If you spend any time considering options for addiction treatment for yourself or a loved one, you will come across certain terms or phrases that need a bit more explanation. One of those is the “evidence-based treatment.” For anyone looking for real solutions when it comes to battling addiction, it is an extremely important aspect of choosing a quality treatment center. But it might not be immediately obvious what it means.
What Is Evidence-Based Treatment?
Evidence-based treatment is a blend of two important medical skills: research and clinical expertise. The idea is to combine the best clinical expertise along with research methodology to create a treatment plan for a person struggling with substance use disorder. It also means there is no guessing when creating the right residential treatment program. The treatments must have measurable and proven outcomes in successful long-term recovery. When it comes to addiction, this translates to using best practices available to find the right solution for their substance abuse treatment and recovery.
Evidence-Based and Individualized
Of course, another aspect of quality treatment has to do with finding a recovery program that is individualized to the resident. So you can’t simply have a set group of “approved programs” and expect to have successful results for every person. A good substance abuse program will go over your history to understand how drugs and/or alcohol have affected your life. They will also access the relevant research literature regarding your condition. Then they will design a treatment that is tailored to your needs while also based on research and clinical expertise. This means that you receive individualized treatment based on the best practices available in the addiction field.
Where Does the Information Come from?
When we refer to research we are talking about more than a cursory search on the Internet. Rather, the research comes from scientific studies that have been reviewed by peers and published in reputable journals. These include studies on everything from what medications help patients safely come off drugs to how to best address the core issues of alcoholism. By having the best and most relevant data available, a clinician will know what are effective treatments and what doesn’t work.
Another aspect of choosing the right treatment center is making sure the clinical team is qualified. It is easy to say “we have evidence-based treatments.” It is much more difficult to have the right staff that is accurately ensuring this is the case. A qualified clinical director will have the right education with a relevant degree pertaining to the field, but they will also continue learning by taking classes, attending conferences, and reading relevant articles to stay abreast of current trends in the field. Of course, having hands-on experience treating patients is critically important for caring for people with addiction. This can include guided educational experiences such as internships along with professional work experience in the field.
Full Transformation
Evidence-based treatment uses the best of both worlds: scientifically sound research combined with professional clinical knowledge and expertise. At First Steps recovery our clinical program is built on these good practices to ensure the treatments have the best results alongside individualized care. It is a process that has seen results in helping individuals find lasting recovery.
If you or your loved one are looking for a trusted addiction treatment center for a safe detox and individualized recovery treatment, call us today: 844-489-0836.
