Drug and Alcohol Helpline

Archive for July, 2011

A Review of African American Family Services in Minnesota

The African American Family Services (AAFS) works with people in need that are affected by mental illness and addiction, giving them the resources needed to foster hope, empowerment, and wellness. They work with individuals, families and communities taking a holistic approach and providing culturally-specific chemical and mental health services that impact family preservation and promote community-based change and wellness.

AAFS is a nonprofit organization that provides outpatient chemical dependency treatment to adults, adolescents, and clients with children, and clients with mental health disorders. At AAFS, they realize that every person is different therefor treatment is designed to meet the unique needs of each client.

A Holistic Approach which is a wellness-based method is taken at the African American Family Services for clients recovering from chemical addiction. Treatment services promote physical, psychological, social and spiritual health, wellness and growth.

Programs of treatment include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Twelve Step Philosophy, Person Centered Therapy and Harm Reduction.

Assessment-Evaluation

A comprehensive interview with an addictions counselor is the first step taken at AAFS. After full assessments are done clients are referred to chemical health services that best fits their specific needs for treatment.

To restore wellness with their clients the following is utilized:

  1. Motivational Interviewing
  2. Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (E.M.D.R.) which is used for Post-Traumatic Stress and Compulsive Disorders
  3. Dialectic Behavior Therapy (D.B.T)
  4. Hypnosis
  5. Traditional Group and Individual Therapy

AAFS Adult Outpatient Treatment

This outpatient treatment program helps people understand the causes of chemical dependency and work to restore wellness within self, family, and community. AAFS employs culturally responsive, evidence based models, and uses industry best practices grounded in African American culture.

Co-Occurring Disorders

AAFS offers screening to determine if the client has a co-occurring disorder like bipolar disorder, anxiety or depression. Clients who also suffer from a co-occurring mental health illness receive the therapies needed to achieve holistic healing and wellness.

Continuing Care

AAFS understands how critical it is to their client’s long term recovery to have ongoing support once they’re out of chemical dependency treatment and transitioning back into their community. Their Continuing Care Services include Transition Lecture Series, Relapse Prevention for African Americans, and Support Groups.

Mental Health Services at AAFS

Counselors and facilitators help clients identify their source of unrest and offer stability and wellness through culturally responsive and holistic mental health services. AAFS services address mental health concerns like depression, trauma, family violence, grief and loss, parenting skills and many other issues.

Individual and Family Counseling for adults and adolescents is provided by licensed mental health therapists at AAFS. Individual and family counseling is provided by appointment or walk-in when available.

African American Family Services in Minnesota has a Hope for Healing Center that’s licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. They provide group, couples, family and individual therapy through their innovative tier programming. Their clients receive health assessments, psychiatric evaluations and diagnoses that are then followed by regular therapy appointments and medication consultation as needed.

Therapeutic approach to treatment includes Gestalt, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Comprehensive fitness programming, Team building, self-esteem building, and confidence building courses.

Founded in 1975, AAFS and is now the Twin Cities preeminent holistic behavioral health and wellness service provider for the African American community. Their mission is to help the African American individual, family and community to reach a greater state of well-being through the delivery of community-based, culturally specific chemical health, mental health, and family preservation services.

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A Review Of Bridgeway Counseling Services INC Saint Charles Center

Bridgeway was launched in 1978 and since has grown into a multi-service wonderful organization. Bridgeway Counseling Services utilizes a comprehensive recovery plan for individuals in need of treatment for addictive disorders, sexual assault, and domestic violence. This successful agency cares about their community and offers a wide range of treatment for people in need.

Bridgeway is recognized locally and nationally for their innovation creating healthy and safe communities. Bridgeway’s professional staff understands the challenges people face that are struggling with substance abuse, addiction and co-occurring mental health problems. They understand just how hard this is on their clients struggling with these serious issues and offer them compassion, reassurance, and the tools that have been proven to help their clients successfully recover.

Bridgeway’s mission is to improve the mental, spiritual, and physical health of the people and communities that they serve.

As mentioned above Bridgeway’s Services include Addictive Disorders, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. Inpatient services and outpatient programs are provided through Bridgeway’s behavioral health program which include:

  1. Medically Assisted Detoxification
  2. Modified Medical Detoxification
  3. Residential Alcohol and Drug Dependency Treatment
  4. Outpatient Alcohol and Drug Dependency Treatment
  5. Evidence Based Treatment Approach
  6. Up to 50 hours of group and individual therapy and education each week

Adult Recovery Inpatient Program

Bridgeway offers separate recovery programs for women and men. Their program for women includes residential care for children in an onsite licensed daycare facility. Residential care for men is in a separate facility. Bridgeway also utilizes medically assisted detox with around the clock supervision by doctors and nurses in a healthcare facility. Bridgeway’s modified medical detoxification offers skilled medical care at one of their residential care facilities.

Adult Recovery Outpatient programs are also available through Bridgeway’s recovery program. Their outpatient programs provide intensive ongoing support for recovery through individual therapy, family counseling and education.

Children’s services are also offered through Bridgeway Behavioral Health. Children are offered a safe residential environment with 24 hour care while their mothers are undergoing treatment.

Adolescent Outpatient programs are also available through Bridgeway Behavioral Health services. Bridgeway offers Bridges to Success which is a program that’s designed for 13 to 18 year olds. This is an outpatient program that’s confidential, comprehensive, and flexible for adolescents and their families. A certified clinical staff that specializes in treatment for adolescents leads Bridgeway’s Bridges to Success Adolescent outpatient program.

Compulsive Gambling therapy is part of Bridgeway’s addictive disorders services also. They offer a comprehensive compulsive gambling program for people who are unable to control their gambling behaviors and their lives are being affected because of it. Bridgeway has a staff that’s specially trained in compulsive gambling and they provide individuals in need of treatment individual, group and family therapy for a complete solution.

SATOP is Bridgeway’s Substance Abuse Offenders Program. SATOP provides the help individuals need who have drug related and alcohol related traffic offenses. Bridgeway is an Offender Management Unit and they screen and refer individuals to appropriate court-mandated programs.

Bridgeway’s Sexual Assault Response Teams, also referred to as SART consists of volunteers that respond 24 hours a day, every day of the week to emergency rooms in the area when a sexual assault victim enters the hospital for an exam. They provide the victim with emotional support and all of the people that came with her to the hospital.

Bridgeway Counseling Services Inc. in Missouri provides prevention and education by their professionally experienced and trained sexual assault staff. They provide resources to the community which includes rape prevention education for high schools, colleges and for organizations.

Another program offered through Bridgeway Behavior Health is Domestic Violence. Bridgeway offers immediate intervention 24 hours a day. Two emergency safe shelters and outreach support centers are operated by Bridgeway for women and children that are victims of domestic violence. These safe havens are provided for women and children that are in immediate danger and they’re offered group counseling, education, support, legal advocacy, life-skills training and outreach services.

As you can see Bridgeway Behavioral Health offers help, education, support and compassion to individuals in need of recovery. Bridgeway has been helping people in need of support and recovery with a wide range of treatment since 1978 and their compassion and dedication toward people in need, shows.

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A Review of ABC Sober Living in California

The Soledad House is an ABC Sober Living Property and is San Diego’s premier residential recovery program that emphasizes relapse prevention treatment for women who are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. Soledad House is court approved and state licensed and offers women a safe environment encouraging them to embrace a life free from addiction.

The Soledad House operates several facilities and has more than 30 beds. Some of their residents come right after detox is completed from other prominent facilities. A safe, nurturing and structured program of recovery is provided to enable emotional, mental, spiritual and physical healing.

The environment at Soledad House is safe and serene and through a 12-Step faith based approach women are able to develop the coping skills that are essential for permanent sobriety. They learn how to live an enjoyable and rewarding life free from addiction through education, group therapy, and both 12 Step and Spiritual activities.

Soledad House Women’s Recovery Program is designed for women that want to change their lives and a comprehensive substance abuse and prevention program is utilized for their residents to help them do that. Their treatment program incorporates traditional and integrative therapies to assist their residents in their recovery. A typical stay for residents in Soledad House Recovery Program is 90 days or longer.

Soledad House Women’s Recovery Program provides services that include; a personalized treatment plan and individualized care, education for addiction and relapse prevention, a 12 Step Program, a compassionate and dedicated team that are licensed, credentialed professionals, multiple, weekly group and individual therapy sessions, an environment that’s nurturing and healing, a safe, women only environment with the highest privacy standards, a large community of committed people that are succeeding in their own recovery, a family program that helps the resident and their family members to rebuild their life, an After Care Program, Spiritual activities, and outside 12 Step meetings.

A phase system is utilized at Soledad House. This phase system helps their residents to transition effectively from a high level of care through their discharge. Phase 1 is a structured schedule that provides high accountability in low traffic, male prohibited housing. Phase 2 residents move into one of their sober living homes. Residents are given a chance to transition into a recovered life and create their own schedules to reproduce life once they have completed the program.

The staff at ABC Sober Living in California cares about their residents and believes that every person that comes into their program deserves the best treatment possible. Residents at Soledad House are given the highest level of care possible to assist them in their recovery so they can go on to live a substance free happy fulfilled life.

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A Review of Circles of Hope Psychotherapy and Addictions Therapy

Circles of Hope offers people in need Comprehensive Counseling Services serving the Greater Washington DC Metropolitan area. George L. Wheeler, Sr. is the director with a vast amount of credentials which include:

  1. Licensed psychologist in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland
  2. Psychology doctorate
  3. Master of business administration
  4. Masters of developmental psychology
  5. Masters in counseling psychology
  6. Post-masters in addiction counseling
  7. CEAP which is a Certified Employment Assistance Professional
  8. SAP which is a Substance Abuse Professional
  9. A certified AIDS-Awareness instructor
  10. Licensed emergency technician

George Wheeler’s staff includes psychotherapists that are at the master’s level, professional counselors/mentors that have a bachelor’s degree in human service fields that includes social work, counseling, psychology, or education. Part of their services include the college student population that struggle with substance abuse, substance dependency, and other psychopathologies. Circle of Hope utilizes a Holistic Approach which addresses the mind, body and spirit. It’s very obvious their staff cares about their client’s needs and they want to make a difference in their lives.

At Circles of Hope their Psychotherapy & Addictions Therapy Programs promote positive changes within individuals and provides an environment where that’s possible. There are a wide range of treatments that are designed to address the substance abuse and chemical dependency problems for the participant. Individualized treatment services are designed for each individual participant meeting their specific needs.

Treatment Offered at Circles of Hope

The first counseling session is private. The session is a one on one comprehensive substance abuse and other drug evaluation of the individual.

Their basic course in alcohol and other drug abuse consists of Lecture/Evidence based curriculum, video education, biological aspects of addiction, triggers, cravings, avoiding relapse, planning for sobriety, alcohol and tobacco, negative emotions, and stress and emotional well-being.

Counseling and therapy is offered at Circles of Hope in the District of Columbia and their mission is to serve individuals that are experiencing life issues that have their lives out of balance. Their Therapeutic sessions are one on one and are 60 to 90 minutes long. Because each client’s needs are unique, the structure, format, and amount of sessions needed vary depending on the individual.

Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Therapy is an intensive educational program. Services in this program include a screening interview with a qualified clinician, attendance at six 2 hour educational sessions, attendance at one AA, NA, CA or Alanon-Naranon self-help meeting and completion of self-help-meeting evaluation form. There is also a required follow-up interview.

People who could benefit from this program include employees with problems associated with substance use, family members with problems associated with substance use and mental health patients with issues regarding substance use and abuse.

When the requirements above are completed the participant receives a Certificate of Achievement. Documentation is also sent to the agency, company, or professional who made the initial referral.

DUI or DWI

For individuals that have been charged with driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated, Circles of Hope provides an evidence based curriculum for all individuals who have been charged with a DUI/DWI offense in any of the 48 contiguous states and Alaska and Hawaii.

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