If your loved one has agreed to go to rehab, that’s only the first step to getting them there. However, in most cases, it’s important to start the process of sending your loved one to rehab before you get them to go. Why? Many rehab centers have waiting lists because they have too many patients. In some cases, it can also take several weeks to make arrangements. In others, that won’t be the case and you may be able to get your loved one into a treatment center within 24 hours. However, the sooner you get your loved one into rehab after they agree, the more likely they are to actually go. So, preparing your chosen rehab center upfront can be vastly helpful.
However, that aside, these include the steps you should take in addition to talking to your loved one and getting them to go.
Insurance providers are legally required to cover rehab and drug addiction treatment. However, most will have extremely different policies on what they cover. For example, unless you’re going to an outpatient center, chances are, your insurance will only cover a small percentage of the fee. It’s also important to ensure that your insurance provider works with the rehab center you’ve chosen.
Addiction and substance use disorders are treated as mental health disorders and temporary disabilities. You’re legally entitled to receive insurance help from your provider. However, you’ll have to call and check specific coverage, what’s covered and what your deductibles are. Here, your consultant at the treatment center can likely help.
If insurance doesn’t cover enough of the program, you can also check their program for financing options and for local grants. You may qualify for some.
It’s a good idea to make a shortlist of rehab centers you’re considering for your loved one. You can do this with them or on your own. Often, you’ll have to decide between inpatient and outpatient (are they staying with you and going to rehab during the day or are they staying at the facility for a month or more) and between local (do you care about privacy) and out of state.
Once you do, you can call those facilities and ask questions. Those questions should include:
Most rehab consultants are there to help you make decisions. Taking the time to ask questions, to see what options you have, and what they recommend is almost always a good idea. For example, if you’re not sure about choosing between inpatient and outpatient care, ask. The consultant has the experience to offer a recommendation based on your loved one’s condition.
Getting your loved one involved with choosing treatment is important. They should know where they’re going, why, and they should have agency in making that choice. That’s even true if you’re paying for it. Why? Taking responsibility and agency for your life is part of recovery and being involved in choosing a rehab center can be a part of that. Of course, that won’t be the case if you’re planning to stage and intervention and immediately send them to a rehab center. However, if you have time, planning things with them so they understand what they are going to can help with motivation and feeling empowered in that treatment.
Whether your loved one is going to an outpatient facility or to a rehab center, it’s important to help get them there. That may mean driving them, taking them to the airport, or even flying with them. Here, it’s important to make being there about the fact that you care rather than the fact that they might need a chaperone. Here, simple gestures like helping them pack, helping them reference the list of what’s allowed or not, and then being with them all the way up till when they check in can mean a lot and it can show that you care and they have something to look forward to when they leave.
Before traveling, you’ll likely have to complete paperwork and complete a phone assessment. You can sit with your loved one and help them, although they’ll have to fill things in themself. They’ll also have to answer the questions, as many are about medical history and mental health history. However, you can sit with your loved one, offer support, and help them with the details where necessary.
Not every treatment center will offer family therapy or relationship therapy. However, it’s always a good idea to get involved with your loved one’s therapy so you can be there for them as much as possible. Sometimes that will mean going to therapy yourself, with them or by yourself. Why? Living with someone who has a substance use disorder can be traumatic. You’ve likely developed poor coping mechanisms, poor communication strategies, resentment, and relationship problems. Working that out with them, especially in the context of their treatment, can be extremely helpful for them and for you. Support from loved ones is a major motivator in helping people to recover from addiction and being there for them to the point of joining therapy is one of the strongest ways you can show that.
Eventually, the steps leading up to getting someone into rehab are often more difficult than handling paperwork and making driving arrangements. Convincing your loved one to go to rehab can take a significant amount of time and effort. It often involves convincing them that you want them to be better for them, for their future, and because you care about them – which can be harder than you’d think. Once you do, getting them there should be relatively easy.
Asana Recovery is located in Orange County, California. and offers detox, residential, and outpatient addiction treatment services in our modern and comfortable addiction treatment facilities. Please contact us today to speak with one of our experienced addiction treatment team if you have any questions about our programs.
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