| Definitions of Treatment Services |
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ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired- Hearing-impaired individuals face many challenges in their lives. One of the biggest hurdles often confronted by this portion of the population is the inability to communicate with hearing individuals. This can be especially challenging when it comes to seeking therapy, especially in a world where a limited number of people in the mental health field have taken it upon themselves to learn how to communicate with the deaf and hearing-impaired.
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Gay and Lesbian- It’s difficult to be gay in a straight world, so it’s no wonder that so many individuals who deem themselves to be gay or are uncertain about their sexuality search for counselors that offer gay and lesbian therapy.
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Halfway house- A halfway house is generally defined as a center where people in rehabilitation are able to have more freedom than they would in a correctional facility but they are still monitored closely by staff or the law. There are halfway houses set up for various situations such as alcoholics, drug addicts, people recovering from mental health problems and people just coming out of prison that are trying to get back into normal life.
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Medicaid- The term Medicaid often evokes stares of bewilderment from many and is easily confused with other medical assistance services with similar names. Simply put, Medicaid is a program that pays for medical assistance for certain individuals and families with low incomes and resources.
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Medicare- In the United States, politicians debated for decades on how to best provide a nationwide health insurance program for its elderly citizens. Though discussion began as early as 1912 and the first health insurance bill was introduced to congress in 1935, it wasn’t until 1965 that President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill to establish what we now know as Medicare.
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Military insurance (e.g., VA, TRICARE)- The United States military has always assumed the important task of taking care of its own by providing military insurance for health care purposes for active-duty members as well as veterans. Through enrollment in these programs, some similar to private health insurance policies, members or former members of the armed forces are guaranteed low-cost medical care.
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Mix of mental health and substance abuse services- A study done in 2002 found that there were five million adults who had a serious mental illness, and had substance abuse problems. Almost 30 percent of all adults with serious mental health illnesses also use drugs. Other statistics show that 53 percent of substance abusers also have at least one mental illness.
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Outpatient- Outpatient drug rehabilitation means that a person does not live in the facility for treatment, but come to the facility for classes, visits with specialists or group meetings. Outpatient drug rehabilitation centers are more long-term and patients can attend programs for as long as needed. A variety of techniques and program intensity levels are used to achieve this goal.
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Partial hospitalization/day treatment- Partial hospitalization treatment is a more intense form of outpatient treatment. Most of the time patients live at home and go to treatment during the day. However the treatment sessions are usually longer than in outpatient treatment.
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Payment assistance- The growing costs of mental health care are staggering. Statistics show that a large portion of mentally ill individuals who need help aren’t getting it due to the costs involved with therapy or counseling. For that reason, many never even step foot into a hospital, mental health clinic, or therapist’s office, even though there are a number of options available for payment and payment assistance.
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Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders- Quite often, individuals suffering from substance abuse are also afflicted with some type of mental illness. In the mental health community, these simultaneously occurring illnesses have come to be known as co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders.
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Persons with HIV/AIDS- Thanks to an increasing number of successful drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS, persons with the disease are living longer, more productive lives. Nevertheless, those who are faced with a life-threatening illness such as this, regardless of improved medical treatment, still require the emotional support that only therapy can provide.
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Private health insurance- Securing private health insurance can be confusing, especially if you’re not covered by your employer or if the employer offers a number of options from which to choose. Determining which plans are best for you and/or your family is difficult.
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Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)- Choosing the proper treatment program for substance abusers can be a daunting task. With so many programs from which to choose, the addicted individual and their family turn to professionals and other resources for suggestions in regards to the proper treatment.
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Sliding fee scale (Fee is based on income and other factors.)- For many individuals who suffer mental health problems, the cost of receiving proper counseling or therapy prohibits them from seeking the help that they so greatly need. Throughout the past several decades, the cost of mental health treatment has skyrocketed and more and more individuals suffer from lack of proper therapy.
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Substance abuse treatment- Substance abuse treatment is often individualized to each patient, but there are a few steps that each patient needs to take to become drug free. The first of these steps in recognizing the problem. Denial used to be mistakenly believed to be part of the drug addiction symptoms, but recent research is showing it is not. People trying to help a person accept that they have a substance abuse problem need to show empathy, and respect.
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Women- Substance abuse among women is different than in men, and most often has multiple contributing factors, such as poverty, psychosocial, mental health, history of abuse and trauma, and involvement in abusive relationships. Because of these numerous factors that need to be addressed to help a woman become drug free, substance abuse centers specifically for women are becoming more prevalent, and existing substance abuse centers are changing their treatment approaches to better help women get rid of their addictions.
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By:Connie Burrow Posted: Jun 21 2007 08:15:58 AM