Helping people emerge from addiction
"Thank you. You did not give up on me."
The cost of substance abuse is estimated at more than $400 billion a year in lost wages, property loss through crime and medical costs - not to mention the emotional toll it takes on families and loved ones. We work to prevent and eliminate substance abuse through residential and outpatient services, from prevention to treatment to long-term support.
"The Healing Families program has really saved my life. I took individual therapy and was able to work through everything I had been through. I took parenting classes, substance abuse classes and grief counseling, and now I'm part of a family coach program, preparing me to leave here."
Anita, Indianapolis, IN
Substance abuse affects family life, the economy and public safety. Research has established that prevention and treatment can work, but there is a gap between what is known about prevention and treatment and what is generally done. There is no such gap at Volunteers of America. Volunteers of America is a leader in the field and offers a continuum of supportive services and residential treatment options to assist adolescents, adults and their families to experience life without addiction and to become contributing members of their community.
Individuals who are actively abusing drugs and alcohol must be given a safe place to “detox.” This is most often a safe nonmedical environment for withdrawal from drugs and alcohol. Following detox, a certified drug and alcohol professional uses pretreatment techniques and completes a comprehensive assessment to determine ongoing treatment needs. Referrals to treatment or follow-up services are provided.
Individuals with addictions need to be able to access a wide variety of treatment models to meet the unique of their addictions. One such treatment alternative approach is intensive outpatient treatment. Individuals engaged in this type of treatment have been assessed to be able to engage in up to daily five-day per week treatment program and remain living in a community setting. Day, evening and weekend programs are often available to address the need for individuals to maintain employment, vocational training or schooling during the in-patient phases of treatment. These center-based programs serve a variety of populations including, women who are parenting children, persons with HIV/AIDS, parolees who are at risk, or who have already violated parole.
Volunteers of America has long served populations with co-occurring disorders of substance abuse and mental illness. High quality in patient drug and alcohol treatment services are provided for both adults and youth referred by the criminal justice system.
Volunteers of America has long recognized the need to develop gender-specific models of treatment for women parenting children. Children are often wounded and are in need of intensive therapy type services to overcome the trauma and chaos that is most often involved in the parent’s substance abuse. Volunteers of America assists women to break the cycle of addiction while at the same time learning to become better parents. Children are also considered in the treatment process and are given specialized materials to assist them living healthy lives.
