When you’re thinking about where to go for a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program, there are a lot of factors to take into account. Location is definitely one of the top concerns. Should you stick close to home, or should you choose an unfamiliar place far away? The answer is different for different people, but whether you travel for treatment or you stick to the place you know, rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO, might be the right fit for you or for a loved one struggling with substance abuse.
Not everyone should attend a rehabilitation program in their hometown. For many folks, getting away from familiar surroundings can increase their likelihood of successfully completing the program. So, if you’re from out of town looking at rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO, know that this could be a good place for treatment.
You’ve got plenty of choices when it comes to rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO. As such, you’re going to need some way to start narrowing down your options. We’ve got you covered. Before we go into all the reasons that we think rehab in STL might be right for you, we’ll discuss different criteria by which you should measure all the programs you’re considering. Then we’ll use the next section to tout all the benefits of rehab in STL. Ready to dive in? Let’s do it.
What You Need to Consider before Committing to Rehab in STL
Your choice of a rehab facility isn’t one to take lightly, but you already knew that. We just wanted to touch on some important factors that can signify a good program before we jump straight into the reasons to consider rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO. That way, you’ll be prepared to weed out any unsuitable choices pretty early into the process, making it all that much easier. Here are some things you should keep in mind when you’re weighing your options.
Accreditation
There are two main organizations you’re looking for when it comes to accredited rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO. One is the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) or the Joint Commission.
Earning an accreditation from either of these organizations is no simple task, and keeping up that accreditation is equally difficult. That shows a commitment to maintaining the high standards that these organizations call for. This process involves visits from the accreditation organization to the rehab in STL, and they’ll leave no stone unturned. The evaluators take into account everything that makes for a successful facility: Therapies, equipment, policies, management, and accommodations, among other important aspects.
Knowing that the program you’ve chosen lives up to a standardized set of quality assurances can give you some more confidence in your decision. That’s why it’s important to ask whether the rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO, that you’re considering are accredited by any organizations. Most will publicize their accreditations fairly openly, but if they don’t, it’s worth it to ask. Then, you can do more research about what specific guidelines the organization holds its accredited rehab facilities to. It’s one clear way to compare your different options, which is why we’ve put it so high up on the list.
Qualified Professionals
You need to be confident that the people offering you care have the right kind of training and background to do that competently. It’s totally fair to ask about these things during initial conversations with a rehab in STL. You can inquire about the education and experience of the people who would be your treatment team.
There are always going to be a variety of different types of professionals who will support you during a stay in an inpatient program — nurses, doctors, and other support staff are all instrumental to positive outcomes. Make sure you’re entering a program where everyone working with you has the right kind of knowledge and background to do so effectively.
You’ll also want to inquire about the experience of the management at the facilities you’re considering. Know what kind of background they have, and make sure their values and priorities line up with yours. Those kinds of ideals are set at the management level and then permeate through the rest of the organization, so it’s very important to know whether you and the management are on the same page.
Individualized Care
Each person who enters any rehab in STL is going to have a different set of needs. There are programs that work for many people, but any program that’s not flexible enough to be customized for each individual isn’t one you want to be a part of. Rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO, should want to look at all of the factors that play into your substance use, and they should endeavor to support you in all the ways that you need.
For some people, that means vocational support — help with things like building skills, interviewing, and ultimately keeping a job. Others aren’t quite there yet when they enter treatment, or they already have a job that they can keep. Some people respond better to experiential therapies, while others aren’t as receptive. Your treatment team should be able to flex and adapt to craft an individualized plan for your specific needs.
Caring for the whole individual is a huge part of successful substance abuse treatment programs, and to do that, a rehab in STL is going to have to individualize their offerings.
Evidence-Based Methods
There are many different schools of thought when it comes to rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO (or anywhere, for that matter). Different facilities will use different types of therapies in their efforts to help their clients reach and maintain sobriety — we’ve previously written about many of the common methodologies and schools of thought that you’ll encounter with rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO, and elsewhere.
With that wide variety of methodologies, it can be a little confusing trying to figure out which one would be the right fit for your needs. Checking accreditation and the staff’s training is one quick way to get an idea of this. However, doing a little bit of research on your own about the specific types of therapies and treatments a program uses can give you a more in-depth understanding. Trust experts in the field.
Learning more about the accreditation, experience, methods, and ideals about a program is a good way to help you get an idea of what it would be like to participate in it. Ask all those questions when you’re weighing your options. Now that we’ve gotten all of those out of the way, here are the four reasons to consider rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO.
1. Ease of Access
Rehab in STL is in the heart of the country, so it’s going to be fairly easy to access from a lot of different locations. We’ve already mentioned it can be beneficial to travel for an inpatient program. We’ll continue to get deeper into that topic in a later section, but for now, just know that if you’re looking to travel to an inpatient rehab facility, St. Louis could be a great option for you.
You can reach the Gateway to the West in a wide variety of ways. For those who’d rather fly into the city, St. Louis Lambert International Airport is right there. But if you’d rather stay firmly planted, there are several Amtrak stops in the area, as well as Megabus and Greyhound options. You’ve got plenty of options when it comes to getting to a rehab in STL if you live out of town.
2. Lack of Distractions
It’s not to say that there’s nothing to do in the area, but St. Louis is no New York or Los Angeles. This is especially true if you’re not from the city and you don’t have any favorite haunts or bad friends around here.
That’s one of the main reasons people travel for rehab. They want to get away from the bad influences in their current locations and make a fresh start somewhere new. When you’re removed from your old, familiar surroundings, you might have an easier time resisting temptation and not falling back into old, familiar habits. Participating in an inpatient rehab in STL can be a great way to put yourself in a new, healthy environment without any distractions from your sober recovery journey.
A related benefit to the lack of distractions is that if you’ve traveled to a rehab in STL, then you’ve got more of an incentive to finish the program because getting home isn’t as simple as a quick drive across town. Removing that temptation can be beneficial for some folks. It’s true that you can always try a different program if you don’t complete your first, but it’s also true that your insurance might not pay for that second course of treatment.
3. Community
There’s a strong sense of community values in many places. Rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO, are no exception. For the most part, you’re going to find a strong community of people dedicated to sober recovery.
Building a new community of like-minded peers is a huge part of any sober recovery journey. Receiving and giving support to other people experiencing a treatment program can be very beneficial to everyone involved, so finding a new community at rehab in STL is a big selling point. Surrounding yourself with people who are also dedicated to sober living is one way to promote not reverting to old habits.
4. Great Facilities
You’ve definitely got good options when it comes to rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO. We went over some of the criteria you can use to determine whether the programs and places you’re considering are actually all they’re cracked up to be in an earlier section, so we’d encourage you to reflect on those things as you’re looking.
As far as rehab in STL goes, you’ll find all kinds of different types of treatment available. We’re mostly focusing on inpatient rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO, because that’s the kind of program you’re more likely to travel far to attend, but there are lots of helpful outpatient programs as well. You’ll need to do your research to make a decision.
If you need a place to start, check out our offerings here at Harris House. We have inpatient, residential, and outpatient options available. We’d be happy to have a chat with you about whether one of our programs might be a good fit for your needs. We tick off all those boxes we’ve already listed in terms of what to look for: We are accredited by CARF, have a great team of professionals who use evidence-based methods, and prioritize individualized care for each of our clients. Harris House is definitely an option worth looking into.
Decide on rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO.
Whether you’re from out of town and you’re looking to travel to a rehab in STL or you’re local to the area and want to stay close to home, you ’ve got a lot of good options for rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO. Now that you know all the things the area brings to the table, you should be at least a little more prepared to make that important decision.
Definitely talk to your doctor about your concerns, and keep your own unique needs top of mind when deciding on a rehab in STL. We’ve laid out some general guidance on what’s good to look for, but if you need certain accommodations we haven’t listed, then you need to prioritize those things. If you’re sorting through inpatient rehabilitation centers in St. Louis, MO, then you’re looking for somewhere to spend a month or more of your life. Anything you need to make that time as productive and healthy as possible should be at the top of your list.
Rehab in STL might be one of the best choices you’ll ever make. From the top-notch facilities to the central location, there are many perks to attending a rehab program here. Weigh your options and then reach out to have a discussion about whether you might be a good fit for one of our programs.
