Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment: Critical Decisions

By David Westbrook

Choosing the right alcohol or drug rehab center can make all the difference when it comes to entering long-term recovery from an addiction. The task of finding the “right” drug rehab center is complicated by the fact that there are over 13,000 drug rehab facilities around the country. Each of these treatment centers is unique, but being unique does not necessarily mean that they are all equally good. It does, however, mean that you have many drug rehab centers to choose from and if you do not find the right one immediately you should continue searching as there are many high quality centers.

Here are ten questions to help you in your search for the right drug or alcohol rehab facility.

1. How does the treatment center define success and what is their success rate?

Many drug treatment facilities will have had independent reviews of their success. However, success can be measured in many ways. One treatment center may say they have a 74% success rate, but only be considering clients who remain sober for 6 months; another center may claim a 68% rate based on the results of clients after one year. Whatever their claimed success rate you will want to know how they measured it and what they consider success.

2. Are they accredited as a drug rehab center? And if so by whom?

There are a handful of national accreditation organizations including Joint Commission On Accreditation Of Healthcare Organizations (JACHO) and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), among others. Organizations accredited by these bodies frequently have undergone site reviews and have measured up to national standards.

3. What are the credentials of their staff?

Most states have a system for credentialing drug and alcohol counselors. These individuals may be Certified Addictions Counselors (CAC) or Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC). These are minimum certifications, lead counselors should hold be MSW or LCSW level or higher.

4. Do they provide medically supervised withdrawal?

With some drugs proper withdrawal supervision can be a matter of life or death. If the treatment center does not have a detox center can they recommend one for attendance prior to treatment.

5. What does a typical week in their drug rehab facility look like?

There should be a balance of group and individual therapy. Education sessions, opportunities for reflection and support groups along with other components.

6. Can the provide testimonials?

True, no treatment center would put on display their failures, but they should be able to tell you about their successes.

7. How do they assist in setting up aftercare?

Aftercare has been found to be crucial to the success of long-term recovery. A good treatment center should either offer aftercare of be able to assist you in locating aftercare in your community.

8. Do they have a diverse group of counselors, and how will you be matched up?

One of the primary determinants of treatment success is a good client-counselor relationship. Therefore, a match between counselor and client should be worked towards.

9. What is their treatment modality or philosophy?

Find out if they are 12-step oriented, use motivational, cognitive or behavioral therapies, and then ask them to explain any terms you might not understand.

10. Do they work with your insurance company or can they set-up a payment plan?

Make sure you ask if they can work with your insurance company, or if your insurance does not pay for treatment work out how payment is to be handled.

Use a systematic program for identifying treatment centers which may be right for you. You may wish to print these questions out and keep a separate worksheet for each center’s answers. Remember, the right drug rehab center is waiting for you to call today.

Related Kindle Store :

• The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure: A Holistic Approach to Total Recovery

• The Little Red Book

• 12 Stupid Things That Mess Up Recovery

• Overcoming Crystal Meth Addiction: An Essential Guide to Getting Clean

• Thinking Simply About Addiction

• Overcoming Your Alcohol or Drug Problem: Effective Recovery Strategies Workbook

• Eating for Recovery

• Sober Siblings: How to Help Your Alcoholic Brother or Sister-and Not Lose Yourself

• Helping the Addict You Love: The New Effective Program for Getting the Addict Into Treatment

• How to Quit Drugs for Good: A Complete Self-Help Guide

Blue Cross Insurance - Providing Health Insurance For One Third Of All Americans

By Donald Saunders

Blue Cross insurance was the creation of Justin Ford Kimball who, in 1929, devised a plan to provide hospital care for school teachers in Dallas. The plan provided teachers with cover for up to twenty one days in hospitalization each year for a premium of six dollars.

From these humble beginnings the plan spread, first throughout Dallas and other areas of Texas and then nationwide, providing cover for employees across an ever widening range of employment.

Just ten years after it was born the Blue Cross symbol was adopted by the American Hospital Association for plans that met certain standards and this formal recognition provided Blue Cross insurance with a springboard for further growth.

In 1960 the growth in popularity of Blue Cross was such that the Blue Cross Association superseded the American Hospital Association commission and some twelve years later severed all ties with the commission.

Finally, in 1982, the Blue Cross Association merged with the National Association of Blue Shield Plans and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association we know today was formed.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is in effect a trade association for some thirty eight independent and locally, or regionally, operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. These together provide cover throughout the United States, as well as in the Canadian province, for millions of Americans (it is estimated that one in three Americans now carry a Blue Cross and Blue Shield card) and makes Blue Cross and Blue Shield the country’s largest healthcare provider.

But Blue Cross and Blue Shield does much more than simply provide medical insurance cover on a group and individual basis.

The Association is now also the administrator for Social Security in a large number of states and often provides group cover for state government employees and for employees of the Federal government. As a result, officials within Blue Cross and Blue Shield work closely with government health policy makers at the very top levels of government and the Association plays a significant part in influencing the direction of government health policy.

It is amazing to think that a plan originally devised simply to provide cover for hospital bills for a small group of school teachers in Dallas has now developed not only into a nationwide plan providing cover for just about anything you can imagine from critical illness through long-term care, disability, life cover, dental cover, pharmacy cover and even cover for worldwide travel, but has also spawned an organization that is at the very heart of the healthcare system of the United States.

With such phenomenal growth in the past seventy five years and such a strong position today one can only imagine that Blue Cross and Blue Shield will continue to grow in the years ahead proving yet more and more cover for an ever growing number of customers.

Related Books :

• Blues: A History of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield System

• Basic policies have scant effect: study. (Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association study on basic health care policies): An article from: National Underwriter … & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management

• Affordable health care choices.(Commentary)(Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield): An article from: Arkansas Business

• Blues plan would nudge retirees into managed care.(Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association): An article from: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management

• N. County Hospital District Mulls Nurse-Retention Plan.(Palomar Pomerado Health System, ScrippsHealth, Blue Cross Association, ResMed Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical … An article from: San Diego Business Journal

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Iron Supplements - A Review

Executif Summary about Iron Supplements By Dave Tupniak

Iron supplements are often given to individuals who for some reason or another are low in Iron concentrations in their blood. This article aims to provide some clarification about what iron is, when iron deficiency can occur, who may need to take iron supplements to prevent a deficiency, and the risk of iron toxicity.

What is Iron?

Iron is an essential element that plays a key role in normal human physiology.

When can iron deficiency occur?

Iron deficiency occurs when the balance of iron that is taken into the body is less than what is required by the body for normal function. The process of iron deficiency is usually slow because the body will first try to compensate for the imbalance by tapping into the forms of iron storage within the body. Once the iron storage forms are depleted, blood hemoglobin levels begin to decrease leading to iron deficiency anemia.

Iron deficiency anemia can be associated with low amounts of iron being taken in through the diet, poor absorption of iron from the GI tract, or excessive blood loss. Individuals who have the greatest need for iron such as pregnant woman, woman of child bearing age, premature or low birth weight infants, older infants, and teenage girls, may be at the greatest risk of developing iron deficient anemia.

Individuals with certain disorders such as kidney failure, vitamin A deficiencies, and absorption disorders are also open to iron deficiencies. Vitamin A is needed to help utilize stored Iron in the body. If you have low amounts of vitamin A, stored iron can’t be utilized.

Who needs iron supplements?

There are three types of people who may need to take iron supplements. Those who lose more iron, those who do not absorb sufficient amounts of iron and those who require more amounts of iron.

It has already been mentioned that pregnant women, woman of childbearing age, premature infants, toddlers, teenage girls, people suffering from renal failure, and people with GI disorders who do not absorb normal amounts of iron may benefit from iron supplements.

Vegetarians may need to consider iron supplements as the vegetarian’s diet may not be sufficient to reach the recommended daily intake of iron. It is not just that fruits and vegetables have lower amounts of iron in them than meat, but the absorption of plant iron vs. meat iron is much more difficult in the human body. The three groups of athletes that may be at the highest risk of iron deficiency are female athletes, distance runners, and vegetarian athletes.

What is the risk of iron toxicity?

The risk for iron toxicity can run very high if someone is taking iron supplementation that does not need it. Remember to keep any iron supplement away from children.

Related supplements :

• Slow Fe Slow Release Iron Tablets 90-Count Box

• TwinLab Daily One Caps Multi-Vitamins and Multi-Minerals without Iron, Capsules, 180-Count Bottle

• Ferro-Sequels High Potency Iron Supplement Tablets - 100 ea

• TwinLab Daily One Caps Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Supplement with Iron, Capsules, 180-Count Bottle

• Garden of Life - Living Multi, 252 caplets

• Life Force Multiple (Iron-Free)

• Bifera Dual Action Iron Supplement, 30 Tablets

• Solgar - Formula VM-75, 180 tablets

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