Residential Alcohol Treatment in Illinois

What Residential Treatment Is

Residential alcohol treatment in Illinois means living in a house or other facility that helps you with addiction recovery. You live at the center 24 hours a day and can take part in regular activities. Staff members may help you plan out your day, including mealtimes, chores, therapy sessions, educational classes, and recreational activities.

Residential programs are often more intensive than outpatient programs because they focus on treating the whole person-not just your substance use disorder (SUD). Treatment can help you:

• Learn new behaviors
• Understand what causes you to use alcohol
• Find healthier ways of dealing with stress and difficult feelings

ASAM residential rehabilitation in Illinois covers a spectrum from low intensity to high intensity care, ranging from ASAM 3.1 to 3.5 levels of care. In this level of care, treatment services and length of stay is determined by your individual needs.

You live at the facility while you receive treatment for your addiction. This means you can avoid a lot of the triggers that might lead to relapse, such as friends or family members who use drugs.

Short-Term vs Long-Term Residential Programs

Short-term residential programs differ from long-term in that they are highly structured, provide intensive counseling (individual and group), administer pharmacological treatment if appropriate, and usually involve the use of a modified 12-step approach to recovery.

A short-term program may be right for someone who is motivated, has not had any significant complications due to alcohol abuse, has an intact support system (a good home environment with family or friends who can provide ongoing support), has no major mental health issues and does not have serious family problems.

Long-term residential programs are typically structured around a therapeutic community model that relies on peer support as the primary modality of change. There is strong emphasis on group therapy and other forms of peer support.

A long-term program may be right for someone who has had multiple problems due to alcohol abuse or has experienced significant complications (e.g., legal, family, or medical) as a result of their alcohol use. In addition, long-term residential treatment is appropriate for those individuals with psychiatric or physical conditions that affect recovery.

There is no set length of stay in long-term residential treatment, but research indicates that shorter stays have much less positive effects on recovery.

Long-term facilities provide an intensive therapeutic community that emphasizes counseling, education, support groups and other strategies. Studies indicate that the best outcomes occur when treatment lasts longer than 90 days, but long-term residential stays are not always affordable for those in need.

What Happens During a Residential Stay

You may work on individual counseling, group therapy, or both. Most programs offer a full-day schedule that includes education on the disease of alcoholism and substance abuse, group therapy, one-on-one counseling, 12-step meetings, relapse prevention techniques, anger management, coping skills training, and social support. Residential treatment also provides opportunities for exercise, leisure activities, healthy eating, and community service.

The goal of residential alcohol treatment is to help you develop the coping skills needed to stay sober after completing your program. The exact length of a residential treatment stay depends on your progress in recovery. Residential treatment does not have to be the only type of care you receive. Some people find it helpful to transition into an outpatient alcohol treatment program after completing residential treatment.

All programs have goals that you work toward every day. The staff will help you create a treatment plan based on your needs and wants for recovery.

Rules and Daily Structure

Residential programs set daily schedules and house rules. Residents need to follow the schedule for all meals, group meetings, work assignments, counseling sessions, educational classes, etc.

Individuals must follow the schedule and rules or risk losing their place in the program.

Some residential programs offer medical services 24 hours a day, while others have a doctor make rounds several times a week.

Highly structured residential days often include several hours of group sessions, counseling, and/or other activities designed to build problem-solving skills.

All residents are expected to maintain respectful, open communication with all staff members and other residents.

Residents will not consume or possess any alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs while under care.

Family Involvement

Family members can help someone enter residential treatment by researching programs; discussing and supporting the need for treatment; and/or arranging to assist with logistics, such as picking up the client or transporting him or her to meetings. Families can play a critical role in helping someone stay in treatment as well. For example, they can offer emotional support, provide incentives for staying drug free, help with troubleshooting (e.g., dry clothes and a bed if the treatment program is residential), monitor the individual's recovery, and attend relapse prevention sessions with the individual.

Counseling, therapy, or educational group sessions for family members of individuals in treatment can provide the relatives or spouses with information about addiction and recovery that will help them avoid triggering relapses when interacting with the recovering individual after leaving treatment. Family counseling sessions also help families improve communication and resolve conflicts that might otherwise destroy their relationships.

Paying for Residential Treatment in Illinois

For some, this may be covered by private health insurance or through Medicaid if you are a recipient.

Private Insurance: If you have private insurance that covers mental health benefits, you can find a list of approved providers on their website or by calling them. Ask about in-network and out-of-network coverage as well as any limitations such as the number of days per year or length of stay allowed.

IDHS funded organizations offer affordable residential substance use disorder services. Individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid can contact their local IDHS/SUPR-funded organization to find out if the individual is able to obtain insurance through a private insurer, or qualify for other means of financial support.

The IL Helpline can help you or your loved one find help.

Leaving Residential Care: Recovery Homes and Aftercare

A person's level of support from family, friends, employer, or other social networks when they leave a residential program is very important for maintaining sobriety. Individuals who are able to live independently after residential care may not need much additional support. Others may benefit greatly from recovery homes or sober living environments. These are residential communities where individuals in recovery can stay until they feel ready to take on more responsibilities and transition to independent living.

Recovery Homes authorized by DHS DBHR support individuals living alcohol- and drug-free lifestyles.

Recovery homes are usually non-medical, community-based facilities that provide support and supervision in order to facilitate long-term abstinence. Recovery homes may include structured living arrangements with house rules and chores for residents.

Oxford Houses are independent, peer-based residences that do not require participants to be under the care of a clinician or in a formal treatment program. The philosophy of an Oxford House is that the individual who enters into recovery is responsible for his/her own sobriety.

Sober living houses are peer-supported housing options for people who are recovering from addiction. Sober living houses offer a safe environment with peers who share similar goals to help you recover and maintain your sobriety in early recovery. A sober living home provides a structured daily routine and support system to help you transition from inpatient rehab or a residential treatment program to independent living.

An individual's recovery can be impacted by the availability of recovery support services during their transition back into the community after completing a treatment program. Some individuals need more intensive forms of recovery support, including recovery housing and recovery coaches, but there are many opportunities to engage with peer supports through mutual support groups, recovery centers, and other service providers.

Aftercare follows a period of intensive treatment in residential settings with ongoing recovery support through counseling sessions or participation in mutual self-help groups such as AA, NA or SMART Recovery.