Getting Help

If you’re considering residential treatment for yourself or a loved one who is struggling with a substance use disorder, it’s important to make sure you understand the facility’s approach to treatment.

No two recovery centers are exactly alike, so thoroughly researching your options will help you choose the program that’s best suited to promoting a lasting recovery.

Recently, some of Victory Addiction Recovery Center’s caring and experienced staff took the time to outline the program’s clinical philosophy to help you decide if Victory’s approach is suited to your needs. For additional information about Victory’s healing culture, you’re encouraged to call (855) 559-9822 to speak with an admissions representative.

Treating Clients with Dignity and Respect

Above all else, Victory strives to treat clients with dignity and respect. Since substance use disorders are biologically-based illnesses with a complex array of environmental triggers, people who are struggling with drug or alcohol abuse do not deserve shame or judgment. Their condition can’t be overcome with willpower alone, which means they and their families deserve compassion throughout every step of the recovery journey.

Kerri Cunningham, LCSW, LAC is Victory’s Program Director. “Our patients frequently get to Victory thinking that they are bad or broken people,” Cunningham said. “We teach them and their families that those behaviors are symptoms of an illness. As a staff, we work together as a team to remember that those behaviors are symptoms of the illness that we are treating.”

An environment focused on respect helps clients begin the process of building a positive sober identity. “Our philosophy allows patients to reconnect with self-worth while exploring the illness that they suffer from,” Cunningham added. “Patients are given the opportunity to see that their chemically dependent behavior does not make them bad people. We remind them through hard work that they can recover. This allows the patient to be more open to solutions to change behaviors and move forward.”

Providing Personalized Care to Heal the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Victory’s treatment team knows that while individuals may have similar symptoms, different interventions may be needed to promote a lasting recovery. Personalized treatment plans can involve group and individual counseling, as well as a wide range of comprehensive therapies. “We treat the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease,” Cunningham said. “We do this by addressing co-occurring medical, psychiatric, or dental issues with a qualified professions. Therapy strategies, exercise, recreation therapy, and promoting proper nutrition are some of the methods we use.”

Victory’s small unit size gives staff the opportunity to meet each client’s individual needs with personal care. “Due to our size, we are able to address medical or clinical issues quickly because we are on the unit with the patients,” Cunningham said. “We spot who is feeling down, isolating, or more irritable than usual and can intervene quickly.”

All treatment plans are developed by licensed staff members trained in chemical dependency and committed to helping individuals with substance use disorders develop a foundation for lasting sobriety. “With Victory’s team longevity, the majority of a client’s treatment team will be comprised of individuals who have worked together for years. This provides coordinated, comprehensive care,” Cunningham said. “Programming is offered seven days per week to keep the client engaged in the healing process throughout the entire course of treatment, with 24/7 access to staff who can address any problems a client may encounter in the earliest stages of sobriety.”

Meeting the Challenge of Co-Occurring Disorders

A common challenge that clients are often struggling with is the presence of multiple addictions. “Many of our clients have used multiple substances or have process addictions to sex, relationships, gambling, porn, or video games,” Cunningham said. “We believe that it is crucial to address all of these issues in treatment and through follow-up care to assist in relapse prevention. We offer lots of education on cross addiction to patients and their families, with the goal of building awareness of behaviors and attitudes that suggest a potential for relapse or a new addiction replacing the previous one.”

When there are co-occurring disorders, severe, or multiple addictions, a patient may need more time to adequately address these issues. “At Victory, our entire treatment team assesses progress weekly to determine how long and at what level of treatment each patient may need,” Cunningham said. “Our treatment team is comprised of our medical director and psychiatrist (who are addictionologists), all of the clinical staff, and the unit nurse. This team meets to coordinate thorough, comprehensive care for all of our patients.”

In addition to Victory’s clinical team, members from local support groups offer education and support to clients. Connecting with local support groups provides an opportunity to establish relationships and learn about resources offered in the community prior to discharge. “This removes some of the fears of having to walk in to those support groups alone after treatment,” Cunningham explained. “They have the opportunity to meet and hear from people in programs such as AA, NA, and Celebrate Recovery as well as a community priest.”

Moving Forward After Relapse

It’s natural to wish for a “quick fix” to all our problems, but the reality is that a substance use disorder is a chronic illness. As such, relapse can be a possibility. This does not mean that recovery is impossible, but it does mean that a different approach to treatment is in order. “At Victory, we offer a relapse track which is tailored to individuals that have been in treatment prior who need detox and the support of a sober environment to practice skills in a more structured environment,” Cunningham said.

For clients who are coming back to treatment after relapse, Victory staff look for what may have been lurking in the shadows of addiction last time. “We will do a relapse autopsy that picks apart all areas of their life between discharge from the previous treatment to the present to see which areas triggered the return to use,” Cunningham said. “This can allow staff, the patient, and the family to see what needs to be done differently to address the relapse triggers that presented themselves. Frequently, we find that there was an environmental factor that had not been identified in the first stay or issues that the client was not able to see related to their addiction.”

Once Victory’s team discovers areas the client may need more support in, the focus turns to how to remove barriers to success and what changes must be made to set the stage for recovery. For example, clients might begin exercise therapy to address chronic pain before discharge, cancel refills at local pharmacy, or make arrangements for long-term trauma work. These changes may seem small, but the impact is significant when there are fewer obstacles for the client to overcome on their sobriety journey.

Encouraging the Development of a Family Support System

Victory believes that family can play a huge role in promote lasting sobriety. “We recommend family begin attending family care from the very beginning on Thursday nights at 6:00 pm,” Cunningham said. “This is a group that the family can attend for support and can continue post discharge.”

Jessica Gibson, LPC, is a family care therapist who works with Victory’s family care group to support the families of clients and individuals wanting to learn more about addiction recovery. “Because the disease of addiction affects the entire family, we believe addiction rehabilitation should include support for our families, friends, and community, too,” Gibson said. “Our family care group, facilitated by a qualified counselor, meets weekly to provide education and support.”

The goal of Victory’s family care group is to help create realistic expectations for recovery through education and sharing in a safe, supportive environment. Group topics include codependency, boundaries, the disease model of addiction, the 12 Steps, and self-care. “Family care is designed to support, not replace, inpatient family week and communications with your loved one’s primary counselor by coordinating care and resources for the patient and family,” Gibson said.

Transitioning Back to Independent Living During Family Week

During the third or fourth week of treatment, Victory has a three-day family week that addresses concerns about making the transition back to independent living. This includes topics such as the disease concept of addiction, use of defense mechanisms, incorporating healthy/sober coping skills, how-to clarify and articulate boundaries, and why aftercare is important for sustaining sobriety.

An overarching theme of the family week program is how family members can incorporate the skills they learn into other areas and relationships in their lives. Family members are encouraged to develop their own support systems with groups such as Al-Anon or CoDA as well as seeking individual/family therapy when necessary.

Jessica Moody, LSCW, is a Victory family therapist who works with the family week program participants. “My goal through the family week process is to provide families the information necessary to support them in making healthy choices when it comes to the future of their relationships with their loved ones,” Moody said. “This involves providing family members information through didactic sessions, homework assignments, and creating and practicing new ‘scripts’ for how they communicate with their loved ones.”

Offering a Full Continuum of Care

A commitment to moving forward means that Victory’s support doesn’t stop when clients graduate from residential treatment. Each client has a personalized continuum of care plan that involves community-based resources for support.

Victory also has an alumni program that holds quarterly events, offering a supportive fellowship and a family-friendly atmosphere where attendees can socialize and have fun without worrying about exposure to drugs or alcohol.

“We have lifelong aftercare for patients and their families,” Cunningham said. “We are committed to being there for the long haul.”