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Seeking Treatment

Seeking Treatment

Seeking Treatment: Step 1 –The Assessment

Whether your assessment is completed over the phone or in-person, a treatment provider must conduct an assessment in order to make a case to your insurer (private insurance or Medicaid / Medicare) that you qualify for the level of care you are seeking, in order for the insurer to pay them. The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) developed a uniform set of criteria for assessing individuals with a substance use problem in 1991, so that the medical community could determine the appropriate level of care. This criterion is now used in over 30 states, including Maryland, and is the basis for placement, continued stay, and the transfer or discharge of patients with addiction and co-occurring conditions. (asam.org, 2018)

How ASAM Criteria Works

ASAM placement criteria enable medical professionals to create comprehensive and individualized treatment plans based on a biopsychosocial assessment that considers patient needs within six dimensions. Using these criteria, referral to an appropriate level of treatment, and planning for necessary services are made.

Why You Need To Know This!

You have a right to receive the level of care that will lead to your recovery! Therefore, it is imperative that you understand your assessment because it is the foundation for your treatment plan –including your discharge from one level of care to the next. If you do not receive the appropriate level of care that you need in order to recover –it stands to reason that you will be unsuccessful in your recovery!

Seeking Recovery Services / Housing: Step 2 –The Discharge

Here are some steps that you can take to ensure that you have a successful discharge to the services, including housing, that you need to sustain your recovery:

  1. Every regulated treatment provider has someone in charge of discharge planning. Insist that you meet with this individual within 72 hours of entering treatment –particularly if you are seeking a discharge to residential care, as it can take a couple weeks to locate a bed.
  2. If you are not feeling well, identify a reliable friend, family member, or peer specialist to assist you in advocating for an appropriate discharge. Tell your provider that you are authorizing this individual to assist you, and sign a release allowing them to contact the discharge planner on your behalf. Choose an individual who is assertive! All too often discharge planners do not begin planning until 72 hours before you leave –by then it is too late to locate suitable housing, Suboxone doctors, psychiatrists, and other service providers.
  3. Ask for a copy of your assessment. You have a right to access all of your records. If you are seeking a halfway house (3.1) or recovery residence, make sure that your assessment supports your case for needing that level of care. If it doesn’t, then bring this to the atten-tion of your assigned counselor immediately and tell them the compelling reasons why you need this level of care. Insist that they include YOUR reasons in this document. If you are not in a mental or emotional frame of mind to handle this, then reconsider #2 above.
  4. If you are seeking recovery housing upon leaving detox, ask that the individual responsible for planning your discharge review potential housing options and supply you with any applications that you need to complete. Then request that he or she send or fax your application, your assessment, and any other relevant documentation to the halfway house or recovery residence to which you are applying within 72 hours of entering treatment.
  5. If you do not have a job and have little financial support, ask your counselor to assist you in enrolling in Maryland Recovery Net, in order to apply for funds that you may need for recovery services, including housing.
  6. If, for whatever reason, your discharge planner is not on top of your discharge planning within 72 hours of your arrival as a new patient, then calmly and respectfully request a grievance form and immediately request to speak with their supervisor or the director of the program –or ask your representative (step #2) to do it for you. Let them know that you are aware that it can take weeks to locate an appropriate placement in recovery housing and you DO NOT intend to be discharged to homelessness.
  7. Once you have a couple housing possibilities in mind, ask your counselor to schedule a visit so that you can talk to the program director and/or house manager, tour the facility, check out the surrounding neighborhood, and make sure that the place feels like somewhere that you’d want to live for a while.
  8. Discuss with your discharge planner any other wrap-around services that you might need and request referrals to these providers as well: Suboxone doctor, medical cannabis provider, psychiatrist, job coach, lawyer, GED program, child-care provider, etc. The Recovery Residence Residential Rights Protection Act, signed into law on May 24th, 2017, requires your provider to develop a discharge plan that meets ALL of your recovery needs, as outlined in your assessment (and a good assessment will highlight all of your needs).
  9. Make sure that all of these services and providers are listed in your TREATMENT PLAN. This is the document that will guide your recovery when you leave your current provider. Ask your counselor to ensure that you have scheduled appointments with these providers prior to leaving your current program,AND that your medical records have already been sent to them. Get a copy of your PLAN prior to discharge. You can also enlist the support of your trusted helper (step #2) to assist you in ensuring that this has been done.
  10. If, at any time, you do not feel that your discharge planning is moving forward, do not hesitate to ask for help, file a complaint, speak to a supervisor, or call a local advocacy group . 1 in 10 people get the help they need for a substance use disorder when they need it, and inappropriate discharges can lead to relapse and death. Your discharge planner is paid to assist you in planning an appropriate discharge –make sure that he or she is doing their job to your satisfaction –your insurance or Medicaid is paying for it.
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