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In collaboration with a prospective client, the initial assessment will examine biological, psychological, and social domains to help determine a proper recommendation for clinical care. We will also evaluate for any co-occurring disorders, discover and reinforce strengths, and begin the process of building rapport. This service can also be done independently of enrollment in other services but is usually the first step before engagement in one of our treatment services.
When it comes to helping someone regain and maintain their sobriety, a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach simply will not work. Every individual and every situation is different. And because of the uniqueness of every person’s experience, the plan for substance use disorder treatment must be tailored to meet an individual’s specific needs.
Initial Assessment Process at Waypoint Recovery
For these reasons, Waypoint Recovery Center’s initial assessment process involves more than a medical professional making some recommendations based on a vague, incomplete understanding of a person’s situation. Instead, our approach to an initial assessment is to collaborate with the person seeking treatment. In an environment free from judgment and with a steadfast commitment to compassion and respect, we listen intently without preconceptions. Our goal is to achieve true understanding because that understanding forms the foundation upon which effective treatment can be built.
During the initial assessment, we examine biological, psychological, and social factors in a person’s life so that we are able to make a proper recommendation for clinical care. In general, no single factor leads to the development of a substance use disorder, and so examining these three areas (or domains as they are sometimes called) is necessary for developing a deeper understanding of a person and the challenges they are facing.
The initial assessment process also includes an evaluation of whether any co-occurring mental health disorders—depression, anxiety, trauma-based disorders, and more—are contributing to (or being made worse by) a substance use disorder. Waypoint Recovery Center is equipped to address mental health disorders and can build those services into a personalized treatment plan. Sobriety and good mental health are deeply intertwined, so addressing them together while in a person is in treatment can be an extremely effective strategy.
Personalized Addiction Treatment Plan
However, the initial assessment is not all about identifying problems and challenges of various kinds. The process also focuses on discovering a person’s strengths—the parts of their personality and approach to life that can serve them well as they seek to leave drugs or alcohol behind. Identifying those strengths is the first step toward growing and reinforcing them so that they serve a person well in recovery. Everyone has inherent strengths they can use to support their recovery, but these traits are sometimes hidden by drug or alcohol use. Our initial assessment process is designed to identify those internal resources and bring them to the fore.
Another essential part of the initial assessment process is the building of rapport between the individual seeking treatment and the team that will deliver and support that treatment. Waypoint is not a cold, clinical institution. Instead, we provide a warm and welcoming environment—and that extends to the relationships we build with those we serve. Again, Waypoint is not rely on a single approach to treatment that can be applied without much thought or investment in a given person and their unique needs. Rather, we are deeply invested in the well-being of every person who comes to us for treatment.
Holistic Approach to Addiction Recovery
That means we take a holistic approach to recovery in an effort to heal not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well. By building a collaborative relationship with each individual we serve, we are better able to support healing in all of these areas—and that healing can help an individual begin their recovery journey with confidence.
Simply put, we believe the initial assessment is an absolutely crucial part of successful treatment. Getting the first step right makes it more likely that subsequent steps will lead to last sobriety. And while we can complete an initial assessment independently of a person’s enrollment in other treatment services, we strive to form a connection with everyone we assess to assure them that we can and will provide exceptional, personalized care.
