While there is plenty of research and guidance on substance abuse and mental illness, the fact is that each of us is unique and our needs are specific, as is the treatment plan., This is true from the first admission to a recovery program through the last day of treatment. One potentially confusing area of behavioral health treatment is the level of care required for a particular client. With several levels of care (some sounding or seeming similar), it can be helpful to learn more about them straight from Rob, one of our primary therapists, and an admissions specialist.
We look at several factors when considering which level of care is appropriate for each client. This process begins at the first point of contact with our admissions department. To fully understand how we can address the needs of each client, multiple assessments are administered by our trained professionals.
Destination Hope is a unique facility with well-established programs that focus on substance use disorders and various mental health issues. These assessments are designed to determine if the individual would benefit more from our mental health track or substance use disorder track. Many clients who arrive at Destination Hope have coexisting mental health and substance use disorder issues. The clinical team determines which of those emerges as the primary issue.
Once it is determined if the client will be treated with a focus on either mental health or substance use, we then evaluate which level of care the client is appropriate to admit. We are a full-service facility that offers the entire spectrum of inpatient and outpatient treatment, including Detox, Residential, PHP, Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Outpatient (OP). Clients are only admitted to detox if they arrive in treatment after using highly addictive narcotics or alcohol. For the Residential, PHP, IOP, and OP levels of care, multiple factors are considered when placing clients into the appropriate level of care.
However, the most crucial question when considering the correct level of care for each client is, “How much has this person’s substance use disorder or mental health issues affected their ability to function?”
If it is determined that the client has severe substance use issues or is adjudged to have high acuity mental health symptoms, they will likely be placed into the residential level of care. If a client is found to be higher functioning based on the determinations of the clinical team, they may be placed into the PHP/IOP level of care. The clinical team continuously monitors clients’ symptoms, and once they no longer meet the criteria for a given level of care, they are “stepped down” to the subsequent level of care.
The Bottom Line
Placing a client in the correct level of care is vital to their treatment and provides them the best possible opportunity for sustained recovery. As such, you need to trust the process and the clinicians working with you or your loved one. Often, families do not realize how much their loved ones were using or how significantly mental health issues have affected them. They may believe that their loved one should be in a lower level of care. However, the admissions team and the clinicians at Destination Hope have years of experience and focus on the best care with the highest chance of a successful stint in rehab. Contact us for more information and to start your path toward recovery.
