Treated With Care Substance abuse treatment begins with loving foundation
“They need encouragement, motivation, inspiration, it needs to be an exciting environment.” -Deborah Martin outpatient treatment program coordinator Real House Inc. “They need encouragement, motivation, inspiration, it needs to be an exciting environment,” Martin says. “We want to do fun things like art therapy, which can be very profound, trips, wellness walks. We focus a lot on getting ourselves well physically also.” Martin says the main focus of the program will always be on substance abuse treatment, but staff try to take it a step further to provide an empowering and uplifting experience for clients. That’s why she says the program goes beyond the clinical treatment aspect to include events and activities designed to get clients excited about their recovery. Caring spirit Real House’s intensive outpatient program offers a comprehensive approach to substance abuse, with clients attending at least nine hours of counseling each week in addition to other therapy sessions. Both men and women can also take advantage of the vocational training, relapse prevention and anger management/domestic violence services provided as part of Real House’s holistic treatment plan. But Martin says it’s the spirit of true love and support for clients that sets the program apart and makes it easier for clients to embrace their recovery. “The clients need to feel loved and they need to attach to someone in the program who cares,” Martin says. “Otherwise they don’t feel integrated and it’s so easy to leave and give up.”
Addiction rarely exists as the sole source of disruption in a person’s life. Often times it’s accompanied by co-occurring mental health issues as well as a host of practical everyday concerns, such as housing, child welfare, and relationship problems. Real House Inc. understands the complexity of substance abuse and works to help people move from active addiction to a sustainable recovery by addressing all of a client’s needs. And it all starts with a caring spirit. “My position is to make sure that when the ladies come to treatment, they are treated with dignity and of course respect,” says Deborah Martin, coordinator of Real House’s intensive outpatient treatment program. “I make it a point to shake everybody’s hand and give them a hug when they first come.”
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