Notes

Program implementation:
Program implementations in a rehab facility typically involve a multidisciplinary approach. This includes medical assessments, personalized treatment plans, counseling, group therapy, and activities to support recovery. Additionally, ongoing evaluation and adjustment of programs are crucial for addressing individual needs and progress. Integration of support networks, education on coping strategies, and relapse prevention

https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/model-programs-guide/literature-reviews/substance-use-treatment-programs#1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7864414/

are also common components. It's important to ensure a holistic and patient-centered approach for effective rehabilitation. Now here Gaudenzia Park Heights is where we resided for our specific program for our internship, it is a special place with very special people looking to be guided and helped through their addictions. Gaudenzia overall is a very highly favored rehab program, they do a lot of groups and take part in a lot of mental challenges with their patients/clients to ultimately try and give them the best care they need to never pick up their drug of choice again. I think it’s very important, and good to take note that most of their employees and people of a higher stature who work at the rehab center were all most likely there before but as the clients, they’re now in the helping positions! The people these addicts are looking up to for guidance were once in their shoes struggling with their own addictions, if not the same. Personally I think that is very powerful and motivating to not only see, but something that these addicts can model their treatment off of to keep going. Ultimately at the end of the day seeing someone beat an addiction will not help them beat theirs, but it will provide some type of hope and motivation that they’re not alone in this, as well as show them addiction is a beatable thing. They’re not very hopeful when first entering our rehab center, they don’t wanna be there, they first go through detox so they are super cranky and angry when coming off their drug of choice. Most of the time these clients have never even been sober long enough to feel their true feelings, and come to terms with their pains and traumas. That’s why they use their drug most times. It's just to escape from reality and feel that sense of numbness. I just touched on detox, but before you can start to detox you have to be admitted. Meaning we go over the paperwork with you, your sign consents to be treated as well as the rules within our program. We also touch on your previous healthcare, any medicines you may have been on, any diseases or mental illnesses you may have/ may not be aware of. It’s a little quick but tedious assessment just to see where you’ll be placed, and how we have to carry you in your specific journey to make you the most successful to become clean. After we go through your intake assessment and you’re put in detox you will go through detox for 5 to 7 days. You will then either be placed in the women's long-term or halfway house depending on your previous journey before you reached us. Women’s long-term is a minimum of 90 days, but you can stay up to six months total depending on how you’re doing the program, if you’re working towards your ultimate goal, if you're participating in groups, if you’re really showing effort towards your recovery, etc.. However, sometimes these women in our facility have been there for almost 90 days, and they have yet to talk or tell us what they’ve been through, to share what made them first start using, or what they’re still craving. When this happens, sometimes we will hold their journey. Meaning they will not be serving any time when currently going through the rehab program until they learn that this is an open and safe space that you need to share your experiences in order to deal with them, and fully heal. Obviously, the women aren’t fond of this, but if you’re not here for the right reasons than we believe, you don’t have to be here at all, and I think that specific program implantation shows us that we are serious about helping these people recover and get back to their normal life they were living before. Oftentimes what they are holding back in these groups are more deep-rooted traumas, and things they have been through in their younger lives, how many things they didn’t get to experience in their younger life that is still causing the pain cause they’re never confronted or dealt with it. However, instead of taking the time to actually confront your fears and trauma, they result in deciding to use. What some of these women don’t understand is that not talking about what you went through/ are going through isn’t helping, it's actually making it worse. That is the main reason why these people keep coming back, and coming back and coming back, because these rehab centers are a safe place for them. Some of them think they’re really working towards something and that just because they’re here and show up to the group, that they’re doing something. But truthfully they really just get free housing and free food because they refuse to put any work in towards their recovery when it is asked of them. It’s our jobs to truly pay attention to these things though because we will do your outtake forms to show if you are really ready to leave and go back into the real world, with all of the distractions that brought you here before. It takes a strong mind and discipline that we’re building you up in, through this program in groups and activities to go back out there in the world, with what made you weak the last time and to truly say, and believe that you will never pick it up again. At the end of the day they are addicts, and that is heavily implemented in this program. We’re very transparent and honest here. We often instill in their heads, “once an addict, always an addict.” I have heard almost every day from everyone working in the program, or going through the program
that “you could be clean for 25 to 30 years and get around somebody that has a weak spot in your brain and they get you.” Now you’re smoking and drinking again, and by the next couple of days you’re starting your drug of choice that you said you’d never pick up again. Now you’re back into your addiction phase wondering where you went wrong and how you got back here. We see it every time in our program. We have ladies in there that are repeats in the program, maybe 5 to 6 times now. Everytime the program directors tell these ladies before they leave that they will be back, because they were addicted once themselves so they know how the brain works and the signs they showed when they themselves weren’t ready! However who you surround yourself with is everything. Just leading some groups and seeing how they operate when change appears. We try to just let them talk and see how they feel today and in general dealing with their addictions, what they wanna get off their minds etc! Especially the ladies who are about to leave soon, but not only that, we implement to them as well that who you surround yourself with, trul is everything. We never just say things to say things, we want them to stick. We want you to think about these things when you’re all alone, just you and your thoughts and you have to make a decision to live or use. Because no matter how people want to sugarcoat it, that's what taking drugs is. That’s what being an addict is, you are fighting for your life every day, not knowing when the last time you will use it is. All it takes is one time.. If
you surround yourself with drug addicts, that’s who you become. Everybody doesn’t have a strong brain and willpower to say no, especially once you start these drugs. These ladies specifically have to want to change their lives. They have to wake up one day and say I’m tired of living like this, I’m tired of not seeing my kids, and the outside world, I’m tired of not being able to LIVE! Our patients have to change their ways of thinking, they have to think positively and tell themselves they can do it and actually believe in what they’re saying. You will know when it’s nice, once you’re over your drugs truly, you don’t wanna be surrounded with anyone taking part in something you don’t crave or wanna be around anymore. This is what is taught here at Gaudenzia. To persevere, to fight everyday, and to want to be better for themselves!


Program limitations of Gaudenzia:
The first would be resource constraints. One of the key limitations of an adult rehabilitation center program is the availability of resources. These resources can include funding, staffing, equipment, and facilities. Limited resources can impact the capacity of the center to provide the necessary level of care and support to its patients. Next would be any staffing challenges, adult rehabilitation centers often face staffing challenges, including shortages of qualified professionals such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, and social workers. This can result in an increased workload for existing staff, leading to potential burnout and reduced quality of care. Next up would capacity issues, many adult rehabilitation centers operate at or near full capacity, which can limit their ability to accept new patients in a timely manner. This can result in long waiting lists and delayed access to crucial rehabilitation services for individuals in need. Less access to specialized services, meaning some rehabilitation centers may have limited access to specialized services, such as certain types of equipment, advanced therapies, or specific healthcare professionals. This can restrict the range of treatments and interventions available to patients, potentially impacting the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program. Geographic Limitations is also won the location of adult rehabilitation centers can pose limitations for individuals who live in remote or underserved areas. Access to transportation and the ability to travel to the facility for regular treatments and therapy sessions may be challenging for some patients. Money is another big one, or insurance coverage, any limitations imposed by insurance coverage can affect the scope and duration of rehabilitation services offered by the center. Some patients may face restrictions on the number of sessions or the types of therapies covered by their insurance plans, which can impact their ability to fully benefit from the program. Length of stay can also cause some problems within the programs. Most of them have limitations on the length of time that patients can stay in the facility. This can be a barrier to providing comprehensive and extended care for individuals with complex rehabilitation needs. Age can also cause some problems, adult rehabilitation centers may have age restrictions or limitations on the types of conditions they can accommodate. For example, some facilities may focus exclusively on specific types of injuries or illnesses, excluding individuals with other rehabilitation needs. Limited linguistic and cultural diversity within the staff and program offerings may pose limitations for patients from diverse backgrounds. Language barriers and cultural differences can impact the effectiveness of communication and the provision of culturally sensitive care. Technology in these programs cause problems because some adult rehabilitation centers may face limitations in adopting and integrating new technologies and treatment modalities. This can impact the ability to provide state-of-the-art care and may restrict access to cutting-edge rehabilitation interventions.Mental Health Services oftentimes lack in these adult rehabilitation centers.This can impact the holistic care of patients with co-occurring mental and physical health needs. Stuff can always go wrong in the rehabilitation programs which can cause limitations on other things because some things are lacking within the program. However, addressing these specific limitations requires a multi-faceted approach, including advocacy for increased funding, recruitment and retention of specialized staff, expansion of services, community outreach, and leveraging technology to improve the delivery of care. Overcoming these limitations can enhance the effectiveness and accessibility of adult rehabilitation center programs, ultimately improving the quality of life for individuals in need of rehabilitation services.