inpatient treatment centers

scott: hey i'm scott alpert, and this is betsykoelzer from the clearing, and we're talking about how to choose theright residential treatment program, some helpfulhints. when someone is considering residential treatment,how do you normally talk to them? betsy: well scott, i think one of the firstthings that comes up in that conversation is trying tounderstand where they are in their recovery process.are they very far along or are they just starting out and tryingto understand what the options are for treatment.

one thing that's very critical right off thebat is: where are you in your process? do you require detox?detoxification is the process of removing [substances &] toxins fromyour body over a period of time. there's a number of different medically-assisted processes that facilitate that. that's somethingthat we try to understand right upfront as we help you. and the other thing is: how much assistancedo you require? so it's a complicated process. itshould be done thoughtfully, carefully, and in anorganized way so that you fully understand

what your options are. scott: what's the normal time frame of residentialtreatment? betsy: normal programs tend to run 28 days.at the clearing it's a 28-day program. they often go to 60or 90 days, and some of them go into actually longerperiods than that. we believe 28 days is sufficient. scott: and why would someone choose a residentialprogram? betsy: well, residential would be comparedwith an outpatient program. residential treatmentoffers some significant

advantages, depending on the severity of yoursituation. but one of the main things it does is it takesyou out of your present environment, which is critically importantin many cases. it removes you from your drug of choice. itgives you some distance there, some security. you get24-hour a day professional support and help. you'vegot all of the counseling that you require at your disposal. other thingsare a separation from an environment that has contributedto your disease increasing in severity.

scott: and how does somebody choose the properresidential treatment facility? betsy: choosing the proper residential treatmentfacility, at the end of the day, is going to be about good, oldfashioned research, asking the tough questions, anddoing it in an organized way. we feel, at the clearing, the most importantthing you need to understand is: "tell me about yourprogram, tell me about how much individual counselingwill i get.

how much group counseling will i get? whatother training do i get? tell me about your aftercare program. let's talk about the qualificationsof your staff. how will i be supported?" but at the end of the day, you do your research,you ask those questions, and you rely heavily on your intuition.