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| Aftercare Goes High-Tech |
| Columns - On the Web | ||||||||
| Friday, 30 November 2001 | ||||||||
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Treatment professionals today face a variety of challenges. These include but are not limited to: less time for treatment, budget restraints, cut backs on staffing, heavy client loads, and stricter standards set forth by governmental agencies. Add to this the limitations and restrictions placed on them by payers and it is easy to see why frustrations frequently are high. Many counseling professionals would like to provide a higher quality of care involving longer stays in treatment and more efficient post treatment follow-up. Yet counselors and patients alike often find they do not have the resources to make this possible. According to Alan Goodstat, LCSW, "In order to decrease the chances of relapse among our patients, the most important thing we as professionals can do is provide a sound continuing and aftercare plan that would enable us to maintain a higher level of communication with our clients after they leave the daily supervision of our center."This, however, involves counselors doing follow up calls when they already have a full caseload and limited time - they are expected to keep, maintain, and record outcome studies. These studies include statistics, demographical data, successes, as well as failures. With today's transient population, simply trying to keep up with a current phone number is a task within itself. Many treatment centers are turning to alumni groups to help their patients after they return home. This has helped reduce some of the aftercare concerns, although there cannot be an alumni group in every city throughout the world. The answer to several of these problems may lie in emerging information and communication technology - both of which promise to usher in a wealth of innovative solutions for healthcare, including quality, access, and cost. Gradually, treatment centers are turning to technology for help. The ease of access and affordability of the Internet makes it the logical next step in helping centers and individual counseling professionals perform their duties more efficiently. Online companies have established virtual ˆ la carte menus, providing counselors and patients with the following:
The blending of technology and treatment is simply the next logical step. With the use of the Internet, treatment centers can increase their visibility, counselors can save valuable time, and the quality of care will be increased. Patients will be able to leave treatment more informed as to their next step and families will feel more comfortable with knowing everything is being done to insure success for their loved ones. The mission of alcohol and drug abuse treatment is to treat the whole person with education and prevention, group therapy, and intensive one-on-one counseling - the latter being the greatest challenge counselors face as they are expected to perform so many duties. This problem affects their main mission, lasting sobriety and recovery. It is time to move forward and face the fact that the old way is not working and we must explore new methods of support through technology.
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