Credo, others offer alcohol treatment options in north country
Watertown Daily Times (NY)Nov 23, 2014
At the
The state-licensed treatment center, based at
Credo, just one of the options in
About 90 percent of patients who enroll in treatment programs at Credo have been referred there through the court system,
"Alcohol continues to be the number one drug of choice, and marijuana is second, but heroin and opiate use has increased significantly over the last two years,"
Credo had a budget of about
He said those who don't have insurance and pay out-of-pocket usually are eligible for discounts established by the state
Credo offers inpatient programs at four locations -- three in
Those programs, which typically last six months, are designed for people who need more intense treatment than outpatient programs offer,
For males 16 to 20 years of age, an inpatient rehabilitation program is offered on a 115-acre farm in the village of
Oftentimes, he said, the young men enrolled in the program have a lingering alcohol or drug addiction after finishing an outpatient program.
"It provides them an opportunity to care for farm animals and teaches them the benefits of hard work,"
Outpatient programs at Credo's
Credo specializes in behavioral modification and does not offer medications for alcohol treatment, he said.
Data isn't available on the effectiveness of Credo's treatment programs for alcohol users, according to
Patients who finish treatment programs generally fall into three categories,
"About one-third of the people leave here and go on to live productive lives. They have increased self-esteem and confidence in themselves to live with a purpose," he said. "One-third may have trouble down the road but have learned from programs, and the other third will go right back into their old behavior."
Credo patients with addictions to alcohol and other substances often have mental-health disorders,
Counselors help patients understand how their addictions are related to mental-health issues.
"We try to find out if people are using alcohol and drugs to self-medicate,"
Samaritan's behavioral health clinic, on outer
Of the 206 patients treated at the clinic last year, 42 percent identified alcohol as their primary substance used, and 22 percent said it was their second substance of choice, according to
She said about 75 percent of patients with substance addictions have co-occurring mental-health disorders.
Outpatient programs last four to six months and include treatment in individual and group settings,
Using evidence-based treatment, programs teach patients to view alcohol addiction as a disease,
Twenty to 23 percent of Americans engage in "risky alcohol use," where they often drink more they should but are not alcohol dependent, she said. Patients at the clinic who engage in this risky behavior are taught how their habits can affect relationships and lead to negative health and social consequences, such as high blood pressure or being charged with driving while intoxicated.
"The best description might be the person who's drinking three times a week, but they're exceeding what's considered the safe drinking level,"
"Most people that fall into that risky-use category don't realize it," she added. "They don't see anything because they haven't had negative consequences yet that people with addictive disorders have to experience."
PRIVATE PRACTICES
Private practices are another possibility for those who want treatment for alcohol dependence.
Dr.
He said his patients are working adults who have the convenience of scheduling appointments during the evenings. The patients also tend to carry commercial health insurance.
"One of the advantages here is that it's a streamlined approach in that the patient gets to meet me right off the bat, whereas in the clinics there's a pretty circuitous intake process," said
Another key feature of private practices is that patients come voluntarily, whereas treatment often is court-ordered for those who receive it at clinics,
"They're not mandated ... to be here," he said. "These are people who are struggling, and they come on their own accord because of it."
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