There are different facets to addiction recovery to consider when you are looking into a possible treatment facility. Getting the best care is important to everyone who wants to take their sobriety seriously. One of the aspects of care that can be vital to focus on as you make your decision is the quality and number of staff members working in the facility.
You will want to make sure that the staff at a treatment center is well-experienced but you also need to find out the patient to staff ratio as well. There are a few different reasons why patient to staff ratio matters when you are in recovery. Essentially, the lower the ratio is the better the attention and care you are likely to get.
One of the things that makes recovery difficult is that each person has unique needs that must be met in treatment. Not everyone experiences addiction and quitting that addiction in the same way. If you have particular issues such as a co-occurring disorder or multiple addictions you will want to ensure that you have professional people catering to your needs.
The best way to get your needs met in recovery is to have more access to staff members for their support and guidance. When you can talk to an addiction expert with lots of experience you will feel comforted and more stable as you quit your addiction. With more staff members available for individual attention, patients tend to fare better in the long run.
Personalized Care for Specific Needs
A bigger treatment facility with lots of patients and not enough staff members to provide support can be a bad environment for people with special needs. This type of alcohol rehab facility might have a more cookie cutter approach to recovery and won’t be able to focus on the unique problems that every patient is experiencing. They might have generalized treatment plans that might not necessarily work for everyone.
A smaller program with less patients and lots of staff available will have the means to create more personalized care for treatment. This can be a huge benefit for people with complicated issues that need to have their own treatment plan and won’t succeed with a more generic approach. A lower patient to staff ratio offers a personalized program so that patients can receive the support that they need to heal and recover.
More Supervision to Ensure Success
A treatment center with only a few staff members and a big group of patients can be a problem because of the lack of supervision. Patients may not be monitored as closely if there are not enough employees to keep an eye on them and provide them with help at all times. When issues come up or people start misbehaving there may not be anyone there to get things back on track.
In a smaller program patients will not have to worry about getting the supervision that they need. With lots of staff members they will feel safer and will not have to worry about being overlooked or ignored when issues arise. Closer supervision means that the whole facility will run more smoothly because patients will have to follow rules and appease the staff.
More Intimate and Connected Treatment
Another important reason why a low patient to staff ratio is preferable in treatment is that it provides more connection. People who have addictions tend to become isolated and hide their problems from other people in their lives. They need to feel connected to a community again in order to recover.
Having more personalized care means having more intimate and close relationships with staff members who are providing support. Patients will be able to foster a connection with the people that are supporting and helping them so that they don’t feel lonely during this difficult time in their life. With less patients, staff members can also get to know everyone quickly and understand what each person needs by building a relationship with them.
Large scale facilities can be overwhelming and unfortunately, people can get lost in the crowd of other patients. People who choose smaller programs with more staff members tend to get better treatment and care for a more successful recovery. Everyone benefits from this type of facility but particularly those who have had prior failed attempts at quitting, don’t have enough support from friends or family, have co-occurring conditions or those with long histories of substance abuse.
People with more complicated recovery issues should try to find a low patient to staff ratio when researching a treatment facility. Those with less severe issues may be able to succeed in a larger facility but in general the lower the patient to staff ratio, the better for recovery. If you are deciding on a treatment facility make sure to call or visit so that you can ask them about the number of staff members compared with the number of patients.
