Alcohol Treatment Programs & Rehabs
Alcohol Treatment Programs are often More about Money than Helping People
Alcohol treatment programs are an enormous and highly profitable. It brings in billions of dollars to its owners each year. But it’s also very, very competitive. Each bed filled brings into a company many thousands of dollars.
To lure customers (clients, patients, or “guests”), many rehabs and retreats resort to misrepresentation. There’s little regulation, deception is common, and it’s a case of caveat emptor. That is, buyer beware.
Companies may devise new names for their programs or activities to mislead customers. Companies may claim high success rates based on virtually meaningless surveys of past clients. (How many people will honestly report that they have failed to achieve sobriety?) Some companies routinely use their own employees for testimonials as former clients without disclosing that they are actually on the company payroll.
Some sales offices falsely present themselves as referral services when they are owned by the alcohol treatment programs they push. Others get a financial “kick back” for recommending some companies but not others. That’s great for them but bad for consumers. Another problem is kick-backs from detox centers to rehabs for referrals. Again, that’s bad for consumers.
Alcohol Treatment Programs: Protect Yourself
Protect yourself. At the very least, insist on an alcohol program that is
Fully licensed by the state.
Accredited by the Joint Commission, the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), or the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP). Most states require accreditation by the Joint Commission in order to be licensed and to receive Medicaid payments.
Staffed by professionals, at least some of whom have earned. M.D., Ph.D., or Psy.D. degrees.
Staffed by counselors, all of whom who are licensed and credentialed. There is a great variety of licenses. Every counselor should have earned at least one.
CAC (Certified Addictions Counselor).
CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor).
LADC (Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor).
LCADC (Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor).
NCAC (National Certified Addiction Counselor).
MAC (Master Addiction Counselor).
ICADC (Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor).
CCDP (Certified Co-occurring Disorders Counselor).
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor).
LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor).
LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor).
Licensed to provide detox for those needing it. Even if you don’t need detox, this is another sign of quality.
In reality, few people need an alcohol treatment center, rehab, or retreat. Most can benefit from free or economical programs. They include these.
HAMS (Harm reduction, Abstinence, And Moderation Support).
SMART Recovery (Self-Management And Recovery Training).
SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety).
With any of these flexible programs, people can avoid the unnecessary expense, inconvenience, long travel, disruption to their lives, and anxiety about living among strangers in a retreat or rehab.
Be cautious when selecting alcohol treatment for yourself or a loved one.
Disclaimer: This website is informational only. It makes no suggestions or recommendations about alcohol, drinking, rehabs, programs, or any other matter and none should be inferred. Neither this website nor your host receives any compensation, directly or indirectly, from listing or describing any program. Such listing or description does not imply endorsement. [+]
Filed Under: Alcoholism General Information, Alcoholism Issues and Controversies