Referring a Client to a Treatment Center

What to Know When Referring a Client to a Treatment Center

Referral treatment involves having a follow-up method for clients with dependency on substances and in need of specialized treatment. Referral treatment will also include helping the patient access specialized treatment, choosing the right facility best suited to the client’s needs, and helping the client navigate through possible treatment barriers.

The kind of treatment center you choose for your client will have a significant impact on whether the patient will seek the treatment and follow through to completion or not. In this post, we look at some of the most important things you need to know when referring a client to an addiction treatment center.

One of the most effective ways of referring clients to a good treatment center is via telebehavioral counseling. This type of counseling helps people in need of ongoing therapy during recovery. It also helps those with more serious cases of addiction find the most appropriate rehabilitation treatment center. However, knowing when to refer a patient to a treatment center can be difficult.

Here are a few tips to get you started.

Make sure that the patient understands that you expect total honesty about his or her substance abuse. The problem with telebehavioral therapy, however, is the fact that it lacks face-to-face or in-person interactions. However, you can overcome the limitation by encouraging the client to talk frankly about his or her life from the onset.
Seek and record any behavioral patterns that could be a sign of substance abuse disorder. Check for behavioral patterns such as missed appointments, arriving late, and constantly changing appointment times. Find out how often the client misses work or fails to attend other engagements. Look out for signs of strained relationships and legal issues.
Remember to use available assessment tools such as the Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) which is used to assess patients for substance abuse and other mental health issues. The screening tools are quite useful in the assessment process.
Make sure to refer the client to a treatment center as early as possible. Do not wait until the situation has worsened before you refer them to the right rehab facility. Refer the patient to rehab before drugs or alcohol takes total control of his or her life. Be honest and straightforward about the effects of the continued substance use on the patient’s physical, emotional, and social well-being. Try to identify the root cause of the substance use habit to determine if the patient has a dual diagnosis case.
Advise the patient about the effects of going to rehab on his or her life. For instance, going for inpatient care will disrupt their normal routine but worth the effort to recovering from addiction. Let them understand all the pros and cons of going to rehab and more importantly why it is imperative that they get professional help before things spiral out of control.
Make sure that you have a list of the best addiction treatment centers with the right programs for the client. You should also know what treatment options and programs are offered by each provider in your list since each client has his or her unique treatment needs.

Choosing the Right Treatment Center for Your Client

When choosing a treatment center for your client, make sure to only choose reputable and accredited addiction treatment providers.

Here are a few more factors to consider when referring a client to a treatment center:

1. Is it an inpatient or outpatient treatment center? When referring a client, do they need to stay at the center for the entire duration of the treatment or attend therapy for several hours per day while commuting from home? Keep in mind that inpatient or residential treatment facilities have a higher success rate.
2. Does the facility specialize in treating your client’s type of addiction? Some rehab centers specialize in treating different forms of addiction while others have a holistic approach to all forms of addiction.
3. What therapies and treatments do they offer? There are many types of therapies or treatment programs for people struggling with addiction including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), group therapy, and many more. Find a treatment center with the most effective programs for your patient.
4. Do they offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT)? This form of treatment has become quite popular today since it combines psychotherapy and behavioral therapy with addiction treatment medications.