Information For Clinical Professionals
The Problem of Presenting Problems
In a recent summary of important research by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (or, SAMHSA), therapists across all mental health settings reported that up to 50 percent of their clients had co-occurring substance use disorders.
As noted Southern California recovery coach and professor Dr. Bob Weathers states, “All of us in the field fully realize that our clients do not typically volunteer that information openly or accurately in the initial session. Presenting problems are much more likely to be: ‘I’m depressed…or anxious. I have difficulties in my marriage…or parenting…or on the job.’”
Yet the truth is, as brought to light by the above SAMHSA report, that our clients are coming in with addiction as a crucial, if often unnamed, part of the clinical picture. One key here is to recognize the co-morbidity, or co-occurring disorders, factor.
That is, our therapy clients do need our help in addressing such common presenting complaints as depression, anxiety, and marital distress. It’s just that, if the addictive behavior is not simultaneously addressed, any work we might otherwise do on the above symptoms will be dramatically curtailed. Which is where Beginnings Treatment Centers come in …
Referring Clients to Beginnings Treatment Centers
At Beginnings, there is a top-to-bottom commitment to assuring therapists like yourself, with whom we closely collaborate, that our expertise in successfully addressing addictive behaviors in meant solely as a complement to your ongoing therapeutic work on nonaddictive issues and symptoms. Working hand-in-hand with you, we guarantee a constantly updated information flow between your client’s progress with us, in treating their addiction very specifically, and your ongoing progress in addressing the co-occurring symptom picture (e.g., depression, anxiety, relationship conflict, etc.).
What we at Beginnings aim for is: synergy. That is, we believe that 1 + 1 = 3! What you as therapist are accomplishing with your client will be majorly aided and abetted, we are convinced, by what we, as addiction specialists, are able to add.
When psychiatric pioneer Carl Jung was asked the essence of therapy, he answered simply:
“It is primarily about removing boulders in the middle of life’s stream.”
Addiction, as we know, represents one such, massive barrier to the flow of otherwise extremely effective, life -transformative therapy. And addiction-as-boulder is absolutely removable!
Beginnings Treatment Centers receives many referrals from clinical professionals because they have confidence in our rigorous clinical program.
In addition, they know we are committed to our promise to maintain communication with the clinician when their client is in our care.
The relationships we establish with clinicians who entrust us with the care of their clients are very important to us and we do not take that trust lightly.
You care deeply about your clients welfare, and we do as well. We believe that communication is at the heart of our trusted relationships and we pledge to maintain contact with you from start to finish of the treatment episode. With client consent we will keep you informed about their treatment and follow up with aftercare. Continuity of care is crucial to client success and sustained recovery, and our goal is a partnership with you to do what is best for the client, which often means returning to your care after the treatment episode.
Allow yourself to consider joining forces, as a Beginnings Treatment Centers colleague, to enjoy the benefits of linking what you do clinically with what we offer in addiction specific services:
- Skilled diagnosis and treatment planning for substance use disorders
- Cooperative updates with our therapist colleagues on treatment progress and aftercare, integrating rehabilitative services with ongoing therapy with you, the original provider.
- Access to weekly informational blogs, podcasts, and videos — all geared toward increasing your knowledge of addiction, its treatment, and your role in it.
Intake Assessment
We work with both you, the referring professional, and the client to do a thorough intake assessment. We want to ensure that Beginnings Treatment Centers is the right clinical match for your client. This rigorous clinical assessment also allows us to put in place any specialized services your client might require due to specific clinical issues.
You are an integral part of this process because you probably know as much or more about your client than anyone else. We want what is best for your client, and if it is determined that Beginnings is not appropriate or not the best choice for your client, our dedicated intake team will guide you and your client in finding the right facility that meets your clients needs.
