If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, or addiction, residential treatment can offer the help you need to get on a new and healthy path. But the prospect of checking into an inpatient program that you will call home for weeks or months can be a bit intimidating.
The good news is that many residential treatment facilities are comfortable and safe. In addition, there are different types of residential treatments to choose from that can provide the best possible outcomes for your recovery.
These programs are designed to help people of all ages recover from mental health issues, addictions, and other problems that interfere with living life as fully as possible. They often involve intensive therapy that may include a range of therapeutic techniques, such as family and individual counseling, group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and more.
Some programs focus on specific conditions such as eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, or phobias. Other programs use a holistic approach, incorporating practices like meditation, yoga, art therapy, and massage into the overall treatment plan. Still others offer experiential therapies, such as equine-assisted therapy or animal-assisted therapy, to complement more traditional approaches.
Typically, these programs are offered at a live-in facility where you will stay for weeks or months and bring only the essentials. You will be provided with a private room or shared space and will receive meals on site. Most programs are supervised by trained professionals 24 hours a day and will include various therapeutic activities to support your recovery.
Before you can start a residential treatment program, you will need to have a mental health professional make a formal recommendation. This will be either to your health care provider’s Utilization Review (UR) or county human services out-of-home placement screening team, depending on how you are insured.
In New York State, the process of getting a bed in residential treatment has been fraught with confusion and delays. When M began the process of applying for residential treatment, his case was assigned to a local committee that had to wait more than five months to meet. Hundreds of kids were left on waiting lists, and some were even placed in jail because there were no beds available.
This year, a legislative boost in state funding helped to fill some of the gaps. However, a long-standing problem remains: there is not enough funding to keep all the beds open in residential treatment programs throughout New York. Reimbursement rates have been cut for years, and providers have struggled to attract and retain employees.
