Below are some of the most common questions we receive at The Cornerstone Program about youth addiction, our drug and alcohol rehab program, and the path to lasting recovery. If you do not find the answer to your question here or need a more specific answer, please contact our Denver drug rehab center or call us at (303) 690-0082.
FAQ Quick Links:
- What is the recommended length of a drug and alcohol rehab program?
- How can I be certain I’m choosing the right drug or alcohol rehab program for my child?
- What are some of the signs and symptoms of drug abuse?
- Do you tailor treatment based on each client’s needs?
- Is there a parental component to your drug and alcohol rehab program?
- Do you recommend drug testing my child?
- Is my child just going through a phase?
- Is The Cornerstone Program a better option than a long-term residential treatment program or one that is located out of town?
- How do I know if my child needs detox?
- What are the best strategies for preventing relapse after treatment?
- What age groups do you serve?
What is the recommended length of a drug and alcohol rehab program?
Most people struggling with substance use disorders need a minimum of three months of drug or alcohol rehab treatment to begin the process of long-term recovery. Research on drug and alcohol rehab programs have continually shown that longer treatment stays result in better outcomes. This is backed by the recommendation of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) who point out the same correlation.
The Cornerstone Program’s IOP drug and alcohol rehab program typically lasts between 12 and 16 weeks, followed by a 12-week Aftercare treatment program. We also offer ongoing support group participation for anyone who has been through IOP for both young people and parents for up to 2.5 years. We never base our discharge decisions on finances. For discharge, a young person must meet specific criteria laid out in the beginning of treatment. The young person’s progress in treatment dictates their length of stay. The treatment model at The Cornerstone Program was created to allow the client, the substance abuse counseling team, and the family members to decide when a patient is ready for discharge. This is in line with NIDA’s conclusion that drug and alcohol rehab programs with the highest success rates determine a client’s discharge based on their progress and continues to offer Aftercare services, allowing the client to retain and build upon what they have learned in treatment.
How can I be certain I am choosing the right drug or alcohol rehab program for my child?
This is one of the most common things we find parents debating, and it’s very understandable. The best way to know is to check out our program. Here are a couple pieces of advice in making your decision:
Evaluate the program. We strongly recommend that you evaluate a treatment program before committing – attend a parent meeting, allow your child to attend a 12-step meeting for young people, and have an appointment with the program’s staff. Did you feel as though the staff heard your concerns? Did you relate with any of the stories you heard from parents or young people in the program? What did your child think of their experience? If you’ve got a spouse, what did they think?
Allow your child to have some input. It has been shown that the chances of a successful recovery process are much higher when the young person has some level of ownership in the process of selecting a drug and alcohol rehab program. Therefore, knowing which program is “right” partly comes down to the individual. We strongly encourage parents to allow their child to have some say-so in this decision.
One thing of note – we suggest being wary of drug and alcohol rehab centers that create adolescent programs simply by “dumbing down” their adult program. Adolescents and adults have very different emotional and social needs and a treatment program should be tailored to these needs.
The following resources may be helpful in making your decision:
- See how our program is tailored to meet the needs of adolescents and young adults.
- Read drug abuse and addiction success stories and testimonials from parents and young people who have gone through our program.
What are some of the signs and symptoms of drug abuse?
For information on this topic, please visit our signs of teen drug abuse page or contact us.
Do you tailor your drug or alcohol rehab programs based on each client’s needs?
Yes. Every young person is different, which is why we make every attempt to tailor our treatment and drug and alcohol rehab programs to each person’s specific needs. Each person’s substance abuse and mental health needs will vary, based on the types of drugs used, how long they’ve been using, and outside factors such as their situations with family, friends, and school.
Upon admission, a thorough psycho-social assessment will be completed. From this assessment, the young person and counselor create long- and short-term goals, as well as devise ways for the client to meet these goals. This information is used to develop weekly individualized treatment plans. Throughout the treatment process, your child’s counselor will call you each week with updates and reach out to you for appointments, so you’ll understand how to support and respond to your loved one. We never want a family to feel in the dark regarding their loved one’s progress or needs.
Learn more about our intensive outpatient programs for teens and young adults.
Is there a parental component to your drug and alcohol rehab program?
Yes. We have found that when families are actively involved in the treatment process, our young people are around eight times more likely to complete treatment successfully. Parental involvement greatly enhances the chances of long-term recovery, which is why The Cornerstone Program’s approach emphasizes a parental component. During the drug or alcohol rehab process, parents have access to our weekly parent support group meetings, receive weekly phone call updates from their child’s counselor, and are asked to participate in numerous “same page” appointments with the staff. One of our primary goals as a program is to facilitate the process of the family coming back together. We understand that rebuilding lost trust is a slow process – we want to work with your family to set the stage for fulfilling and honest family relationships going forward.
Each week, we hold a support group meeting for parents of young people with drug or alcohol problems. Parents receive updates and take part in routine appointments with the staff during treatment and aftercare. After discharge, parents may continue to meet with counselors and attend support group meetings.
Learn more about our support groups for parents of addicts or substance users.
Do you recommend drug testing my child?
Often, parents feel the need to have conclusive evidence before scheduling an appointment. However, it is completely acceptable to trust your instincts and schedule an appointment with a drug and alcohol rehab professional at The Cornerstone Program to learn more about our drug or alcohol rehab programs without a positive test result.
It is entirely your decision whether to administer a drug test. If you decide to, we recommend that you have a plan in place for a positive result. We recommend:
- Do not tell your child about the test ahead of time.
- Do not assume that just because he or she passes a drug test, they are not using. Teens are especially resourceful and often know the many ways to pass a drug screen.
- Be aware that store bought drug tests do not test for every possible drug.
If you are thinking about drug testing your child, it is a good idea to first speak with a professional substance abuse counselor beforehand. There are several reasons for this, including:
- It is often better to have a professional administer the test than trying to do it yourself.
- Blood tests have a higher accuracy rate than urine tests.
- The drug and alcohol rehab counselor can help you decide what to do in the event of a positive result.
Is my child just going through a phase?
In most cases, drug use is not a phase, even if their usage is minimal. In our experience, it sets up long term issues including the potential for addiction, physical / mental health problems, and legal consequences. Science shows that a person’s decision-making center, the frontal cortex, is not fully developed until the age of 25.
At best, the emotional dampening effects of drugs can have serious consequences for the emotional development of a young person. At worst, drugs and alcohol can have serious effects, including problems with judgment that can last a lifetime. The best way to prevent this is by getting evaluated by a professional who understands whether or not a drug or alcohol rehab program is appropriate for your situation. We often offer the following way of thinking to parents: it is better to get evaluated and realize that you didn’t need it than it is to not get evaluated and realize later that your instincts were correct all along.
Is The Cornerstone Program a better option than a long-term residential drug or alcohol rehab program or one that is located out of town?
There are numerous treatment options available based on the level of need in the young person. In some instances, it may be best to remove a teen from potentially dangerous situations, though this is less common. Instead, it tends to be better for teens to learn how to be sober in the environment in which they will live going forward. A Denver drug and alcohol rehab program or an intensive outpatient program where the teen returns home allows the family to be more involved and allows the teen to immediately incorporate skills he or she has developed into their environment. It also holds them more accountable.
While we don’t have anything against wilderness programs or residential drug or alcohol rehab programs in general – one of the common complaints about these types of programs is that when the young person leaves, they feel they are left to fend for themselves and often relapse. Therefore, we recommend that if you do go that route, you should still have an IOP and Aftercare plan in place for them when they get home. When this is the case, we see long-term success rates improve dramatically.
The best way to determine which level of treatment (residential or IOP) is appropriate for you is to get an evaluation done by an addiction / drug abuse professional – they can evaluate the severity of the symptoms being presented, the family situation, and the young person’s potential pitfalls and make an individualized recommendation based on their observations.
Learn more about our drug and alcohol treatment options for teens and young adults.
How will I know if my child needs detox?
Various drugs and combinations of drugs can result in different needs for medical detoxification. In particular, alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms (such as those from Xanax, Valium, Klonipin, and similar) can have medical repercussions such as seizures. Opiate withdrawal (such as heroin, oxycodone, or fentanyl withdrawal) can also require medical detox, as users of these chemicals often find it extremely difficult to make it through the first few days without detoxification services.
We recommend consulting with a professional counselor or health care provider trained in addiction, who will be able to evaluate the user’s recent drug use history and provide a recommendation for detoxification services. These can come from a physician trained in addiction medicine or from the professionals at The Cornerstone Program. As always, we provide free evaluations to all the families we meet with. Please don’t hesitate to call us or contact us to discuss a plan.
What are the best strategies for preventing relapse after a drug or alcohol rehab program?
Our program features a 12-week aftercare program followed by 2.5 years of support group involvement and individual counseling. It has been shown that aftercare is one of the most critical factors in improving success rates in drug users.
The most well-known shortcoming of the drug and alcohol addiction treatment world is the lack of quality follow-up after the treatment process. Scientific study, such as this study published in the Journal of Neuroscience shows that the brain can heal after addiction, but it takes time. It is estimated that after a bout of extreme substance use, the brain can take up to two years to recover from hard or frequent substance use.
We believe this is a part of why drug and alcohol treatment programs are sometimes referred to as “revolving doors” – addicts and alcoholics are often getting off to a great start with a 30 day program, but they then feel as if they are left to fend for themselves when they leave.
Our program is designed to help people transition from early recovery into long-term recovery successfully. We recommend the following resources on our website for more details on our IOP discharge process and Aftercare process:
What age groups do you serve?
The Cornerstone Program provides drug and alcohol rehab for teens between the ages of 13-17 and young adults between the ages of 18-25. In some instances, we will work with people who are a few years older, but only if it is appropriate based on the individual. For example, a 27-year-old who lives at home and relies on their parents may be appropriate for our program, whereas a 27-year-old who is married, owns a house, and runs a business would likely be better served by an adult program. This is one of the things we consider in all our evaluations.
How can I learn more or speak with a drug and alcohol rehab counselor?
If you suspect your teen or young adult is in need of a drug or alcohol rehab program, you can contact The Cornerstone Program at (303) 690-0082 to schedule a consultation. Our Denver, CO alcohol and drug rehab center is here to help get your child on the path to recovery.