The Augustine Recovery Center

A twelve-step program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems. Originally proposed by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a method of recovery from alcoholism, the Twelve Steps were first published in the 1939 book Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism. The method was adapted and became the foundation of other twelve-step programs.

A residential treatment center (RTC), sometimes called a rehab, is a live-in health care facility providing therapy for substance abuse, mental illness, or other behavioral problems. Residential treatment may be considered the “last-ditch” approach to treating abnormal psychology or psychopathology.

Dual Diagnosis patients are those who find themselves battling two very distinct and two very different challenges simultaneously. On one hand there is the challenge of chemical or alcohol dependence, itself a very serious condition, and on the other, a severe mental disorder which, more often than not, is being fed and further complicated by the addiction. Unsurprisingly, these patients respond differently to treatment than those with a single diagnosis, and may be considered high-risk depending on the situation.

Family can be a huge factor in addiction, and family inclusive treatment invites the whole family into the process with phone calls and sometimes bringing them into the facility.

In Patient, or Residential, drug treatment requires that the person receiving treatment for addictions or substance abuse, residing in a facility longer than 4 weeks usually 90 days to a year.

Also known as IOP, it is a primary treatment program recommended in some circumstances by a clinical and medical assessment. IOP may be recommended for those who do not need medically-supervised detox. IOP can also enable people in recovery to continue their recovery therapies following successful detox, on a part-time yet intensive schedule, designed to accommodate work and family life. People do not reside in a facility.

PHP known as partial hospitalization or Day/Night is a level of treatment care where you attend the facility for almost the whole day, but you may return home at night. Some facilities offer housing included in their PHP program. PHP is not the highest level of care, but offers a large amount of therapy and treatment everyday.

Sober living homes are group homes for people who are recovering from addiction issues. People who live in sober homes have to follow certain rules and contribute to the home by doing chores. Most importantly, residents must stay sober throughout their stay in the home.

Some treatment centers affiliate with a certain religion or incorporate the 12- step approach. Even though the most well known spiritual approach to recovery is the 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), spirituality is not limited to a belief in a power greater than oneself. Spirituality might also include a belief that life has purpose or meaning.