Access to Treatment and Recovery, Research Paper Example

Access to Treatment and Recovery (ATR)    

“In 2006, 21.1 million of the 23.6 million people needing treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem did not receive treatment. Of the 21.1 million, only 940,000 reported that they felt they needed treatment for their drug or alcohol use problem, including 314,000 people who knew they needed treatment, but were unable to find care.” (Fox, 2010).  People that are incarcerated, inmates from drug court, criminal court, chemical and alcohol addictive people attend these programs.

Helped received is done through a volunteer service and is further available through an organized system through the internet where on counselor can set up a patient and another counselor can simply pick up the patient easily. A patient receives in-patient and out-patient combination services including:

• Substance Abuse
• Transportation
• Employment Services or job training
• Housing assistance
• Childcare
• Family and marriage counseling
• Recovery coaching and life care coaching
• Spiritual support
• Mental health support
• Youth enrichment

Some clients would not be able to receive assistance without the support of this non-profit organization because they simply cannot afford services due to lack of medical insurance or simply are not aware of these services. This organization goes to jails and prisons and seeks out persons that are in need of help. They further help persons that attend drug court.

Family support is incorporated into the program to enable the parents to support the attendee with the program so that they survive the program and do not return to the use of drugs and alcohol. There is a day or two session devoted to bringing the parents to the program and coming honest with yourself where the parents revisit the issues with the attendee so that they can be made aware of how to help support the clean and sober attendee.

Duties and Functions of Counselor:

• Apply surveys within six months and after the eight month of clean and sober
• Learn computer skills to counsel attendees
• Counsel and aid new attendees in order to long term place attendees into society
• Most volunteers are not experienced are not college educated in social services, psychology or alcohol or drug dependency courses

The main concept behind the program is helping through volunteer assistance. Anyone can volunteer to help at the program and the program actually welcomes volunteers to keep the program functioning. The volunteers have a responsibility to the patients’ and the courts to monitor the attendees to ensure they complete the program to the end. They do this by tracking the attendees and mandating they complete the program. If the attendees do not complete the program they can be sent back to jail or drug court and may be convicted of the original crime.

The best part about the experience of volunteering is the ability to aid other people who are in desperate need of help. Many times people addicted to drugs and alcohol does not realize the addiction is the symptom of another issue that is going on in their life. Volunteers are there to counsel the attendees to help them work on the core issues so there is no need to abuse drugs and alcohol as a means to cope with life. They can learn to cope with life on life’s terms. The twelve step program is a useful tool to aid the attendees to motivate them and help them to cope with the rough times in life. They are taught to take life one day at a time and sometimes one minute at a time. Compassion techniques are used though care and kind hearts and all volunteers are not paid hence they are there because they want to help. Attendees are aware everyone there is a volunteer hence they feel comfortable knowing everyone is there because they care for them. This is important in their recovery process.

The worst part of the job is the idea that some volunteers are not trained to do the job and they lack the necessary skills that would aid them to better counsel the attendees. Though the program does provide basic counseling skills to all volunteers there are more attendees than there is time to train volunteers. There needs to be some formal training program for non-educated volunteers or non-skilled volunteers to be incorporated to better aid the volunteers and the patients.

Volunteer services have opened my eyes to the many people out there that are in dire need of help in terms of addiction and counseling. I never realized how many people stream through the court and drug courts that have committed minimal to maximum crimes as a result of drug and alcohol addiction that could easily slip through the cracks and be sent to prison for a very long time. With the aid of volunteers their deep rooted issues can be simply addressed with the aid of volunteer and hard work rather than spending time in jail. Many of these alleged criminals are actually hurting people inside who have spent years hurting and simply do not know how to deal with these underlying issues or have never had anyone care enough to take the time to deal with them. The volunteers actually care enough to want to help these people and they feel the presence of love at the Recovery Support Services. Through the Voucher Program the services are free. The volunteers help the alleged criminals to start a new life drug and alcohol free and help them gain independence without the use of drugs and alcohol if they try and want the help. It is true that some people are only there because they are mandated by the courts and will not work the program and will not succeed but that is their choice. Everyone has a choice of whether they will succeed with the program. “The volunteers make every effort to ensure every participant completes the program through the tracking program and GPRA status report.” (“Access to Recovery”). It is up to the participant to make use of the tools taught to them and engage in a productive life free of drugs and alcohol after they leave the program. After care is available to ensure success after completing the program. Aftercare includes counseling to ensure continued success through counseling and spiritual care.

References

Fox, J. (2020) Access to Treatment and Recovery Retrieved May 2, 2010 from, C:\Users\nicole\AppData\Local\Temp\Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation & Hospitals license-3.mht

Access to Recovery Rhode Island Client Information Department of Mental Health Rhode Island: Samhsa Voucher Program, 2010

Access to Recovery (ATR) GPRA Intern Training Program Retrieved May 2, 2010 from, http://www.doc.ri.gov/inmate search/search.php