I can still recall the first time that a client told me he wanted to go to rehab . I was working in a community drug service and my client was using heroin chaotically . He had lost his job and his family and was on the cusp of becoming homeless . Yes , rehab seemed the perfect solution . I told my colleague , who promptly advised me which rehab to send him to .

So , off my client went . He did extremely well and it turns out that the rehab , Sefton Park , was a good match for his needs . However , when I look back I shudder that this successful match of need to placement was more a matter of luck than clinical judgement .

This was 17 years ago , and things have come a long way . Many drug and alcohol teams have ‘ approved providers lists ’ and have a system for placing clients according to their treatment needs .

It should be remembered however , that going to rehab is quite literally a lifechanging decision and the importance of choosing the right provider cannot be overstated .

So , what sort of questions might you want to ask your client – or be asking yourself , if you are the potential resident ?

SINGLE SEX OR MIXED ? Some women I talk to are very vocal about their need to be in an all-female environment , as the issues underlying their addiction are not ones that they would wish to work through in mixed groups . Some people recognise the potential distraction of the opposite sex and identify single sex rehabs as providing the best opportunity to focus on recovery .

Equally , there will be those that want the opportunity to work on their relationships with both men and women , and welcome the diversity that a mixed rehab can offer .

There is no right or wrong – only what is right for the individual .

TREATMENT PHILOSOPHY This is an important part of the decisionmaking process . People all too often think that rehab is either 12-step or not , but there

������������� ���������� ����������� ��������� �������� ������������ ������������� ��������� ������� ���������� ����������� ��������� �������� ��������� ������������

is a huge scope of choice within the different 12-step programmes on offer so this is not always a helpful distinction to make .

Treatment centres throughout the UK offer a rich variety of programmes , with a wide range of interventions such as CBT , person centred counselling , family work , education and training , couples therapy , outdoor pursuits and volunteering , to name but a few .

HOME OR AWAY ? For some people , rehab will offer the opportunity to make a fresh start elsewhere , however , for others it is important to stay close to their home environment and community .

LENGTH OF PROGRAMME There are different lengths of programme on offer , according to need .

MAKING THE CHOICE I am pleased to know that my service is a member of Choices , a group of independent rehabs that have come together to share best practice and make the options easier to understand . Representatives of our 16 rehabs meet every two months to explore

ways that we can work together to improve the resident ’ s experience .

One of the greatest perks of being a Choices member has been the opportunity to visit the other centres . The experience of walking into a rehab and quite simply getting a ‘ feel ’ for it is unrivalled and we would encourage anyone considering going into rehab to go and visit at least one possible unit . You can also use resources such as the DDN listing , Public Heath England ’ s Rehab Online ( www . rehabonline . org . uk ) and the Choices website ( www . addictionrehabuk . org ) to compare the different centres .

We invite you to look beyond our leaflets and referral paperwork and visit us . Come and meet our current residents – you can be sure that they will tell it as it is ! Stay for lunch ; check out our hospitality , our food and drinks .

Come and get to know how we tick . Don ’ t just let us assess you or your client – come and assess us !

Hannah Shead is chief executive of Trevi House Choices website is at www . addictionrehabuk . org

D8 | drinkanddrugsnews | October 2017

www . drinkandrugsnews . com