Assessment process for addiction treatment

Our objective is to determine the current state of each individual’s health as they enter our program. Since our program is designed to help participants from a holistic perspective, our assessment process addresses many facets of the human person, including the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Each assessment tool helps us achieve a clearer picture of the factors that contribute to the resident’s present state, and this knowledge aids us in designing an optimum treatment plan to effectively address areas of concern.

Medical Evaluation:

The health of the physical body is important to the overall recovery process. We strive to discover any underlying medical issues that need to be addressed, using a physical exam and any additional tests that may be recommended by our medical director. This enables us to provide proper medical care to each resident during their stay.

Counseling Assessment:

A thorough bio-psycho-social history is taken to determine current lifestyle and historical patterns. This information is used to guide the formation of the treatment plan concerning counseling interventions that are designed to: (1) encourage change that facilitates correction and adaptation in situations that have become disruptive, stressful and unsatisfactory; (2) to aid residents in learning to make healthier choices; (3) to help prepare them for predictable life events, such as the transition home after receiving treatment; and (4) to keep people open to growing in new and deeper levels of understanding, appreciation, and wisdom.

Physical Therapy Assessment: This service is available for any resident who suffers from neuro-musculoskeletal pain or dysfunction. It includes a Total Body Evaluation that provides a complete assessment. The physical therapist’s examination goes beyond the area of pain or complaint to look at the entire kinetic chain, revealing the source of the resident’s complaint rather than focusing exclusively on symptoms. The resident will undergo a neurological screen, muscle screening and joint testing to see if a problem in one area is contributing to, or is the result of, a problem in another area. The findings of this assessment process are used to develop the bodywork and exercise components of the treatment plan for any resident with chronic pain or difficulty with movement.

Bodywork Assessment: Bodywork is an umbrella term that includes many types of hands-on therapies focused on re-aligning the structure of the body and facilitating energy flow. Bodywork employs the power of human touch to heal and restore the body holistically by influencing body, mind, emotions and spirit. Many dysfunctional conditions are relieved or completely healed through various types of massage and skin care treatments, as well as Essential Acupressure, Craniosacral Balancing, Neurofascial Release, Nerve Mobilization, and Structural Alignment.

The assessment process is critical to obtaining the best possible outcome in bodywork. The body tells the story of the events of a person’s life, indicating where and how those events impacted that person. Some life events get stored in the physical tissues, while others are stored in the energetic pathways of the body. A proper assessment guides the formation of a treatment plan designed to release these patterns and restore the body. Proper assessment should include:

• A Craniosacral Evaluation that indicates structural restrictions and dysfunctional patterns in the body.
• A Pulse Diagnosis that indicates the condition of each of the internal organs and their corresponding meridians.
• A Five Element Assessment to evaluate the holding patterns of, and congestion in, the torso.

Nutrition Assessment: Proper nutritional support is essential to the recovery process. Nutritional assessment is especially important since the majority of those who suffer from addiction also suffer from malnutrition. Often the lack of proper nutrients fuels the cravings for the individual’s drug of choice. Providing the necessary nutritional support improves the health of the body/mind, and has the added benefit of reducing cravings. Our state-of-the-art BioMeridian equipment assesses the present state of each body system and aids us in selecting the whole food supplements that will restore the inflamed and weakened systems to optimum health. Proper nutritional support is one of the goals of each resident’s treatment plan, since it contributes significantly to their sense of well-being.

Allergy Assessment: Allergies are often an underlying factor in anxiety, depression and addiction. Consequently, our holistic focus provides an allergy assessment for each resident as they enter our program. Our BioMeridian diagnostic equipment, in combination with NAET (allergy elimination) technology, provides a means to discover and treat these underlying allergies that contribute to addiction and mental health conditions. This is an essential component of each resident’s treatment plan.

Heavy Metal Assessment: The presence of heavy metals in the body can cause many unpleasant symptoms that may contribute to mental health conditions, including addiction. A simple hair analysis demonstrates the amount of heavy metals in the body, as well as the mineral derangement that they cause. Based on these clinical findings, we are able to naturally detoxifying the body with homeopathic remedies and restore proper mineral balance to improve health and well-being. This is a key element in our holistic treatment plan.

Fitness Assessment: A holistic plan would be incomplete without a fitness component. Each resident of our program receives a comprehensive fitness assessment that includes a review of their fitness goals, medical history, previous exercise habits and exercise likes/dislikes. The intake procedure continues with a fitness assessment which includes both functional joint range of motion and sub-max cardiovascular testing. Based on this information, an individualized exercise prescription is developed. The resident then meets with a fitness professional and is given the tools to implement their program not only during their stay, but for a lifetime.