Frequently Asked Questions Answered
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- Our intakes occur on Monday and Thursday mornings at our office in Savannah, GA.
- Our intake process begins with meeting our staff at our office in Savannah, GA. Most clients arrive around 10:30am to begin their intake process.
- After arriving, clients are greeted by members of our interdisciplinary team, such as one of our master’s level clinicians and our nurses. Clients are provided intake paperwork to fill out. Some of these forms can be filled out prior to arrival at our office. These forms include a detailed health history, an intake questionnaire with questions specific to your substance use history, consent forms, confidentiality forms, and information on your rights as a client among others.
- Clients will then meet with one of our registered nurses who will meet with you to go over your health history, draw labs, and will ensure you are ready to meet with our medical director.
- Clients then meet with our medical director who will assess your specific needs while in our ambulatory detox or intensive outpatient program. This is part of a medical examination where your health history will be reviewed again and any questions or concerns can be discussed with the medical director. All care at ARC is client-centered and therefore, the doctor will take the time to ensure that the Medication Assisted Treatment utilized at ARC is individualized to your specific needs.
- Clients then meet with one of our master’s level clinicians to complete an orientation to the program. The orientation will allow clients to learn what to expect while in the ambulatory or intensive outpatient program. This orientation includes answering any questions or concerns the client may have. This orientation can be conducted with family members if the client consents and finds it helpful. At ARC, we highly encourage the involvement of family in the recovery process and welcome their presence during the intake process.
- Finally, clients in our ambulatory program will meet with one of our monitors. Monitors are with clients throughout their time in our ambulatory program, providing nutritious home cooked meals, transporting them from our ambulatory detox site to our office for therapy sessions, and ensuring their stay with us is as comfortable as possible.
- Ambulatory detox begins with the intake process at ARC.
- After intake, clients are transported by one of our monitors to private accomodations in the Savannah, GA area.
- Clients may share these private accomodations with up to three other clients. Each client will have their own private bedroom and most clients will also have their own en-suite.
- Upon arrival at the private accomodations, the monitor will ensure you are settled in comfortably. Most clients rest heavily the first three days of the ambulatory detox process.
- Monitors will cook three home cooked meals for clients. Monitors will also ensure linens are washed frequently or daily as needed. They will ensure you are comfortable by checking in with you both visually and verbally. Monitors are conscientious of the needs clients have for quiet and privacy and will work diligently to ensure they are there to meet your needs while providing you with the privacy and quiet you may crave during this time.
- Clients will meet with their therapist once per day for a 50 minute session daily while in ambulatory detox; this includes weekends. During the first three days, some clients may be resting heavily and may not be able to engage fully in their therapy session; as such, the clinician will check-in with clients and these missed sessions will be made up later during the client’s stay with us. The monitor will transport the client to our office for therapy sessions.
- Clients will also participate in group therapy Monday through Thursday from 5:15pm to 7:00pm. Our group therapy is based on the mutual-aid model, a best practice for those in recovery from a substance abuse disorder. Group therapy sessions are located at our office in Savannah, GA. Monitors will transport clients to our office for group therapy sessions.
- Many of our clients work remotely after the first five days in the program. Some clients may wish to get out of the home, when they are able, to walk or exercise. Transportation for these outings is provided by the monitors and is also accompanied by them.
- Finally, clients may have work to complete in support of their individual treatment plan and goals. Any work to be completed outside of individual therapy will be in support of the goals outlined in the treatment plan.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment, or MAT, is the use of FDA approved medications coupled with counseling and behavioral therapies in the treatment of substance use disorders such as Alcohol Use Disorder and Opiate Use Disorder. The use of Medication Assisted Treatment is an evidence-based practice. Research shows that the use of MAT can help those in treatment for a substance use disorder sustain long term recovery.
- At ARC, we utilize FDA approved medications that alleviate withdrawal symptoms and psychological cravings for a substance, such as alcohol or opiates.
- These medications are chosen by our medical director in response to the individual needs of each client. All care at ARC is client-driven and client-specific.
- FDA approved medications that may be used include Naltrexone and Vivitrol.
- Evidence-based practices utilize treatments that have proven to be effective in the treatment of substance use disorders. At ARC, we utilize evidence-based practices, which are research driven, and have proven vital in the ability of clients to be in long term sustained recovery from a substance use disorder.
- Evidence-based practices include the use of Medication Assisted Treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, psychoeducation on drug and alcohol use, peer support, the inclusion of family in recovery, and the use of an Aftercare program.
- Our program is CARF accredited. For more information on CARF accreditation, please visit the following site: http://www.carf.org/Accreditation/
- Clients should bring personal hygiene items with them. Clients are also encouraged to bring any items from home that may make their stay more comfortable, such as favorite blankets or pillows (these are provided; however, many clients prefer to bring something from home).
- Nicotine is a stimulant and as such, may interfere with your treatment at ARC. For some clients, their nicotine use does not interfere with their treatment and they may continue to use these products while at ARC. For other clients, the medical director may, after an evaluation, recommend that the use of nicotine products be curtailed while in treatment. For those clients, the doctor may prescribe nicotine replacement products to help with the withdrawal from nicotine. However, all care at ARC is individualized and as such, we recommend that you provide accurate information to the doctor on your use of nicotine so your treatment at ARC is not negatively impacted by the use of nicotine containing products.
- The office manager will communicate with each client prior to arrival to ensure any food allergies and preferences are known. The monitor will then purchase groceries to provide clients with three home cooked meals per day. We strive to ensure that cross addictions, addictions to various substances or activities, are addressed while at ARC. As such, monitors ensure that clients are provided with healthy meals and portions. If clients do not wish to eat what is provided, they may purchase other meals while at ARC. This would be the client’s responsibility. We do our best to ensure the monitors are cooking meals clients enjoy and which they have an appetite for and as such, most of our clients eat most of the food provided and prepared by the monitors while in ambulatory detox with us.
- Clients will be able to communicate with family and/or friends at a designated time after day 5.
- At ARC, we support and encourage families to engage in the treatment process before clients are discharged into our Intensive Outpatient Program. This can include co-joint sessions with their loved one(s) and the clinician. As such, many clients have their family visit with them at some point during their stay. These visits must be cleared with your clinician as well as our clinical director. If there are other clients sharing private accommodation with you, these visits may be arranged in the community or at our office in Savannah, GA. Please speak with us about your specific needs or desires in this regard.
- At ARC, we highly encourage the involvement of family in the treatment process. We understand the vital support family members play in someone’s recovery from a substance use disorder and as such, with a client’s consent, include family members in the treatment process.
- For those interested in engaging their families in the treatment process, co-joint sessions can be added and included in your treatment program at ARC.
- Individual therapy begins with collaborating with your clinician on a thorough biopsychosocial assessment. This assessment provides your clinician with a thorough understanding of the biological, psychological, and social factors that may have contributed to your substance use disorder. This assessment will help you and your clinician pinpoint specific goals to pursue as part of your individualized treatment plan.
- After collaborating on the assessment, clients collaborate with their clinician on an individualized treatment plan. All treatment at ARC is client-centered; as such, your clinician will work with you to figure out what tools and skills may best serve you in your goal to be in sustained and long term recovery from a substance use disorder.
- Subsequent sessions will utilize evidence-based best practices in helping you achieve your goals in treatment. This can include the use of motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, systems theory, and other therapy modalities as indicated.
- After clients complete ambulatory detox, most clients move into our intensive outpatient program, or IOP. This is an 8 week program that includes 8 more 50 minute sessions of individualized therapy. After the IOP, clients are able to utilize our Aftercare program, which provides them with an ongoing once-a-week group therapy session to support their goal to be successful in long term recovery.
- Group therapy at ARC is conducted by a master’s level clinician and is based on the mutual-aid model. Group therapy is conducted on Mondays through Thursdays from 5:15 pm to 7:00 pm at our office in Savannah, GA.
- Clients in our ambulatory detox program are transported to the office for group therapy by the monitor.
- Clients in the Intensive Outpatient Program transport themselves or join us via a secure HIPAA compliant application online.
- The mutual aid model is a best practice in the treatment of substance use disorder and is not based on the 12-step model of AA or NA. The mutual aid group encourages group members to utilize their own internal resources and experiences to affect positive changes in themselves and their fellow group members while learning and gaining new tools and skills via the information presented in each session.
- Group therapy is an evidence-based best practice and vital component of treatment from a substance use disorder and, as such, is a part of treatment at ARC. Most of our clients at ARC find group therapy empowering and a critical part of their success in recovery.
- Absolutely! At ARC we encourage clients to utilize any tools and skills that may help them in their goal to be in long term and sustained recovery. For those who find the AA or NA model helpful, monitors will transport clients to those meetings in the local area.
- Upon discharge, clients are also provided with information on local resources and groups that may aid them in their goal to be in long term sustained recovery.
- The Intensive Outpatient Program is an eight week program that utilizes Medication Assisted Treatment, a weekly individual therapy session, four group therapy sessions per week, and ongoing support via our Aftercare program.
- The IOP will allow clients to continue gaining the tools and skills they need to be successful in long term sustained recovery from a substance abuse disorder while providing the ability to continue working on each client’s individual treatment plan.
- When clients complete the IOP, they collaborate with their clinician on their discharge. During the discharge process, clients and clinicians review a client’s treatment plan. If client’s have not completed their treatment plan, the clinician may recommend further treatment, to include on-going individual therapy or sustained group therapy, for example.
- All care at ARC is client-driven and individualized, and as such, every client comes to the discharge process with different and unique needs. ARC strives to continue to support clients after their discharge via the use of our Aftercare program, which allows clients access to one group therapy session a week at our agency as long as it is found to be helpful to our clients.
- If you need to go to an urgent care center or the emergency department while at ARC, the monitor will accompany you. If you are admitted to the hospital or to the direct care of another physician, you will be discharged from the program at ARC and can return once your medical treatment is completed.
- Many clients at ARC who would benefit from further individual therapy upon completion of the IOP are desirous to continue working with their clinician on their treatment plan. For those clients, individual therapy can be arranged with your clinician at our agency as you continue to work on your treatment plan.
- Absolutely! Clients have come to ARC from different geographic areas in our country.
- Absolutely! For those who are not within driving distance of ARC, clients can join group therapy sessions remotely via a HIPAA compliant teleconference application. Individual therapy sessions can be conducted via the HIPAA compliant teleconference application as well.
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