There is a lot of talk in the addiction treatment world of ethics and the morality of the work we do and engage in. I have seen this industry go from helping people to scheming people in the last 9 years I’ve worked in the treatment industry. It is important to know the facilities and programs you or a loved one is going to attend. We’ve seen raids of facilities by the FBI in Florida and California, and by the looks of the industry these deceptive tactics are not changing just yet. We know that time is essential when people are seeking treatment, and often times this had led to many facilities deceptively engaging in marketing tactics that are unscrupulous and have led our industry to be one of deceit and lies. Make no mistake, these tactics are illegal. These behaviors are dark, and wrong.

Always be straight forward, ask questions about the treatment provider and their facility, clarify who is running groups. At Alta Centers, all groups and sessions are facilitated by certified and licensed professionals who are trained in addiction treatment and have state boards to answer to for behavior that is illegal. Don’t follow one person’s advice, get a few treatment centers and the names of the facilities. Ask any individual who is currently wanting you or a loved one to attend a treatment program if they are getting paid for the admission or receive any compensation for their referral. Be very weary of facilities that will entice you with waiving your deductible or out of pocket or will cover your expenses to attend their program or individual marketers acting on the behalf of a facility they may not even be employed by. Finding out if they are working for the treatment center and working as an independent entity is a red flag to many in the industry. If they are not working for the facility, make sure they are providing this advice to go to the facility based on their experience and knowledge of the programming. If they don’t know much about either, this person may be brokering patients.

Ask about the team, and the individual sessions. Find out more about the program, and if they offer services like family week or family sessions. What a typically length of stay is. Overall, make sure that you treatment center offers you quality and ethical care. Make sure you aren’t a scheme to get paid and make sure they really care about you. Always, ask them questions before attending a facility or sending your loved one to a facility.