Questions you should be asking drug treatment centers – PART 1

Have you ever walked into a rehab center in Southern California? It’s like walking into a five-star resort on an exclusive island. The views, the food, the thread count of the sheets – all top of the line. In fact, when you think about it, they all look eerily similar. So, you have to stop and ask yourself, what is the difference?

The difference is what is going on inside the facility, on a daily basis.

For too long, people have been asking the wrong questions when searching for a rehab center. Where is it located? What are the views like? Is the food organic? Are the pillows on the bed firm or soft? Do I get keep my phone?

These are ridiculous things to be considering when someone’s life is on the line. I realize in desperation that most parents would refinance their house in order to get their child help from a deadly disease, so you need to be informed and ask the right questions or your money is going to be wasted.

1. How long has the facility been in operation? This is so crucial because many centers opened up after Obamacare was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2014. Insurance companies were then mandated to cover mental and behavioral health treatment, and just like that, the recovery industry went from being run by people who were genuinely concerned for helping others to people who were looking to cash in on the insurance mandate. I am not saying that all facilities that have opened since 2014 are bad, but just do your research and ask the question.
2. How many licensed professionals work full-time at the facility? If you ask this question, you are bound to make them nervous. Trust me, they love to hear you calling in distress, worried that your child will die if you don’t get them into rehab soon. And I know you are worried. But your child is better off if you ask informed, professional questions – and this one is very important. Hiring licensed professionals is expensive, cutting in to the net profit. Many centers avoid having too many full-time employees by contracting the work out. This is not a good sign. This is surely profit motivated.
3. What do they specialize in? You can sometimes find this out just by looking at their website. It’s a huge red flag if the site says “We specialize in everything!” To paraphrase my friend, Dr. Drew, when a treatment center says their good at everything, that’s like a doctor saying he’s a heart surgeon, an orthopedic surgeon, a brain surgeon AND a pediatrician! If you say you’re good at everything, the truth is you’re probably not very good at anything. Having one or two areas of expertise at a facility is ideal.

[clickToTweet tweet=”“I realize in desperation that most parents would refinance their house in order to get their child help from a deadly disease, so you need to be informed and ask the right questions or your money is going to be wasted.” -@askbobforrest” quote=”“I realize in desperation that most parents would refinance their house in order to get their child help from a deadly disease, so you need to be informed and ask the right questions or your money is going to be wasted.”- Bob Forrest”]

Tomorrow I’ll share three more questions you should be asking when you call a rehab center.

And always remember this: Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Ask your family, neighbors, co-workers, friends — ask me. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from real people who you can trust.