About AAS

Treatment

Allied Addiction Service, LLC is an outpatient treatment resource that provides holistic treatment and is affiliated with local and national mental health, substance abuse, and medical entities.

Detoxification “detox”, is a natural occurrence when the addicted individual stops using substances. It is natural because the human body seeks to cleanse itself within the first 72 hours after the last ingestion. During the initial stage of “detox”, the individual experiences physiological discomfort and psychological disorientation. This experience can be a potentially dangerous, volatile, and even life threatening for the using individual. Enter the need for medical monitoring of this initial stage of chemical dependency treatment. Individuals appear the fair better in an environment where medical issues can be attended and in a group of like individuals to address the psychological aspects of this stage. Although each individual brings a unique set of circumstances to the group stage, it is believed the group approach to chemical dependency should follow a specific course to be most effective.

Cognitive Behavioral Substance Abuse Therapy

Individual or Group Based

1. Introductions — Allows the group to become re-acquainted highlighting initial problem, goals, and most importantly progress. (The group is able to storm out its leaders).

2. Problem Solving — The group selects an individual’s issue and attempts to process it to a goal solution.

3. Providing Insight — The facilitator provides clarification when the group is stuck utilizing cognitive behavior or 12 step approaches-long term goals should be approached with short-term solutions keeping the goals reality based.

4. Homework — The patients are encouraged to practice various techniques to resolve the presenting issue. Reports are to include their self reported-progress and the group will critique and offer suggestions. Patients should say whether 12 step or cognitive behavioral techniques were used with their attempt to achieve their goals (or at least be able to tell the difference through the process of elimination).

EAP-Employee Assistance Program

Because chemical dependency is so destructive and life altering, the individual may have work issues related to performance, time, and attendance. We have initiated programs geared to work related compliance these are 6 six sessions highlighting:

1. Abstinence — We assist the individual to assess their honesty concerning a desire to perform well, and then individualize a treatment plan to achieve these ends.

2. Time Management — Assist the individual with various techniques that improve personal accountability.

3. Assess marital, domestic, or other interpersonal stressors in an effort to eliminate blame and anger.

4. Anger management techniques including red flag and redirecting energy-separate program in certain cases.

5. Highlight personal strengths and reframing focus.

6. Reports available for employer, parole/probation, or court system.

SAP-DOT-Substance Abuse Professional/Department of Transportation

We at Allied Addiction Services, LLC are trained in compliance with Department of Transportation CFR40 rules for assessment, treatment, and reporting for commercial driving and HAZMAT specialties. These include evaluation and recommendation for return to safety sensitive duty.

Dual Diagnosis

We at Allied Addiction Services also specialize with the dual diagnosed population. Dual Diagnosis is the state of an individual having an AXIS I mental illness i.e., Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, or Major Depression disorder co-occurring with a substance abuse disorder. It is termed dual because in fairness the clinician cannot accurately discern which came first; the chicken or the egg. Due to the influx of new wave drugs like PCP dippers and designer drugs ecstasy, the addicted individual presents with symptoms appearing like the major mental illnesses spoken of earlier. These drugs produce massive amount of the neurochemical transmitters dopamine in the brain. This is one of the main chemical transmitters that directs the thought pattern and is extremely overactive in the schizophrenic for instance. One can discern how a fair-minded clinician would be stumped with the etiology or origin of the presented problem; a predisposed mental illness or substance abuse psychosis.

One can also see how treatment can be complicated. Further complications are the misunderstanding and fear of this population including ostracizing by fellow addicts making traditional treatment difficult. Relapse occurs more often due to noncompliance with psychiatric medication. The dual population will often trade medication side effect for the horrors of street addiction simply to avoid loneliness. Allied's treatment approach and solution come through patient education focusing on inclusion into the mainstream of recovery and eventual society. This approach utilized five stages.

1. Understanding the body brain process as related to medication and illicit substances usage.
2. Rationale for medication and handling side effects.
3. 12 step group prep-understanding the fears and prejudice of others.
4. Dual and co-occurring group formation.
5. Testing the waters-incremental 12-step group attendance.

Counselor Training and Staff Development

As one may ascertain, care for these populations is a labor of love. We are assuming the role of a surrogate parent by assisting the individual with areas of arrested development, personality disorder, thought process disorder, and most importantly socialization. This is Love in the truest sense and we believe it takes a total understanding of our roles as caregivers to truly help and do no harm. For these reasons we at Allied Addiction Services, LLC provide staff development workshops and counselor training to provide the best possible approach to helping. We must learn to take our own inventory. Effective counseling techniques just don’t happen; they are nurtured just like our clients. Examples of various staff development and training are:

1. Transference/counter-transference — finding our weak points. Examine conscience and unconscious feelings toward clients — positive and negative. Develop red-flag technique for counselor/staff self-examination for appropriate boundary setting, rapport building.

2. Understanding Personalities and the Substance Abuser — this training seeks to assist the healthcare provider to discern between acting out behavior and a personality disorder symptom-very helpful for the helper’s self examination.

Counselor Training

Allied’s staff are licensed and certified locally and nationally. Counselor training consists of:

1. Pharmacology-related to chemical dependency and dual diagnosis
2. Internship, volunteer, and training hours all need for certification
3. Group dynamics
4. Pre-test prep examination