Understanding Each Individual’s Needs Through a Substance Abuse Evaluation
The Dunes’ strategy for designing recovery plans starts with a alcohol and drug addiction evaluation of each client’s physical, emotional, and spiritual status.
This addiction evaluation includes:
- Detailed psychosocial review
- Careful completion of a nurse’s questionnaire
- Complete physical
- Blood work
- Recreational assessment
- Comprehensive evaluation by a psychiatrist
- Consultation with our spiritual counselor
Addiction Evaluations Allow Us to Focus on the Individual – Creating Individual Recovery Plans
What is a substance abuse evaluation? The psychosocial includes a review of each client’s previous experiences with attempts at recovery at other facilities, legal history, a concise alcohol and drug use history, and a basic genogram. A genogram is a visual representation of a client’s family relationships and medical history. More revealing than a traditional family tree, the genogram allows Dunes staff to work up a useful profile that facilitates visualization of each client’s relevant hereditary patterns and psychological factors that are potentially impacting relationships. It is useful in identifying patterns of behavior and in recognizing hereditary tendencies relevant to recovery planning.
Clients are screened for co-existing disorders and conditions. This screening is fundamental to The Dunes approach of individualizing client recovery plans which are created and reevaluated with the client and the clinical team on a weekly basis.
At The Dunes on Long Island NY, clients are involved every step of the way. This starts with the substance abuse evaluation process which serves as the basis for creation of their Dunes recovery plan goals. Client involvement continues through the formulation of a structured post-Dunes regime of recovery activities that feature support and accountability that traditional programs lack.
We know this essential evaluation process and deep collaboration with clients is a key differentiator in The Dunes approach to helping clients conquer their addiction problem and pursue long term recovery.
The Dunes recovery philosophy is focused on assisting clients in the adoption of new productive behavior patterns that can break the destructive cycle of addiction and lead them to overall wellness. Depending on client wishes a spiritual plan component may be integrated into the overall recovery plan—both during their time at The Dunes and after they leave.