Choosing the right mental health rehab center for your needs is critical to beginning your journey toward better mental health.
Before starting with the article here’s something I want to say. Make sure you work out at least 3-4 days/week, eat healthy, drink enough water, and think positively. By following these things you will see wonders for your mental health.
But even after doing these things, you find that you need help, rehab centers are a good option as you will find someone who will understand what you are going through. But make sure to do your research first.
Unlike selecting a restaurant to dine at before an event, your choice of a care facility is a commitment. Assess your needs, preferences, and parameters before beginning your research. Armed with your search criteria, you can fine-tune your query and land at the ideal mental health rehab center.
1. Identify Your Specific Needs
When your mental health journey leads you to consider a rehab facility, you’ve likely been doing the work.
Generally, you have an idea of what treatments, methodologies, and medications have helped thus far. Additionally, your diagnosis will guide you toward which facilities will be best suited for you.
Draft a list of your primary needs in a mental health rehab facility, prioritizing those of the most importance. First, ensure that the providers in your facility treat your condition and can continue therapies that work for you.
Next, determine if their breadth of services spans your potential needs, too. If you can’t find out what a facility offers with this specificity online, reach out to them directly.
2. Clarify Your Preferences
Now that you’ve identified your needs, it’s time to consider your preferences. Just like you’ll want to ensure you can continue successful therapies, you’ll want to continue enjoying creature comforts, too. If you’re an outdoor lover, a facility in a bustling city may not be ideal.
Look at a facility’s physical location to your home and its setting. Some people may want to be close to their home base or further away.
Finding a match for what you like matters, but be open to new approaches and settings, too. One facility may offer group therapies that haven’t been your preference but have proven successful for many. Try to find a match for your non-negotiable criteria but keep your list of “maybes” and your mind open.
3. Confirm Accreditations
Finding a qualified mental health provider is important to ensuring quality, ethical care. Cross-reference the accreditations facilities claim with a trusted resource before making an on-site visit. Unfortunately, some bad actors may seek to take advantage of people looking for help, so get proof of qualifications.
Qualified facilities should happily offer information about accreditation for their professionals, methodologies, and references. Review third-party sites for candid feedback and look for referrals from prior rehab attendees. Discuss what you learn with your current therapist who may have professional contacts who can provide insight.
4. Conduct an On-Site Visit
Once you’ve narrowed your search, dedicate time toward an on-site visit. Just like you’d conduct a college visit, take a tour, ask questions, and take notes.
When you plan to reside on your rehab campus, you’ll look more deeply at accommodations, nutrition, and maintenance. Ask to review the entire facility, not just the visitor-ready spaces. If you have dietary needs, especially those that are religious or allergy-related, confirm that these needs can be met.
During your visit, meet with therapists specializing in your area of need to determine if it’s a fit. Some facilities may provide a sample schedule or treatment plan, specific to your mental health needs.
This extra detail might signal their capabilities, but confirm their ability to deliver these services. If you’re visiting with others, step away from the group to get a feel of their offerings without external influence. This can provide you with much-needed breathing room to develop an unbiased opinion.
5. Inquire About Long-Term Results and Support
A beautiful facility, qualified therapists, and programming are attractive, but it’s the results you’re looking for. Get down to the nitty-gritty and learn about patient success rates, returns, and what happens when you leave. If their patients’ treatment timelines are extended, or revisited, ask for details behind the trend. This may be a red flag that you should consider other options.
Find out what ways a rehab facility supports patients after they’ve been discharged. Are there virtual appointments between patients and therapists? If not, do they have a network of professionals they can refer you to so you can continue successful treatments? There’s no one answer to which approach is correct, but consider if their treatment matches your goals.
6. Discuss Insurance Coverage and Financial Commitments
Finally, and often a major deciding factor, is how you’ll pay for mental health rehab. Review your insurance coverage to determine which components of care they’ll cover and at what amount. Many people have high-deductible health plans, so assess your ability to pay for your portion of care.
Confirm that the facilities you’re considering collaborate with insurers and request an estimate using your policy details before you commit. If your policy doesn’t offer coverage, determine what your budget is for rehab. Many facilities offer discounts, payment plans, and financing, so don’t let the cost of treatment deter you from getting help.
Begin Your Healing Journey in Alignment With Your Needs
Your criteria for a mental health rehab facility will be uniquely yours, so take the time to consider your options.
Take notes, request additional documentation, and be methodical in your search. Try to get the same level of detail from each facility to compare them evenly, ruling out obvious mismatches early. When you do, you’ll choose a facility that’s best suited to help you toward better mental health.
