Addiction means different things to different people. In the same vein, addiction affects people in different ways. Whether an individual has a substance or process addiction, the effects can leave an enormous weakening mark on their physical and mental health. Some of these effects are compounded further by the societal perception of these suffering individuals. More so, their relatives and friends might not understand that addiction is a disease, and may choose to blame or alienate the victims for their condition.
To a large extent, it has been established that stigmatization of people living with substance use disorder can discourage them from seeking treatment. If they face a similar attitude – even if slightly – at an addiction recovery facility, their perception of treatment and responsiveness can be significantly hindered. Thus, making it difficult for them to commit to their treatment and attain lasting sobriety.
Also, depending on the roles an individual plays at home, work, or in the society, or the lifestyle/social orientation they uphold, the decision to get treatment can be a lot more distressing.
At every given point, rehabs must be an absolute haven that guarantees a treatment environment filled with warmth and love for all, irrespective of the patients’ peculiarities. The aim is to treat and rid all individuals of addiction, and that standard should be upheld at all times.
How can an inclusive treatment environment be ensured in rehabs?
An ideal rehab center offers an inclusive treatment environment that overrides all societal, institutional, and individualistic biases to provide exceptional treatment for the patients. This can be achieved through interconnected efforts directed into different sectors of the facility to establish a coordinated system that knows no bias or discrimination. It will be a system where all patients are seen as unique individuals, deserving the best of addiction treatment.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways such an inclusive environment can be created in a rehab.
1. A well-trained, compassionate, and diverse workforce
The values of a recovery center are most expressed in their staff. Individuals that make up the workforce might have varying philosophies. Nonetheless, the establishment has to ensure that those under their employ share the same values with the center. The staff should be trained to understand and be able to help individuals who may feel insecure or reclusive while receiving treatment for one reason or another.
If possible, it is best to have a diverse workforce, which envelopes people from different backgrounds and orientations. With a diverse workforce, individuals coming in for treatment might find it easier to feel accepted and ease into their treatment effortlessly. Nevertheless, the basis of employment should be founded on merits – focusing on individuals who see everybody only as humans, and are well-trained and qualified for the job.
The best and most inclusive workforce are those whose judgment is not impaired by labels. An inclusive treatment environment is almost certainly achieved with compassionate staff – physicians, dieticians, therapists, administrators, and orderlies – that understands the values of inclusivity.
2. Financial inclusion
Some people still think that rehabilitation is a luxury that only the wealthy can afford. Truly, that’s a very faulty line of thought to tread on. Drug rehabilitation is a service that should be made available for everyone, and one way to do that is to make it affordable for everyone. An inclusive addiction treatment center should incorporate some health insurance and medical aid options for the benefit of their patients and the community at large.
They should also do due diligence by informing their potential clients of the various payment plans and financing options they can utilize or combine to make paying their bills easier. With finance out of the way, middle and low-income earners that have an addiction will be able to opt for a treatment program and become sober.
3. Flexibility: It is all about your client
It is vital to always bear in mind that no matter what seems to have been working the most for the clients you have had in the past, there might come a client who would require a different approach. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to interacting with or treating clients, and that should be borne in mind anytime a patient with some distinctiveness signs up with the treatment center.
An inclusive establishment should be able to tailor a treatment plan according to the needs of a client. They could be too difficult or non-responsive to treatment, or they rather have individual sessions instead of group sessions. The institution has to create a plan that ensures that their client receives all treatments that are due to them – none should be left behind.
4. An all-inclusive treatment
Numerous addiction treatment options abound for the benefit of individuals seeking sobriety. Treatment providers will be doing their communities a lot of services if these treatment options are adequately provided. For starters, provisions should be made for serenity, inpatient treatments, outpatient treatments, detox, after-care, management of co-occurring disorders, family mediation, sober companion, holistic treatment techniques and facilities, therapies, etc.
These basics set the most precedent for an inclusive treatment environment. If fully maximized, these provisions can ensure that anyone who walks in seeking treatment will find all they need. Whatever a client would need for a successful, long-lasting recovery should be catered for before, during, and after treatment. Patients feel more confident in the treatment process when they know it won’t be haphazard.
5. Confidentiality
It takes a lot of courage for most individuals to break barriers and seek treatment. And most times, when they do, they try to be discrete about it due to societal perceptions and whatnot. The treatment provider has to ensure that their clients’ privacy is maintained during and after their treatment.
Addiction recovery is sometimes a very vulnerable phase for those receiving treatment, and they wouldn’t want some of what they reveal at the center to be made public. Rehabilitation centers should be able to assure their clients that they comply with all relevant privacy laws to the letter.
The client’s right to privacy should be respected, and any confidential or protected health information they provide should be well-protected. This should apply to the written, electric, or verbal information they provide.
Such assurances and visible actions towards the actualization of the guarantees would make the clients feel confident and safe in the institution – irrespective of who they are. They can also relax some more and put in their energy, focus, and commitment to their recovery. A client’s journey to sobriety and freedom from addiction is solely theirs to tell when they want. Leaked information from treatment centers can make the patient feel unsafe and deter potential clients from seeking treatment.
The road to addiction recovery
The journey to sobriety starts mostly with evidence-based, medically-supervised drug detox, in a highly recommendable, inclusive treatment center. The process helps expel the addictive substances from a patient’s body system. Afterward, other relevant treatments that address the patient’s unique physical and mental health needs can be applied. If you or a loved one is dealing with an addiction, you should speak to a recovery specialist today to learn more about addiction treatment options.
Author bio:
Kelsey Brown is an Austin-based writer. She received her B.S. in Journalism from Missouri State University and writes about addiction recovery, health, and well-being for Briarwood Detox Center. In her spare time, Kelsey enjoys doing outdoor activities with her family like hiking, camping, and kayaking.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
