Psy 425 Drug Treatment Research Paper

Drug Treatment Programs
PSY/425
January 8, 2013

Drug Treatment Programs

There are many drug treatment programs available today. In this paper, we will identify Employee Assistance Programs, and Inpatient and Outpatient treatment programs. We will also examine treatment offered by programs (e.g., individual therapy, group therapy, psychotherapy). We will attempt to explain characteristics of the most successful and beneficial for drug and alcohol treatment.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Since EAP services typically mirror the components of a drug-free workplace program, putting an EAP in place may go a long way towards building your drug-free workplace program (US Department of Labor). However, if you rely on the EAP
for your policy development, supervisor training and employee education, you must be sure that the EAP provider is qualified to deliver these services as part of a drug-free workplace program. Not all EAP providers are experienced in training supervisors on how to make referrals to drug testing, which is significantly different from making referrals to an EAP.

On the other hand, an EAP offers other valuable services to the organization that go beyond those of a drug-free workplace program. An EAP can complement and support your drug-free workplace program in a unique way. By encouraging employees to seek assistance with a variety of emotional issues and day-to-day problems, employee assistance professionals are in a position to identify employees who have developed problems with drugs and/or alcohol before there are problems at work. Furthermore, an EAP gives supervisors tools for dealing with troubled employees, while allowing them to remain focused on employees' work performance, rather than on employees' personal lives.

The EAP component of a drug-free workplace program maximizes the health and efficiency of the workforce while conveying a caring attitude on the part of the employer. Organizations that have EAPs as part of their drug-free workplace program have adopted a prevention and treatment approach to alcohol and drug problems. This means that employees are encouraged to come forward on their own to seek help and those who are identified as using prohibited drugs are offered treatment and education. By addressing personal problems early, EAPs can help prevent employees from starting to use alcohol or drugs in misguided attempts to relieve pressure and stress. The EAP can help to properly assess and refer the employee who has problems to the most appropriate level of help.

The EAP supports three important ideas in a drug-free workplace:

* Employees are a vital part of business and valuable members of the team. * It is better to assist employees than to fire them. * Recovering employees can, once again, become productive and effective members of the workforce.
Including an EAP as part of your drug-free workplace reflects a concern about the wellbeing of employees and represents a distinctly different approach from that of "test and terminate". Employers who adopt the "test and terminate" approach attempt to achieve a drug-free workplace by eliminating and discarding drug-using employees without offering treatment or opportunities for recovery.

In addition to offering an EAP, employers can choose to help employees by allowing a reasonable period off the job to participate in treatment as well as adequate benefits coverage for the treatment of addiction. Even in the absence of a formal EAP, employers may make such benefits available and maintain a list of qualified therapists and treatment facilities that specialize in the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction.

Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment Programs

Inpatient treatment is a type of treatment in which a patient is provided with 24-hour care at a live-in facility. Both psychiatric and physical health assistance are included in this treatment. In most cases, patients will stay at inpatient treatment facilities for months at a time. Before becoming accepted to this type of high-maintenance treatment, various assessments must be
made. One important difference in inpatient treatment when compared to outpatient treatment is the amount of medical attention received by a patient.
In inpatient treatment, constant medical supervision is placed over each resident. In addition, detoxification is provided in many inpatient drug treatment centers. In the case of someone with an eating disorder, inpatient treatment through an eating disorder residential program will be more effective in monitoring positive or negative health levels. If the health of a person is declining, the facility can appropriately take care of the person, providing them with care from a local hospital if necessary. Inpatient care may be more effective because it offers a very structured and defined atmosphere. This type of a setting helps a person to forget about the distractions of life and allows them to focus on physical and psychological healing. Inpatient pain treatment, treatment for alcoholism or drug abuse, and eating disorder treatment are a few popular types of inpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment is a type of care used to treat those in need of eating disorder treatment, drug rehab, or pain treatment, to name a few. These types of programs can be very useful to those who must continue to work or attend school. Programs for outpatient treatment vary depending on the patient’s needs and the facility but they typically meet a couple of times every week for a few hours at a
time. More involved types of outpatient treatment may involve both individual and family therapy programs as well as specialized therapy types like art or music therapy. A simple form of outpatient treatment might merely mean visiting a therapist who specializes in eating disorders or drug recovery. Unlike inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment does not often address medical conditions and nutritional needs. With inpatient treatment, everything is provided at one location. Many people because of its flexibility desire outpatient treatment. For adults with children, who cannot afford to attend treatment for months at a time or who do not have the insurance to cover their stay, outpatient treatment can be a very helpful means of recovery. Both inpatient and outpatient treatment can be beneficial. Each facility differs in their level of care. There are several things to consider when selecting one of these treatment programs. This will vary from person to person. The most common questions to ask when considering which treatment are:

How much can you afford to spend? For the most part, outpatient treatment is cheaper in cost than inpatient treatment because housing is not provided and fewer hours of treatment (and often fewer therapy types) are offered.

Attending outpatient treatment is different from inpatient treatment in that you are not under constant supervision and still live at home. For those who fear they may give in to the temptation of drugs, inpatient treatment is recommended. If you attend inpatient treatment, what support will you be given when you leave? If you do decide to attend inpatient treatment, look for one that can offer you or direct you to another service where you will be provided with follow-up care after you leave in an effort to avoid relapse. Is the condition severe? Depending on the severity of the condition, inpatient treatment may be necessary. Constant medical attention is given to those in inpatient care, which may be especially important for those with pain and eating disorders. Programs vary depending on the facility. The above programs are both offered at Casa Palmera, a holistic inpatient treatment center. Drug rehab and treatment for alcoholism are provided at this drug treatment center. They also offer treatment programs for, eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, and Painful conditions.

References

Meyers, C., & Moss, I. (1992, Nov-Dec). Residential treatment: Linkage with community drug treatment programs . Allied Health Biomedical; Double Blind Peer Reviewed; Peer Reviewed; Public Health; USA , 71((6)), 537-45 Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com

McBride, Ph.D., D. C., Chriqui, Ph.D., J. F., & Terry-McElrath, M.S.A, Y. M. (2012, March). Drug treatment program ownership, Medicaid acceptance, and service provision. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 42(2), 116-124.

Treatment programs, Chemical dependency, our programs (2008-2013) (Retrieved from http://casapalmera.com/treatments/chemical-dependency/