Yeah yeah yeah, only put PFC's side at the Times. That's OK. I heard the PFC folks are joining the NFL (not for long), :roflmao:
Good luck with the comments. They won't take mine, I even tried a different name. Oh well.
Healing Partnerships
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 | (No comments posted.)
According to Kevin Beatty, program director for the Northwest Indiana Pathway Family Center, “A whole family approach is vital to treating those individuals severely addicted to drugs or alcohol. Parent groups, sibling groups, multifamily treatment, combined with partnering with other experts in the field, is the first and most important tool to truly grasp a better understanding of the disease of addiction.” It is for that reason Pathway Family Center, a long-term substance abuse treatment center in Porter, has partnered with similar agencies and organizations to better heal the entire family unit.
Pathway Family Center, a leader in substance abuse treatment services for adolescents, understands the importance of partnership. Every treatment provider is an essential part of the community. By working together with other treatment providers, it enables them to help more families during the overall treatment process. When there is suspicion of a family member abusing drugs, effective drug treatment begins with professionals who understand chemical dependency and know how to recommend the appropriate level and type of care for families and their child.
Terri C. Nissley, president and CEO of Pathway Family Center, says, “Current research indicates that treatment lasting at least one year, with the entire family intricately involved in the recovery process, proves to be the most effective for people who have been diagnosed with substance dependence. The initial period of physical withdrawal from most substances takes 30-60 days, at which time the individual struggles to cope with the physical symptoms of withdrawal. The period of post-acute withdrawal, the time it takes the brain’s chemistry to right itself, can last up to two years, during which time the individual requires frequent support and intervention to prevent relapse behavior and thinking. Longer treatment programming averaging a minimum of 6-12 months allows the client to be slowly integrated into various environments—home, school, work, recovery community, society—and practice those skills with the ability to return to the group to process and receive support and feedback on a daily basis. It is this opportunity to practice and reinforce their skills that leads to our young people’s success in life after treatment.” Following 6-12 months of intensive treatment, the introduction of an aftercare outpatient component is crucial to the continued success of living a life in recovery. Pathway’s Aftercare Program is a service that provides continuous peer and family support through individual, family and group work as needed through the stabilization process for families exiting treatment. Working with Pathway’s clinical staff, the client and their families are re-established through a therapeutic connection to the original treatment provider who identified the need for long-term care.
One of Pathway’s referral partners is New Leaf Resources, a nonprofit ministry that provides a full array of mental health and therapy services for individuals, couples and families who are struggling with issues such as addiction. With locations in Crown Point and Lansing, New Leaf works with Pathway to provide aftercare support following intensive inpatient treatment. “Intensive treatment at Pathway helps the teenager and their family lay the foundation for recovery,” explains Terry Top, executive director for New Leaf Resources. “It is essential that ongoing support be provided to build a lasting recovery for years to come.”
The therapists at New Leaf Resources understand what is needed for the entire family to heal and be supportive of each other as the teenager reenters normal life. It can be a big transition away from the intensive support system. At the end of some treatment programs, the family suddenly has no support. Together with Pathway, New Leaf Resources provides long-term care as the teen faces life’s struggles while remaining drug-free.
Without an expert assessment and diagnosis, the struggle for answers is often an exhausting search. A comprehensive substance abuse diagnosis, provided by a substance abuse professional, is essential for determining the correct treatment plan. It is extremely important for parents to rule out substance abuse as the primary reason for the presenting problem (poor grades, depression, unproductive friends). If not diagnosed properly, parents can end up spending thousands of dollars on treatment of symptoms instead of the core problem. After a proper diagnosis, parents will be given a recommendation for one of three options for the child. These options are a way for parents to choose the best decision for their son or daughter. The three options of care are A) Primary Substance Abuse, B) Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health or C) Primary Mental Health.
The Primary Substance Abuse option is a level of care that is most appropriate for adolescents who have experimented with, or are actively abusing substances. On this continuum, a child may need 1) substance abuse education, 2) outpatient, individual or family treatment with a substance abuse focus, 3) Intensive outpatient treatment (lasting about 13 weeks) or 4) long-term day treatment for the most severe cases of adolescent substance abuse lasting a minimum of 6 months.
With a Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health diagnosis, individuals benefit from a dual clinical focus for behavioral disorders that may be playing a part in the client’s substance abuse addiction, while others may benefit from services offered co-jointly between Pathway and another outpatient specialist who concentrate on specific issues, such as sexual or physical abuse. In these cases, Pathway Family Center works cooperatively with other providers on an outpatient basis, to coordinate care in a way that addresses the specific needs of the adolescent, while ensuring that the substance abuse is also understood and addressed in a specialized manner.
With the third option of Primary Mental Health, adolescents are not using and have other behavioral or mental health issues that will best be met by another agency. Pathway Family Center will work with our referral partners to provide these individuals with a plan and initial direction to get their needs met. Pathway Family Center and other adolescent drug treatment specialists work well with other agencies in the community on the front end of the treatment process. Not only does Pathway Family Center extend its cooperation with other treatment providers on the front end of treatment, but also on the back end of treatment through their cooperative relationship with other providers in their Aftercare Program.
Jerry Wetmore-Kirby, student assistance coordinator and guidance counselor at Valparaiso High School, says, “As a school professional, I have worked with young adults for 30 years plus, and I am still amazed at the blindness or denial a parent may have concerning their child. Adolescence is made up of various emotions, to which none of us who are parents are immune. There is never a parent who wants to believe their child may be involved with substances, but unfortunately, there are many young adults who need intervention. We as parents never want to believe our child—whom we love and trust, is getting good grades and is fun to be around—could be involved with harmful substances. I encourage all parents to trust their instincts and to check things out with your child, even when you really do not want to know the answer. You are not a detective, but you are their parent, and believe it or not, they need your intervention before they leave for college or other post-high school endeavors.”
The first step in recovery is to know that addiction is a three-part illness. It is physical, mental and spiritual, yet nine out of ten adolescents with substance abuse problems do not get the help they need. The most crucial step to beginning a life in recovery is admitting that you or a loved one may need help.
Pathway Family Center
24-hour parent helpline: 800.261.4605
pathwayfamilycenter.org
New Leaf Resources
708.895.7310
newleafresources.org.
This story is at the following web address:
http://www.nwi.com/articles/2009/01/21/ ... 595479.txt
Show Posts