Selecting a Residential Treatment Facility
Before selecting a residential treatment facility, it’s important to determine precisely the reason for obtaining treatment, ensure that you’ve surveyed several reputable treatment centers and be sure that the facility you’ve chosen is funded by your insurance company, or that you’re financially able to handle the commitment. It’s best to take a common-sense approach to choosing a residential treatment center, and when in doubt, you should always ask your health care provider or counselor for their advice. Choosing the wrong treatment center would be a waste of time and resources. Learn how to shop for treatment facilities by making sure your treatment needs are being met before you walk through the doors.
Begin by consulting with your insurance company, to see what their protocol is for treatment. Which centers are you allowed to use? Once you’ve got that list, investigate them completely, to see if one seems to meet your needs perfectly. If you can’t find a perfect fit on your insurance company’s list, don’t stop there. Find the perfect center and let them know what your problem is. Chances are, they have staffing to communicate with your insurance company and get approval. Your insurance company would rather see you treated once, rather than several times and if your treatment needs can’t be met at the center they want you to go to then chances are they’ll reconsider, if you can present valid medical reasons. The new facility should be willing to assist you with that.
Before you decide which treatment center you prefer, see if they offer telephone consultations or if you can arrange to tour the facility and sit down with a counselor. Entering a residential treatment facility can be a strange and uncomfortable proposition and sometimes seeing the rooms, the food, and the recreational offerings can make it seem less foreign, and a little less frightening. When treatment is necessary, a residential facility is usually the fastest way to a normal life. Some centers offer video tours on their website, so check through the documentation available online, too.
If you don’t have insurance, don’t hesitate to seek treatment. Find the perfect center, and ask them if they have financial assistance. Chances are that they can work with government agencies or private donors to help you get admitted. Your employer might offer an assistance program, and there might also be loans available or scholarships. You never know if you don’t try. Sometimes the best way to find out is just to ask. These places want to treat you, they’re here to help and you might be surprised by how flexible the fees can be when you really can’t afford help.
The bottom line is that you need to evaluate the services each facility offers and learn about the financial commitment involved. Take a tour or otherwise research the center you’re interested in before selecting a residential treatment facility so you can be sure that you’re getting the very best care for you. Everyone has different needs in treatment, some people thrive in a clinical setting, others thrive in nature or in very social environments. There are religious centers, secular centers and new age centers. No matter what you think you need to recover, you can find it. Be sure that you choose the best center for your medical, spiritual and physical needs.
