programming?
If recovery-based resources are part of the programming, are they patient led, staff led, or are outside speakers used to facilitate group work?
Does the facility allow practicum or internship placements?