Substance use disorder (SUD) is a ruthless condition that often causes impairment in all areas of an individual’s life. Eventually, the consequences of an individual’s SUD will become so obvious that professional treatment must be considered. For those seeking treatment, it is vital to recognize the value of case management services for addiction recovery.
The Necessity of Individualized Treatment for Addiction Recovery
Every person who enters treatment for addiction recovery has a unique history that includes biological, environmental, emotional, and spiritual elements. Moreover, every person enters recovery with unique needs and goals. For example, one person may seek treatment for an alcohol addiction that began as a way to self-medicate the grief of a loved one’s passing. Another person may seek treatment for depression and co-occurring opioid addiction that quickly developed following the use of prescription pain medications after a major surgery.
A Whole-Person Approach
Needless to say, there is no one-size-fits-all for addiction recovery. There is no one path an individual can take that will ensure lasting sobriety and success in recovery. However, by utilizing a whole-person, individualized approach to recovery, all of a person’s needs can be properly addressed and met in treatment.
When a treatment facility utilizes individualized treatment, they place a client’s needs at the forefront of care. Upon arrival at the treatment facility, the potential client will undergo various assessments about their history and severity of substance abuse to properly determine their needs. Then, the client will work closely with a team of treatment professionals so that the team can better understand the underlying circumstances that may have contributed to substance abuse. All of the aforementioned information is used to curate an individualized treatment plan.
Because it can be challenging for treatment professionals to monitor every client’s needs and treatment progress, case management serves as a valuable tool for addiction recovery.
What Is Case Management?
To understand what case management is and what it entails, here is a direct quote from a publication by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
Although it defies precise definition, case management generally can be described as a coordinated approach to the delivery of health, substance abuse, mental health, and social services, linking clients with appropriate services to address specific needs and achieve stated goals.
Case management is a collaborative process that provides individualized treatment services to help clients effectively achieve their goals. Moreover, for mental health and substance abuse treatment, a case manager is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the overall care of each client. As a healthcare professional, a case manager serves as a liaison between a client and their treatment team as well as between a client and their family.
The Benefits of Case Management for Addiction Recovery
In addition to ensuring individualized care, there are many benefits of case management for addiction treatment and recovery. A publication by SAMHSA titled “Comprehensive Case Management for Substance Use Disorder Treatment” highlights several of these benefits, recognizing them as general principles of case management. These include:
Case Management Provides a Single Point of Contact for the Client
When a client is involved in a treatment program, they may have a handful of healthcare professionals that they are working with. This may include therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and more. Moreover, when case management is used in addiction recovery, it provides the client with a single point of contact for the duration of treatment. This can help to reduce feelings of intimidation and overwhelm for the client, especially early on as they work to establish sobriety.
Case Management Is Community-Based
Another benefit of case management is that it is community-based. A case manager not only helps to coordinate treatment at a facility but also helps the client:
- Access and integrate recovery services into daily life
- Overcome barriers to services
- Transition between services
For example, a case manager can provide a client with financial, economic, and social opportunities outside of a treatment facility that will help them sustain long-term sobriety and recovery. Likewise, they can serve as a transitional resource as clients move from one level of care to another. In turn, this can also provide greater peace of mind and stability for a client in recovery.
Case Management Promotes Treatment Engagement and Relapse Prevention
One of the most notable benefits of case management for addiction recovery is that helps facilitate lasting treatment engagement for clients. This works directly to prevent relapse. As a case manager coordinates a client’s care, it allows a client to focus their time and energy on treatment and healing. Additionally, if a client finds themself increasingly vulnerable to relapse, a case manager can respond rapidly to relapse threats. This type of professional can promptly provide and suggest effective relapse prevention resources, thereby preventing relapse before it occurs.
12 South Recovery’s Utilization of Case Management Services
At 12 South Recovery, we are dedicated to providing individualized treatment services to anyone who walks through our facility’s doors. We incorporate individualized treatment into our many outpatient programs, including partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), and general outpatient programs. Meanwhile, we provide individualized services with the help of our case managers and the case management process.
Every client in treatment will be assigned a case manager to effectively coordinate individualized treatment services. Based on an individual’s unique needs, a case manager will work with clinicians, therapists, and other healthcare providers to incorporate a wide range of therapeutic interventions into the client’s treatment plan. From there, the case manager will diligently work to adjust a client’s plan as they see fit and work to include family members in their healing journey.
Throughout the course of treatment, a case manager serves as a liaison between a client and their treatment team as well as between a client and their family. The psychological and social support facilitated by case management services can be paramount for addiction recovery. Case management encourages treatment engagement and participation and works to prevent relapse. At 12 South Recovery, we utilize case management services alongside individualized treatment to promote a whole-person approach to healing. We are an addiction and mental health treatment facility founded on a client-centered philosophy. No matter where you are in your journey with addiction and recovery, we are here to guide you as you heal. To learn more, call us at (888) 830-8374.
