Understanding outpatient addiction treatment

Savannah, Ga. has several outpatient options for addiction treatment. In the eighties most addiction professionals thought inpatient treatment was necessary for recovery, but we’ve come to understand that outpatient options work for many who aren’t suffering from overwhelming withdrawals. Another option is to spend a few days inpatient until the detox is complete, then go to outpatient.

Not everyone can access inpatient. Most people can’t take that much time off from work, can’t afford the extra costs, and their condition is not so advanced that they can’t utilize the support of family and friends in combination with outpatient group therapy and individual sessions. A client who meets outpatient admission criteria can receive treatment in the evening after work hours, thus maintaining employment and keeping treatment discrete.

At NewDay Counseling, if we admit an individual into Intensive Outpatient, there will be four groups a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 3 hours each night. The groups consist of group therapy and education. Outpatient clients are given the opportunity to deal with underlying emotional and mental health issues that if left unresolved can lead the person to relapse. Almost everything we do with the client at NewDay relates to relapse prevention.

After the eight weeks of outpatient treatment, we refer the client to recovery resources in the Savannah community, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, or ongoing counseling for specific issues, such as marriage counseling. NewDay also offers Aftercare meetings at no cost so the clients can check in once a week and let us know how they’re doing and deal with any post-treatment difficulties.

What we call Level 1 treatment consists of individual sessions once a week. This level is for those who might abuse alcohol or drugs periodically when under stress, but haven’t progressed to the point of needing Intensive Outpatient or Inpatient Treatment. We also offer this level to clients who are dealing with mental health/emotional issues but have no problem with alcohol or other drugs.