When your young one faces a problem with drug or alcohol abuse or addiction it is heartbreaking. Often a person does not know what to do. The young person needs more help than a family can give them. That is where the drug and alcohol treatment centers becomes vitally important. The staff members at rehabilitation centers are also a large piece of the puzzle.
The situation is frightening. What is the person in for? What will they be asked to do? Perhaps the most important question is “Who will they be dealing with?” Who are these people, and what is their training? Where do they come from? What will they do?
The Leadership of the Rehabilitation Team
The team approach is used in most treatment centers. It realizes that everyone involved in a recovering person has a vital role to play. However, at rehabilitation centers, the staff and the people with the most advanced educational background usually lead the process. These people include:
The Leadership
- The doctor is normally a psychiatrist sets and sets the pace, as he or she has to be responsible for prescribing the treatment and its many parts. A psychiatrist is an MD with specialized training about the way the physical body and its health conditions interact with human behavior and the mind.
- The therapist is normally trained as a psychologist. This consists of college education in behavioral or clinical psychology, and may be as advanced as a doctorate in the subject. Psychologists are meant to know the way that people think, feel and interact with others. At a treatment center everyone should have plenty of experience and knowledge about substance abuse. Thankfully, more is known about the addiction process now than ever before.
- The head nurse is responsible for the activities of the nursing staff. He or she is usually the nurse with the greatest experience in a career as a nurse. Nurses are truly essential to the treatment process, as they spend more time with the clients than do the doctors and psychologists.
Other key leaders
You will meet and deal with a lot of other brilliant staff members at the rehabilitation centers. They, too, play vital treatment roles. They often include:
- The Nutritionist. They often work more behind the scenes, but they play a vital role in recovery. Substance use and alcohol addiction play a toll on nutrition, affecting every part of health and stamina. Not only does your nutritionist ensure that meals in an inpatient center are healthy, but in outpatient treatment they extend themselves to educate the client and their families about appropriate food choices for the best possible health.
- Line staff nurses, who provide the most direct medical care the patients as directed by the doctor. Medical issues go hand in hand with addiction, and very often include medical care such as medication. Also, such things as wound dressings happen in any situation, especially with people who have substance use problems. Finally, psychiatric nurses have expert training in the emotional and unique psychological needs of people with these problems.
- The Case Manager is often seen as the biggest asset for the families of young people with drug or alcohol issues. Because they know so much about issues related to this kind of crisis such as housing or legal issues, they will often know what to do about life problems that result from long-term use.
The Nuts and Bolts of Addiction Treatment
You will meet so many others who have essential roles to play in both residential and outpatient treatment. There are too many to list, including first and foremost the Certified Nurses Assistants. They are the ones who deliver the goods in tasks as complex as dispensing medications to those as simple as wiping up a spill. They are often the best remembered by patients, and deserve more credit than they often get. But everyone involved does so because they want to help, and they range from janitorial staff and folks in the kitchen to the person who drives the van. Everyone is vital for recovery, and most of all the patient is too. Their own commitment to the healing process and their family’s linked together with a community of caring people makes all the difference.
If your loved one is seeking help, and you are on their side, you should give us a call at 855-936-4435 today. Our receptionists and everyone else here with us is eager to hear from you.
