Addiction treatment centers help those who are struggling with substance abuse. However, not all rehabilitation facilities are the same. Some are more effective than others.

When selecting a rehabilitation center for yourself or a loved one, it’s important to compare apples to apples. Treatment centers that address the whole self are more effective than ones that only treat substance abuse.

The types of therapies offered also make a difference, as people respond differently to various treatments. When you choose a treatment center that delivers effective, research-based treatment, the chances of success at your recovery are higher.

How Can I Determine the Effectiveness of a Program?

Many factors are taken into consideration when determining the effectiveness of a treatment program. One factor that we are going to look at today is success rates. Why are success rates important? How are they determined?

Success rates are given in percentages. For example, if a rehab center has a success rate of 85 percent, it means that 85 out of 100 patients were treated effectively.

You can learn about success rates by visiting a treatment center’s website or by calling them directly. Not all rehab facilities openly share their success rates, but they should all be able to provide you with this information at your request. This shows that the program follows up with its patients and is able to validate the effectiveness of their treatment.

What are Average Success Rates in this Industry?

The River Source is happy to share our success rates, which are proudly posted on our website. We keep track of our success rates each year, and currently, we have a 76% success rate after one year. This sets a high standard for our industry, as anything over 50% is considered very good.

The average success rates for addiction treatment centers are roughly 30%, which is more consistent with overall relapse rates. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that relapse rates are between 40 and 60 percent.

How Do You Come Up with Your Success Rates?

When using terms like “85 percent effective” or “works in 85 percent of cases,” we have to ask ourselves what is working. Is it stopping the use of drugs? Decreased criminal activity? Improved social and emotional functioning?

While our goal is to return patients to normal functioning, it’s more difficult to measure this. Therefore, success rates only look at how many people remained sober compared to how many relapsed. For example, in 2015, The RS had 589 patients who remained sober within 12 months after treatment, while 170 relapsed. This brings us to 76%.

When are Sobriety Checks Made?

Another important element to consider when evaluating success rates is how often sobriety checks are made. Many treatment centers will draw their numbers from immediate sobriety rates, which tend to be higher. A recovery program that delivers effective treatment will have high sobriety numbers a year or more after patients have completed treatment.

The River Source stays with our patients for 12 months. We make sobriety checks at:

• 2 weeks
• 30 days
• 60 days
• 90 days
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 12 months

Unlike other treatment centers, we see consistent success rates throughout the first 12 months. In 2015, we saw a 79% success rate after 2 weeks and a 76% success rate at 12 months. We believe that patients have a greater chance of sticking to their recovery goals thanks to our strong continuing care program.

Why are Your Success Rates Higher than Most?

Our success rates tend to be higher than the industry average for a couple of reasons. First, we focus on healing the total person – mind, body, and spirit. Other programs simply focus on stopping substance abuse, but they don’t do anything more to address social and emotional issues.

While it’s more common for addiction rehab centers to deliver holistic treatment, many are new to this approach and just beginning to offer holistic therapies and counseling for social and emotional issues.

The River Source has been providing these types of services since our launching in 2003, and we were one of the first to provide nutritional IV therapy and infrared sauna sessions. Like other treatment centers, we have expanded on our program with new therapies, but the core of our program has always remained the same.

Second, The RS provides a full continuum of care that follows patients after they complete treatment. Our continuing care program makes this possible, and we maintain contact with our patients for up to one year. This allows us to make suggestions where appropriate, and it holds patients accountable. Included with our continuing care program is the use of our naturopathic clinic, alumni accountability, sobriety checks, 12-step meetings, and online support.

The majority of our patients maintain their sobriety as long as they work at their recoveries. The doctors, nurses, and counselors at our facility prepare them for the long road ahead by giving them the tools and life skills they need to transition into the real world. Unfortunately, not all addicts are ready to change or find themselves relapsing. For these patients, we have help available.

What Happens if Myself or a Loved One Relapses?

Recovery is a long-term process, not something that is achieved with a 30 day stay in treatment. That’s why The RS has a comprehensive addiction treatment program that includes continuing care, but even this isn’t enough for everyone.

For patients that need to return to our treatment center, we have discounted rates. We hope that this makes subsequent treatment less intimidating and more affordable. Though it can be discouraging to relapse, it’s important to know that relapse is not a failure. Some addicts need multiple rounds of treatment before they are able to stick to their goals.

When patients return for treatment, we don’t throw everything away and start from scratch. Rather, we build on the treatment that was received and work on some of the issues that haven’t been resolved. This means that no time spent on treatment is wasted. Subsequent treatment builds on past treatment, which is why additional stays in our residential facility can make the difference between staying sober and further relapses.

Another aspect of our program that we want to highlight is our recovery guarantee. If you complete our 90-day treatment program or our full continuum of care and you relapse for ANY reason within 12 months from the date you leave our center, you may come back for an appropriate, individualized treatment program at NO COST!

Thanks to our holistic approach, a wide range of therapies, continuing care programs, and recovery guarantee, we are able to maintain consistently high success rates that other centers cannot compete with.

What are the Characteristics of a Strong Treatment Program?

The River Source cares about addicts and their families and wants to see people getting the help they need. While we hope that you choose our program for yourself or a loved one, the most important thing is that you get some form of help, even if it’s not through us.

To assist in your research, we’ve compiled a list of features that a treatment center should have to be successful. The time, energy, and money that you put into treatment should set you on the track to sobriety, so it’s important to make your selection carefully.

Below are the elements that we find most important for a successful treatment program. Never hesitate to ask about the program’s success rates if they aren’t posted on the website.

• Holistic Care: The best treatment centers address all aspects of healthy – mind, body, and spirit. Simply addressing the substance abuse and not the underlying issues leave a person at risk for relapse.
• Naturopathic Detox: Detox is the first step in getting clean and sober. Look for a program that offers a medically supervised detox program with 24-hour support. Both conventional and alternative therapies should be offered to manage withdrawal symptoms.
• Dual Diagnosis: Many people who suffer from substance abuse also have underlying mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression. These conditions need to be diagnosed and treated, otherwise, they will interfere with a healthy recovery.
• Personalized Treatment: Each patient is entirely unique, so cookie-cutter treatment plans are never effective. After receiving a full assessment and diagnosis, an individualized treatment plan should be written for each patient.
• Wide Range of Therapies: Since people respond differently to treatments, it’s important for addiction treatment centers to offer varied therapies. Some of the most effective include IV therapy, infrared sauna, acupuncture, massage therapy, and yoga. Nutrition, exercise, and traditional counseling are also staples of any good program.
• Family Support: Having a strong support network is highly important to stay sober. Unfortunately, not all recovering addicts return to a healthy environment. Look for programs that offer support and education to families in need.
• Staff with Experience: Who better to understand what patients are going through than people who have already traveled this path. Some programs employ staff who are recovered addicts and capable of delivering the care, compassion, and unique perspective that patients in recovery need.
• Continuing Care: Treatment does not end when a patient walks through the door. It’s an ongoing process, and recovering addicts need extra help in their first year. The best programs deliver continued care and keep in contact with their patients.

Summary

The treatment center you choose for yourself or a loved one will have a significant impact on the success of your recovery. When you finally make the decision to seek treatment, make sure that you are thoughtful about the program you choose. Not all are created equal, and some deliver more effective treatment than others.

The success rate of a program is a quick way to determine how reliable the treatment is, but be sure that you pay attention to how the number is determined. If a treatment center has a high success rate after one month but not after one year, this tells you that sobriety tapers off. It could be because the program doesn’t offer enough continued care or follow-up with their patients.

Ideally, a treatment center should have consistent success rates and be able to document their follow-ups with patients throughout the first 12 months, just as The River Source does. For more information about our success rates and the effectiveness of our program, please call us today. Your call is confidential!