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Drug & Alcohol Treatment Programs Right Step strives to help you heal

Our compassionate staff members are dedicated to helping people overcome the considerable challenges of addiction. In fact, in many cases, they personally won their own battles with drug and alcohol issues, learning tried-and-true treatment methodologies for achieving fulfilling, healthy and sober lives. From medically supervised detox and inpatient rehab to specialized outpatient options geared to women and LGBTQI clients,The Right Step offers a broad range of drug and alcohol treatment programs in more than 15 locations throughout Texas.

Our multidisciplinary treatment team uses a structured approach based on 12-step recovery principles and medical and evidence-based models.

Our treatment model Our multidisciplinary treatment team uses a structured approach based on 12-step recovery principles and medical and evidence-based models. Although you can live at home while attending outpatient programs, they are intensive, with participation up to 10 hours per week, a minimum of three days per week. Many of the same evidence-based programs encompassed in our residential treatment settings are also offered on an outpatient basis including 12-step methods; Positive Recovery®, a research-backed, strength-based treatment approach; group, individual and family counseling; spirituality awareness; relapse prevention skills training and addiction education.

We understand recovery is a lifelong pursuit, so after clients complete drug rehab programs, we offer a two-year aftercare program, free to anyone who completes treatment with us. This includes weekly meetings with a licensed clinician. Our JavelinSM continuing care plan is based on the understanding that addiction is a chronic disease that follows a variable life course. The program encompasses three core philosophies important to long-term recovery: building strong sober support networks, contingency management and maintaining motivation. We are also proud of our heralded Alumni Program, designed to ensure clients stay on the recovery path their entire lives.

We understand recovery is a lifelong pursuit, so after clients complete drug rehab programs, we offer a two-year aftercare program, free to anyone who completes treatment with us. 7

Benefits of LGBT-Specific Treatment for Addiction

Research has repeatedly found that rates of substance abuse and addiction are higher among the LGBT community than in the general population. These individuals are free to seek a variety of treatment options, but one such option is treatment designed specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.This can be a particularly effective option for many people in this community and can help them to avoid some of the pitfalls

that can derail LGBT people during recovery. Homophobia, Self-Questioning Increase Risk of Substance Abuse The relationship between the LGBT community and substance abuse has been recognized for many years, and it was even once believed that homosexuality was a direct chemical cause of alcoholism. However, we now recognize that the stigmatization and struggle for identity that many LGBT people face, as well as the many challenges associated with these realities, are the true culprits behind the prevalence of substance abuse in this community.

The struggle that is often involved in discovering and accepting sexual and gender identities, as well as the often even more difficult struggle for acceptance from family, friends and the larger community, has led to high rates of anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues and even emotional trauma among LGBT people. As a result, some of these individuals self-medicate with alcohol or drugs in order to cope with these and other problems.

The relationship between the LGBT community and substance abuse has been recognized for many years, and it was even once believed that homosexuality was a direct chemical cause of alcoholism.

Heterosexism, Hetero-normativity May Crop Up in Treatment The majority of professionals involved in treating substance abuse and addiction are accepting and welcoming of all different kinds of people. Unfortunately, heterosexism does still exist among some of these professionals. Some may have antagonistic attitudes toward LGBT people or mistakenly believe that their LGBT clients need to change themselves or their lifestyles in order to overcome substance abuse. While the odds of encountering overt or subtle heterosexism during treatment may be small, LGBT-specific treatment services or locations are one way to guarantee that it will not be a factor. While overt stigmatization or discrimination may be relatively uncommon in professional treatment environments, ignorance about LGBT issues and the assumption of hetero-normativity is almost impossible to avoid. While these transgressions may be unintentional and without malice, the cumulative effects of living in a world that assumes heterosexuality is normal and often fails to recognize the existence of transgender individuals contributes to the development of substance use disorders among many LGBT people. Encountering these transgressions in a treatment environment as well can make it extremely difficult for those in this community to stay on the road to successful recovery.

For LGBT people for whom substance abuse has become a dangerous tool for navigating a sometimes hostile world, treatment designed just for them can help them to come through recovery healthier than they have ever been.

LGBT-Specific Services Address Roots of Substance Abuse Substance abuse recovery is an extremely vulnerable time for many people, and LGBT-specific services can provide additional comfort and safety during this process. However, freedom from heterosexism is not the only advantage of seeking substance abuse services designed for the LGBT population.These services can also provide an advanced understanding of the factors that contribute to substance use disorders in LBGT people and can help them begin the process of overcoming these factors. LGBT-specific services provide an awareness of how cultural oppression can become internalized and lead to negative self-attitudes and anger. Professionals in this field recognize that what clients in the LGBT population need is to learn healthy ways to cope with cultural victimization rather than to change any fundamental aspect of themselves. For LGBT people for whom substance abuse has become a dangerous tool for navigating a sometimes hostile world, treatment designed just for them can help them to come through recovery healthier than they have ever been.

Boom, Bust, and Drugs Study says economic downturn leads to increase in substance use disorders When the economy tanks, drug abuse goes up.That’s the finding of a new study which shows the state of the economy is closely linked with substance abuse disorder rates for a variety of substances. The study, conducted by researchers from Vanderbilt University, the University of Colorado and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found the use of substances like ecstasy becomes more prevalent during economic downturns. Researchers also found that other drugs like LSD and PCP see increased use only when the economy is strong. But for overall substance use disorders, the findings were clear.

“Problematic use (i.e., substance use disorder) goes up significantly when the economy weakens,” says Christopher Carpenter, one of the lead researchers. “Our results are more limited in telling us why this happens.” Researchers say it’s possible that people turn to substance use as a means of coping with a job loss or other major life changes caused by economic pressures, but their particular study did not pinpoint an exact cause and effect. Not all drugs are equal The study showed that a downward shift in the economy has the biggest impact on painkillers and hallucinogens. Rates of substance abuse disorders were significantly higher for those two categories than any other class of drug.

Researchers also found the change in disorder rates was highest for white adult males, a group which was one of the hardest hit during the Great Recession.They say more research is needed to determine exactly how the economy and drug use are related, but they say the study highlighted some key groups for prevention and treatment workers to target during future economic downturns.

“Problematic use (i.e., substance use disorder) goes up significantly when the economy weakens.” - Christopher Carpenter, Vanderbilt University

Slippery slope Despite some lingering questions, researchers were able to show the significance of the economy’s role in problematic substance use.The study showed that even a small change in the unemployment rate can have a tremendous impact on the risks for substance abuse disorders. “For each percentage point increase in the state unemployment rate, these estimates represent about a 6 percent increase in the likelihood of having a disorder involving analgesics and an 11 percent increase in the likelihood of having a disorder involving hallucinogens,” the authors write. Previous studies have focused on the economy’s link to marijuana and alcohol, with many looking at young people in particular.This study is one of the first to highlight illicit drugs, which given the current opioid epidemic, holds important lessons for those working to curb problematic drug use.

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When it’s needed most The study bears significant weight for treatment facilities and public policy makers in particular. During economic downturns, government agencies typically look to cut spending on treatment programs as a way to save money, something researchers say may be more costly in the end. “Our results suggest that this is unwise,” Carpenter says. “Such spending would likely be particularly effective during downturns since rates of substance use disorders are increasing when unemployment rates rise, at least for disorders involving prescription painkillers and hallucinogens.”

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“Spending would likely be particularly effective during downturns since rates of substance use disorders are increasing when unemployment rates rise.”

Inpatient Drug Rehab Offering recovery in 3 locations

Our Texas inpatient rehab programs offer comfortable, community settings where we provide focused, in-depth support to help clients live healthy, fulfilling lives free of drugs and alcohol. In safe, home-like surroundings, you’ll explore underlying reasons for your addiction and learn new skills to avoid triggers and cope with life stressors.The Right Step residential programs encompass a multidisciplinary, structured approach based on 12-step recovery principles and medical and evidence-based models.

Our inpatient drug rehab programs include: • Comprehensive assessments • Group counseling • Individual counseling • Separate groups for men and women • Family groups • Community groups • Positive Recovery®, a scientifically based approach to treatment • Spirituality awareness • Relapse prevention • Dialectical behavior therapy • 12-step meetings • Addiction education classes • Recreational activities including basketball, softball and group outings • Yoga and meditation

Inpatient Alcohol Rehab & Drug Treatment Programs Houston Adult Residential Treatment Program A board-certified psychiatrist, nurses, licensed master’s level clinicians and other addiction professionals will guide you on the pathway to long-term recovery. While living in home-like bungalows in a desirable residential

neighborhood in Houston, you’ll develop recovery skills through a structured program based on 12-step recovery principles and evidence- based models.

Hill Country Adult Residential Treatment Program A scenic, relaxed, private atmosphere in the famous Texas Hill Country provides an inspiring backdrop for working on substance addiction recovery. In conjunction with evidence-based therapies, Positive Recovery® helps clients find their own spiritual connection, discover their true potential, establish resiliency in the face of difficulties and lead fulfilling lives without drugs or alcohol.

In safe, home-like surroundings, you’ll explore underlying reasons for your addiction and learn new skills to avoid triggers and cope with life stressors.

Dallas/Ft. Worth Adult Residential Treatment Program At our warm, welcoming Dallas alcohol and drug rehab facility, we provide 24- hour admissions seven days a week with a full team of licensed clinicians committed to helping you achieve long-term sobriety. Among our innovative approaches are psychodrama and The Daring WayTM, a methodology that teaches clients to embrace their vulnerability, become shame-resilient, and live life fully and authentically. For many clients, residential drug treatment programs are the optimal solution for attaining and maintaining sobriety. Our programs provide safe, nurturing environments away from outside influences, where you’ll benefit from working with experienced addiction professionals and interacting with peers who share similar struggles. The ultimate goal of our inpatient programs is to help you achieve long-term recovery and live a fulfilling, successful life without drugs or alcohol.

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Still Effective After All These Years After 80 years, AA still works

For those seeking to break free from addiction to drugs and alcohol, one of the most widely used -- and easily accessible -- tools has been the Twelve Steps, first published in 1939 in the book,”Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism.” Not much has changed since 1939, in what the Twelve Steps require of individuals, in order to regain control of their lives.The process, known to its adherents as “working the steps,” involves taking individual responsibility for one’s actions, admitting that one is powerless to control the addiction, and seeking the help of a higher power in order to heal. The benefits of the Twelve Step method are widely known: acceptance into a fellowship of non-users who regularly attend meetings to discuss their addictions, face their actions, and atone for them through spiritual practice and forgiveness. Although Alcoholics Anonymous and its many offshoots do not conduct or allow others to conduct research into the effectiveness of the methods, the military has produced studies that show individuals who attend meetings are 60% more likely to achieve sobriety than those who do not.

Millions of men and women around the world have used the Twelve Steps to break free from a wide variety of addictions and compulsions. More than 200 self-help organizations around the world have adopted twelve-step principles for help with compulsion for, and/or addiction to, gambling, crime, food, sex, hoarding, debting and over-working, among others.

Where did the Twelve Steps come from? According to an article published by AA co-founder Bill W. in 1953, there were three primary sources of inspiration: the Oxford Groups, Dr. William D. Silkworth of Towns Hospital and the famed psychologist, William James, widely considered the father of modern psychology. The Oxford Groups, an evangelical movement which became popular in the 1920’s and early 30’s, preached concepts like absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness and absolute love. “The Twelve Steps could be considered a personal roadmap for achieving sobriety and serenity.”

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Combining science and spirituality William James’ major contribution to the philosophical underpinnings of AA was his book “Varieties of Religious Experience.” In his book, James provided scientific validation for the concept of spiritual experiences, which he said could transform people and enable them to overcome personal defeat and find recovery. The Twelve Steps could be considered a personal roadmap for achieving sobriety and serenity and living a life of freedom from addiction to alcohol and drugs. Each of the steps is only one sentence in length, but each one contains enough universally applicable wisdom and power to fill a book. While the 12 steps has provided a path to recovery for countless alcoholics, drug addicts and others seeking to break free from addictive or compulsive behavior, they have also sparked controversy and debate over the decades. The major source of controversy is AA’s longstanding emphasis on a belief in God. AA supporters point out that, in the AA context, that means belief in “a higher power,” a belief in something larger than the self.The phrase was coined in the early years of AA.

They also practiced a type of confession, which they called “sharing,” the making of amends for harms done they called “restitution.”They believed in the value of “quiet time,” a form of meditation and seeking of God’s guidance, practiced in both group and individual settings. Dr. Silkworth spent years helping alcoholics dry out at Towns Hospital in New York City. One of his core beliefs, which he often spoke on, was the disease concept of alcoholism -- defined as an obsession of the mind combined with an allergy of the body.

“’Higher power’ doesn’t necessarily mean a deity, and those who use the steps are free to interpret that phrase as they see fit.”

“Higher power” doesn’t necessarily have to mean a deity, and that those who use the steps are free to interpret that phrase as they see fit, based on their personal beliefs.The phrase could be applied to mean the power of the group, or nature. Some AA members around the world who don’t accept faith in a god as a necessary tenet have formed their own agnostic AA groups. More than 90 unofficial, self-described “agnostic AA” groups now meet regularly in the U.S., according to Patheos.com. The debate continues. Some think the 82-year old organization has drifted away from its core principles and become too lenient, Lee Ann Kaskutas, senior scientist at the Public Health Institute’s Alcohol Research Group in Emeryville, Calif., told CharismaNews.com. “Others think it’s too strict, so they want to change AA and make it get with the times.” Newcomers to AA are often advised to “take what you need and leave the rest,” Kaskutas points out.That flexibility allows participants to put together a recovery program that fits their needs. It’s one of the reason AA still works for people, eight decades after its founding. 17

Discrimination, whether based on race, gender, or sexual orientation, has long been thought to be a contributor to substance abuse. Now a new study has confirmed the relationship between discrimination and addiction, but it’s also brought up many more questions that still need to be answered in order to improve treatment outcomes. Researchers at the University of Iowa recently completed a peer review study in which they looked at 97 previous studies on discrimination and alcohol use. Their goal was to summarize the collective knowledge researchers have uncovered throughout the years, and what they found confirmed in more detail what many had previously suspected.

“Generally there is good scientific support, but the evidence is mixed for different groups

and for types of discrimination.” - Dr.Paul Gilbert, University of Iowa

overtly racist or sexist to another person. But less research has been done on what are known as micro-aggressions, small everyday occurrences that can rub a person the wrong way. That research is improving, but there are other factors that need to be more fully explored. While studies have looked at historical trauma in the African-American population, the concept has not been fully investigated with regards to Hispanic and Asian populations. “This notion of historic trauma could be really relevant to other groups, but it hasn't received much attention at all,” Dr. Gilbert says. “This is something we should pay attention to.” All of this adds up to the fact that treatment providers may be missing a key piece of the substance abuse puzzle.

The team found that discrimination did indeed lead to an increase in drinking frequency, quantity of alcohol consumed, and in the risk for alcohol use disorders. Researchers say drinking can represent a coping mechanism in response to the stress caused by discrimination, and several studies showed clients acknowledging this direct link themselves. But when looking at specific populations and types of discrimination, the picture becomes less clear. “The story is that generally there is good scientific support, but the evidence is mixed for different groups and for types of discrimination,” says Dr. Paul Gilbert, the study’s lead author. “We don’t really know comparing one type or one level to another.” For example, much research has been done on interpersonal discrimination where someone is

But just because the intricacies of how discrimination affects drinking aren’t yet fully understood, that doesn’t mean our current knowledge base can’t be helpful. Dr. Gilbert says simply knowing that experiences with discrimination can drive drinking could inform the way treatment providers interact with clients, opening new areas of their lives to explore during treatment. “It can serve as sort of an early warning or indicator,” Dr. Gilbert says. “For treatment providers, it’s worth looking at: is there something that may be keeping folks from accessing services or affecting outcomes?”

Dr. Gilbert says treatment providers should continue to address discrimination as part of a holistic approach to recovery. He says it will be up to researchers to fill

in the gaps to find the precise ways that discrimination affects drinking behavior. “We’ve got good evidence on this level of interpersonal discrimination,” Dr. Gilbert says. “We’ve gotten the low-hanging fruit, now it’s time to start working on the stuff that’s a little further up the tree.”

“It can serve as sort of an early warning or indicator.”

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WITH ADDICTION... NOTHING CHANGES... IF NOTHING CHANGES TOWARDS RECOVERY LET’S WORK TOGETHER ON YOUR CHANGE

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