What to Avoid when Selecting a Rehab Center

The search to find the right alcohol rehab center can feel overwhelming at times. There are thousands of rehab centers all across the United States that offer excellent care. How do you find the right one for you?

When looking for an alcohol rehab center, it’s important to slow down and take your time. This may seem counter-intuitive – because most people who are looking for an alcohol rehab feel that they need to get help now – but this isn’t a decision that should be rushed into. Entering an alcohol rehab center can change a person’s life, and is a decision that should be made deliberately and with care. Taking a little extra time in the beginning can result in tremendous long-term rewards.

You can narrow your search by eliminating any alcohol rehab centers that fit the following descriptors:

• Guarantees success or claim high success rates.
• No one can guarantee a positive outcome to any treatment program. Some of the most experienced recovery counselors in the country have said they never know who’s going to “make it” and who isn’t.
• Unfortunately, high success rates (70 to 80 percent or more) are not realistic. Any treatment center that makes this claim is being either dishonest or misleading.

• Has little or no one-on-one counseling.
• While group therapy certainly has its place in recovery, it can’t achieve the same results as one-on-one counseling.
• An alcohol rehab center that doesn’t offer individual counseling will be limited in its ability to help.

• Is not certified or accredited.
• An alcohol rehab facility that has no accreditation or certification doesn’t have to meet any standards for their medical care, their counseling or their overall treatment program.
• Some alcohol rehab facilities may try to tell you this is a good thing, claiming that their treatment is so “cutting edge” that it isn’t, or can’t be regulated. But not all cutting-edge treatments are effective, or safe. An accredited facility has a properly trained staff of licensed professionals, and a treatment plan that meets certain standards.

• Does not include the family in the recovery process.
• Having the support of family is vital to someone in recovery.
• Every alcohol rehab facility should include some form of family therapy in order to help the client achieve and maintain long-term recovery.

• Is evasive about cost.
• A credible alcohol rehab center should be able to give you an expected price range or – at the very least – itemize costs by service.
• While providing a final dollar amount may not be possible during an initial phone consultation, every legitimate alcohol rehab facility should be upfront about its general services and fees.

As you continue to conduct your research on alcohol rehab centers, the descriptors listed above should serve as “red flags” for you that something isn’t quite right. This doesn’t mean that you should immediately hang up the phone or walk out of the facility, but it does indicate that you should proceed with caution.