Drug Services Info

34 bed substance abuse treatment program
The Reverend Edward M. Dempsey Drug Services program of Central Naugatuck Valley Help, Incorporated is a residential community of individuals working together to improve the quality of their lives through substance abuse treatment.  Residents and program staff collaborate to maintain an environment which focuses on identification of strengths and evaluation of behaviors, attitudes towards life, and feelings about oneself and significant others.  The primary goals of Drug Services are to help individuals identify and utilize their own unique strengths to change behaviors, to understand feelings which have led to substance abuse, and to increase insight relating to mental health needs.  The program promotes abstinence from drugs and alcohol and seeks to maintain an environment in which potential for rehabilitation is enhanced.

The Drug Services program offers a structured and supportive atmosphere intended to provide residents with a variety of tools needed to develop a personal lifestyle characterized by health, happiness, and productivity.  Our approach to substance abuse treatment is holistic.  Personal growth and development are accomplished through individual, group, and family sessions; educational modules; daily recreational activities; discharge preparation.  In addition, yoga, meditation, and exercise are offered in order to promote an awareness of the connection between mind, body, and spirit.  Together, these components make up a treatment experience that is balanced and well-rounded.

4 month length of stay
New residents will begin the program on Orientation, a period of time that generally lasts for fourteen days.  Orientation allows new residents time to adjust to the setting, to focus on oneself and one’s recovery, and to learn the program structure and rules.

Once Orientation is complete, residents are expected to be fully participating in individual and group counseling sessions, accomplishing goals as outlined on their service plans, and role-modeling for other residents in the program.

Based on program participation, performance, and the various needs of each resident, residents may gain visits, church services and passes for the purposes of discharge planning.

Throughout one’s treatment stay, a resident prepares for discharge. One will learn about resources in their own community for employment, housing, recovery supports, and after-care. Initial contacts to community resources should be made prior to one’s discharge.

Individual, group, and family counseling
Each resident meets with an assigned Primary Counselor in a weekly individual session.  Together, the Primary Counselor and resident formulate an Individualized Service Plan, incorporating treatment goals and objectives which focus on utilizing and enhancing the resident’s assets and addressing the resident’s needs, based on the clinical assessment. The service plan will be reviewed and revised each month.

Group counseling is provided through therapy groups, peer-oriented groups, and gender-specific groups.  Residents have the opportunity to learn about themselves, to offer support to others and to grow from feedback given to them.

Family sessions will be conducted by the Primary Counselor with a resident and those people a resident wishes to have involved in his or her recovery process while in treatment at Drug Services.  Family sessions are encouraged in order for the resident to rebuild family relationships, to increase natural supports and to educate family members.

Medication management with co-occurring disorder treatment
For residents with co-occurring disorders, medication management is accomplished through appointments with other agencies scheduled by Drug Services’ Clinical Consultant.  The Drug Services staff and the medication prescriber coordinate the integration of services throughout the resident’s stay.

Daily educational groups, including basic living skills, anger management, spirituality group, relapse prevention, drug education, dual diagnosis group, gender-specific groups, and cognitive behavioral therapy

Supervised, structured activities of daily living
The structure of the program is designed to create an environment in which learning occurs not only in formal individual ad group therapy session, but in all forums. The residential setting creates an environment for residents to develop honesty, build trust with one another, practice empathy and learn coping skills. Program rules provide oppotunities for residents to exercise personal responsibility and accountability. Our setting becomes a training ground for residents to identify needed skills and to safely learn and practice new tools for a healthy recovery. The process of identification and mastery of new skills to utilize during a lifetime of recovery takes a varying amount of time for each individual.

The teaching of daily living skills is achieved primarily through the structure of the program itself, including routine assignment of various house tasks and responsibilities. Residents participate in the regular maintenance and housekeeping of the residence and are provided opportunities to learn about many aspects of daily living. Residents learn concrete skills, identify and/or develop individual abilities, and stablish effective communication skills and increasing levels of accountability.

Recreational Activities
Every day residents participate in a physical recreation period. Many residents find these activities both socially enjoyable and physically benefical. These activites are intended to promote healthy lifestyle choices, as well as the principles of teamwork and cooperation. We encourage residents to fully utilize the recreation activities offered to improve their physical health as part of the recovery process.

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings
Operated by Hospitals and Institutions, AA and NA meetings are each held weekly on-site.  These meetings are a great opportunity for our residents to be introduced to or re-acquainted with the principles of AA and NA. This is a closed meeting to the public.

Discharge Planning
It is our goal that each resident discharged from the program has secured the following:

1. •suitable, adequate and affordable housing
2. •referrals to employment services and/or employment
3. •a recovery support network
4. •after-care treatment for subtance abuse or co-occuring disorders

Residents will work with their Primary Counselors throughout their stay at Drug Services to accomplish these goals.

Graduation
Completion from the program occurs after a resident has achieved the goals outlined on his/her treatment plan, has worked towards the development of a healthy recovery lifestyle and has created a personalized after-care place, which includes a relapse prevention plan, a healthy support network, and confirmed referrals to not only substance abuse and behavioral health providers, but also to employment and housing services. Completion from the program is achieved by making changes in one’s life that will positively contribute to a successful recovery.

Graduation ceremonies are held when a resident has achieved the goals listed above and when a resident is in good standing within the program. Graduation ceremonies are an opportunity to celebrate the achievements made and the hard work put into the successful completion of one’s treatment stay. Family members, friends, and sponsors are encouraged to attend a resident’s graduation ceremony.  Graduation ceremonies are scheduled in advance and occur on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m.

NONRESIDENTIAL PROGRAM

Individual, group and family counseling
Each client meets with an assigned Primary Counselor in a weekly individual session.  Together, the Primary Counselor and client formulate an Individualized Service Plan, incorporating treatment goals and objectives which focus on utilizing and enhancing the client’s assets and addressing the client’s needs based on the clinical assessment. The service plan will be reviewed and revised each month.  During sessions, clients improve decision-making and relapse prevention skills and are encouraged to build healthy community supports.

Clients are encouraged to attend our weekly non-residential group sessions.  The non-residential group, which focuses on mutual support, relapse prevention and building coping skills, meets each Thursday at 11:00 a.m.

Family sessions will be conducted by the Primary Counselor with a client and those people a client wishes to have involved in his or her recovery process while in treatment at Drug Services.  Family sessions are encouraged in order for the client to rebuild family relationships, to increase natural supports and to educate family members.

Completion/ Varied treatment length
A commitment of twelve weeks is requested of each client.  In the twelfth session, the client and his or her Primary Counselor will evaluate the progress made based on the completion of goals.  The client may decide either to complete treatment or to continue to address areas not yet explored or those that need to be further addressed.  The client may choose to continue to participate in the non-residential program for as long as he or she finds that it is beneficial.

ADMISSION/REFERRAL PROCESS

Appointments for interviews may be scheduled cy contacting the Assistant Director at (203)756-8984, extension 107.

Acceptance into Drug Services is determined by several factors, including:

1. •the applicants’s willingness to remain substance free throughout the treatments stay;
2. •the applicant’s ability to fully participate in and benefit from highly structured programming and treatment milieu;
3. •the applicant’s capacity to help maintain a healthy and safe environment, based on the initial application.

During the interview, a complete description of the program is provided and questions regarding are answered. A formal referral to Drug Services is not necessary, though one may occur outside agencies, such as Adult Probation, Court Support, Services Division, other substance abuse treatment programs, or mental health treatment providers. Once an applicant is accepted into Drug Services, the date and time of admission are arranged with the Assistant Director.

PREA STATEMENT

A PREA audit report is available by contacting Harry Gerowe, the PREA Coordinator, at (203)756-8984 x114 and a copy will be sent.

Annual PREA reports on the Rev. Edward M. Dempsey Drug Services program can be found on the CSSD website following this link:  http://www.jud.ct.gov/PREA/reports.htm