By now, most people should understand that addictions are in fact diseases. Worst than being deceases, they are diseases with no cure. When someone goes into rehab for treatment regarding addiction, the best they can hope for is to arrest the addiction. The addiction will lie dormant in their body and mind. It will tempt the recovering addict to abandon sobriety.
As long as the individual says strong and properly copes with their triggers, the drug abuse should become a thing of the past. Getting past a drug addiction issue is a tenuous task when attempting to do so via an outpatient treatment program. The client has to remain responsible and honest during treatment in order for an outpatient program to work. The odds are good that a client will succeed if they abide by these basic rules:
- There is zero tolerance for any kind of substance use beyond what a doctor might deem absolutely necessary
- To ensure compliance with the first rule, clients must be willing to submit to drug testing
- Clients are required to show up for all appointments on time every time
- Clients are expected to make steady progress towards recovery
These are the basic guidelines for outpatient programs. Only the most responsible clients are usually permitted the opportunity to go the outpatient route as opposed to residential treatment. From this point forward, we want to focus on the zero tolerance and drug testing rules associated with outpatient treatment.
What happens if you fail a drug test in outpatient rehab?
As we stated above, trust is a big factor used to assess whether or not a prospective client is suitable for outpatient treatment. Unfortunately, drug addictions are very powerful. They are looking to strike at any weakness that a recovering addict might show. That’s the very reason they do drug testing in both residential and outpatient treatment programs. When drug testing is done as part of the residential treatment process, there is an assumption people will be clean because of lack of access to drugs.
If someone fails a drug test, there’s a good chance they somehow smuggled the drugs into the facility. Those are two rule violations that could lead to immediate dismissal from the program. Outpatient clients are much more susceptible to “falling off the wagon” because of easy access to drugs. Therefore, they usually have to submit to a lot more drug testing. Some rehab centers require outpatient clients to drug test every time they report for treatment. What happens when someone fails a drug test?
Escalation of Treatment
When an outpatient client fails a drug test, it’s an indication the client is no longer responsible or trustworthy. Since no one is looking to toss someone aside because of a relapse, most clients in this situation are given the opportunity to accept an escalation of treatment. If the client is taking part in an Intensive Outpatient Program (three to five days a week of up to six hours a day of therapy), they might be asked to move up to a Partial Hospitalization Program (five to seven days a week of up to eight hours a day of therapy). If a client is already taking part in a Partial Hospitalization Program, they may be asked to agree to residential treatment.
Dismissal From the Treatment Facility
If a client can’t or won’t agree to an escalation of treatment, they might be given another opportunity to continue treatment at their current level. If they violate the rules again, there is a good chance the rehab facility might ask them to leave the rehab facility. It does not happen often, but it does happen. If being released from a program seems harsh, you have to remember that treatment centers have limited treatment resources.
They are mostly interested in using those resources to help clients who really want to succeed. There isn’t much available to use on clients who can’t seem to follow the rules. If you really want help but can’t or won’t agree to residential treatment, we would definitely like to offer you a chance at outpatient treatment. If you will come in and follow our rules, we will do everything possible to help you beat your addiction. First, we need you to call one of our representatives at 772-266-5320. After the introductory conversation about the facility and our treatment options, we would like to invite you in to start your journey towards the path of recovery.
