OUR TREATMENT PHILOSOPHY

Our treatment philosophy includes acknowledging that each of our clients is unique regardless of their background or referral source and therefore the individual needs, motivation, strengths, and challenges must be identified in each client. Rather than addressing only the presenting problem such as mental illness, substance abuse, trauma, joblessness, or homelessness, we work with our clients to create a plan that will address all of their needs. Approaches used in addressing clients’ needs include those found in Choice Theory and SMART Recovery.

    • Choice Theory, developed by William Glasser, states that our behaviors are chosen based on our internal motivation. Most people believe that external sources such as situations and other people “force” us to have certain thoughts and feelings that lead to behaviors. Choice Theory, however, teaches us that we have control and choice over our behaviors. Our counselors and staff serve as role models; we are examples of how to cope with life’s challenges in healthy and effective ways. Further, our counselors and staff display unconditional positive regard for each client while also reinforcing the need to take personal responsibility for one’s actions.

     

    • Self Management and Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) encourages recovery from any type of addiction through teaching the client specific techniques and tools that create change. Similar to Choice Theory, in that it focuses on personal responsibility and internal locus of control, the major difference is that while Choice Theory focuses on processing how the client chooses behavior, SMART Recovery systematically breaks down the client’s thought process to identify, challenge, and replace faulty beliefs and unhelpful self-statements. Counselors use various techniques that encourage the clients’ sense of self-empowerment to set and achieve their own personal goals and ultimately help them lead a satisfying and fulfilling lifestyle.  

     

    • We incorporate the concepts of Choice Theory and SMART Recovery in each of our mental health, substance abuse, criminal justice, and veterans’ programs. We recognize that each client comes to us with a wealth of untapped possibilities. It is our responsibility as treatment providers to provide a fertile environment in which these possibilities can bloom.

     

    Interesting articles on SMART Recovery: