Are you looking for addiction treatment in Portland, Oregon for yourself or a friend? Are you feeling confused by the different types of treatment available and unsure which “level of care” is best suited to help in your particular situation?
In this blog post, we’ll cover the different levels of care that a person suffering from substance use disorder might need. We’ll also go over the pros and cons of each as well as the availability of each type of care in the Portland metro area.
Why Are There Different Kinds of Addiction Treatment in Portland?
Substance use disorder is a complex behavioral health condition and every individual who suffers from SUD is just that – an individual. Each patient has their own quirks, wants, needs and requirements on the path to recovery.
What are the Official Levels of Care in the “Continuum of Care” for Addiction Treatment in Portland?
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), establishes the guidelines that define the different levels of care on offer for addiction treatment in the United States. There are five different levels of care in ASAM’s system. They are:
Level 1 – Outpatient services
Level 2 – Intensive Outpatient Services or Partial Hospitalization Services
Level 3 – Residential or Inpatient Services
Level 4 – Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient
Let’s look at each one.
Level 1 or Outpatient Services
This treatment occurs while the patient is still living at home. It involves less than 9 hours of formal treatment per week.This is sometimes done virtually. Patients who are involved in level one treatment can easily maintain the parts of their lives that are working for them, like employment, family relationships and caregiving responsibilities. This is the least disruptive level of care, but also the least intensive level of care. It’s not always appropriate for patients with more severe SUD symptoms, nor is it appropriate for patients who need medically supervised detox.
Level 2 or Intensive Outpatient Services/Partial Hospitalization Services
Level 2 treatment is functionally similar to level 1 treatment because patients are still able to live at home during intensive outpatient (IOP) programs. The biggest difference between level one and level two is the number of formal treatment hours patients complete during the program. Level two programs require a time commitment of twenty or more hours per week from patients. These are sometimes referred to as “day programs” or “day treatment.” Because day programs can often require six hour days from patients, it can be difficult to maintain employment, school and caregiving duties during these programs. Often, patients will take PTO or go on a “break” from their regular duties to complete these programs.
Level 3 or Residential Services
Level 3 treatment requires patients to live on-site and participate in treatment activities for the duration of their stay, which is usually between 30 and 90 days in length, depending on the severity of their disease and the type of insurance coverage available to them. These programs often have an MD on staff to supervise patients.
Level 4 or Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient
Level 4 is also known as “detox.” This is a medically intensive level of care that is appropriate for patients who are experiencing acute withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol, for example, can cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms that must be supervised closely by medical professionals for the health of the patient. Level 4 care is designed to be short-term and often precedes level 3 care.
The Levels of Addiction Treatment Care in Portland
Portland is sorely lacking in many of the important levels of care we’ve discussed here.
At Shanti Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in level 1 care. Our patients continue on with their daily lives while receiving holistic MAT treatment at our clinic with minimal disruption to their lives. This level of care has little to no waitlist, unlike many of the programs in Portland, which are often beleaguered with months long wait times.
For example, there is only one clinic in Portland that offers level 4 addiction treatment care. That facility, Hooper Detoxification Stabilization Center, only consists of a handful of beds and the waitlist is generally quite long.
Why Do Portland Residents Choose Shanti Recovery and Wellness for Outpatient Addiction Treatment?
Portlanders tend to gravitate towards our programs because we offer a warm, family-style environment with knowledgeable clinicians in a comfortable setting. Our building is a converted craftsman that looks and feels more like a chiropractor’s office or an upscale naturopathic family medicine clinic than it does an addiction treatment center. We tailor our patient-centered treatment plans around your preferences and goals, taking the whole patient into consideration, rather than treating addiction in isolation.
Interested to learn more about how we can help? Give us a call today to begin your journey to freedom from addiction.