ABOUT VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER NORTH CAROLINA: SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM- ASHEVILLE, NC
Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center North Carolina: Substance Abuse Treatment Program, located in Asheville, N.C., offers residential and standard outpatient treatment to United States Veterans struggling with alcohol and substance abuse. The mission of the VA is “to serve the Veteran who served us” and their five core values include integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
The facility’s treatment program follows evidence-based psychotherapy, also known as “talk therapy” to treat substance use disorder. In order to be admitted for treatment, clients first take a confidential screening assessment to determine the extent of their addiction and determine the most appropriate level of treatment.
Throughout treatment, clients may receive therapy in the form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), or Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET). CBT therapy for substance users is backed-by-research talk therapy that teaches clients how to decrease their use of substances and in doing so, increase their quality of life. Clients usually meet with a therapist once per week for 12 weeks as they learn problem-solving approaches to dealing with addiction and reaching personal goals. MI is also evidenced based and is used to help find and strengthen the client’s motivation to change. MET is a more specific version of MI therapy which also includes an assessment to help clients as they change their alcohol and/or substance use. This option of treatment is especially helpful for clients who still need to learn about the extent of their problems with alcohol or drugs.
There are no specific details provided on the facility’s website regarding the Asheville VA’s residential and outpatient treatment plan.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The treatment team includes therapists but there is currently no additional information provided by the facility regarding other treatment staff. Two friends or family members polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing indicated that the facility staff were experienced and well trained but one alumni disagreed in this regard.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
There is currently no information provided by the facility regarding its living arrangements and related offerings. However, two loved ones and one alumni all agreed that the facility was clean and well maintained.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
At the time of this writing there has been one alum polled by Best-rehabs.com. The alum, W.S., gave a mixed but overall unfavorable review of the facility. He gave one out of five stars for treatment effectiveness, two stars for accommodations & amenities, and four stars for meals & nutrition. W.S. agreed that the facility was adequately equipped and staffed to treat co-occurring mental health problems in addition to substance use disorders but disagreed when asked if there were many counseling options to choose from depending on the client’s preference. He felt that a strength of the facility was that treatment is free for veterans. However, W.S. wrote that a weakness of the facility was that they are “Unaware or unwilling to instruct Alcohol Use Dependency patients about The Sinclair Method using Naltrexone one hour before drinking.” Overall, he indicated that he would not recommend the facility to a friend or loved one considering rehab.
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
At the time of this writing there have been two friends or family members polled by Best-rehabs.com. The loved ones gave mixed reviews with one respondent leaving a positive review while the other a more negative review. The first anonymous loved one gave the facility two out of five stars for treatment effectiveness, three stars for accommodations & amenities, and four stars for meals & nutrition while the second loved one gave each of these metrics five stars.
Both respondents strongly agreed that family and loved ones were able to participate in treatment through facility programming and they also both agreed that the facility was adequately equipped and staffed to treat co-occurring mental health problems in addition to substance use disorders. The first respondent did not identify any strengths or weaknesses. The second respondent felt that a strength of the facility was that it is a “Very helpful and strong programs for addicts but felt that they could improve upon the amount of security for patients. This loved one agreed that she would recommend this facility to a friend or loved one who was considering rehab and added, “If you are a vetetran it is a great rehab.Good docs and counslers.” The second loved one respondent that he would not recommend the facility.
FINANCING
There is currently no information provided by the facility regarding its costs, although it can be assumed that treatment is offered free to Veterans, as are all VA services.