Questions You May Have

• What if the person doesn't want treatment?
• How does payment work?
• Why shouldn't I just contact a centre directly?
• What does treatment cost?
• How do we get paid?
• What happens when things go wrong?
• Where might we suggest you go for treatment?
• What makes you recommend one centre over another?
• What about after treatment?

If we haven't covered a question you may have please do call us and we will be happy to discuss your concerns.

What if the person doesn't want treatment?

It's a common problem! One option is to use a specialist 'interventionist' who will work with the family to encourage the affected member to agree to treatment. Some families don't like the idea of an intervention and prefer to try and arrange some one-to-one counselling to try and gently coax the affected family member in the right direction.

Our experience is that there are no right or wrong answers – we will work with you to explore the options and do the best that can be done at that time.

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How does payment work?

All costs will need to be agreed upfront once the treatment centre is chosen. For overseas treatment, all travel costs will need to be paid in full in advance, and in most cases we expect the first four weeks' treatment to be paid in advance. All funds are paid to us in a single payment and we then pay all travel, treatment and other costs directly to the providers.

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Why shouldn't I just contact a centre directly?

Selecting a treatment centre – especially an overseas one – based on its own promotional material can be tricky. We select our preferred providers because we feel, based upon our own extensive knowledge, experience and client outcomes, that they are among the best in the world. We feel that they can be trusted and offer good value for money.

We will always give an objective and expert view based on your personal situation, and we feel that that is an important asset for families trying to make this stressful and difficult decision.

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What does treatment cost?

This is a crucial question. Sometimes families, especially parents, feel guilty if they can't afford the most expensive treatment available. Our experience is that it really isn't best to simply go for the most expensive option. Although people are often tempted to, it is seldom advisable to take on significant debt to fund treatment – this will only create more anxiety that will undermine future recovery.

The best treatment is the treatment that suits the individual at the state of readiness they are in right now. Sometimes it's best not to go to treatment straight away, but to do some preparatory outpatient work first to make sure that the individual gets the most possible benefit when they do go to treatment.

We understand how difficult these decisions are, and we have been through this process hundreds of times. We will advise you on what your options are, and we'll help you to choose between them and make sure that you get maximum benefit from the amount that you have to spend.

We work with families and individuals with all kinds of budgets, from a few thousand upwards, and we only ever have one goal – to help someone get better.

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How do we get paid?

We do not charge extra for our service as we recover our fees in full from the treatment provider. This includes cases where treatment is funded by a medical insurer. With many years of experience of dealing with them, we can provide help in getting your benefit application processed successfully.

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What happens when things go wrong?

When dealing with people suffering from addictions and alcoholism, we always have to be prepared to deal with unexpected changes of plan.

Most often this involves either a relapse and subsequent discharge from treatment, or someone leaving treatment early (usually in order to relapse). Both cases require alternative arrangements to be made speedily.

We have people on the ground who are used to dealing with this sort of crisis, and our travel partners can help you re-schedule flights and make alternative arrangements where necessary. As the largest independent travel company in the UK, they are ATOL protected.

One of the key issues when things do go wrong is to make sure that you get a full refund of any unused funds for treatment, and we guarantee to make sure that this happens.

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Where might we suggest you go for treatment?

With so many possible options, this is where our service proves its value. Besides the UK, we have independently approved a number of international treatment centres, including ones in the USA and South Africa. We have also considered primary residential treatment, secondary residential treatment, day care and evening programmes.

a) Why the UK?

For someone seeking insurance-funded treatment, the UK is a very good choice. The attractions include ease of access for families and friends, and the fact that medical insurers are happy to pay for UK treatment. However, the choice of high quality UK treatment centres is quite limited.

b) Why the USA?

The thing we love about American treatment centres is the depth and breadth of experience and expertise. For more complex presentations we often prefer an American centre, where there is almost always a sizeable and long-established specialist centre that can cater for that need.

The downsides include higher costs, potential visa difficulties, and the need for family and friends to travel to attend family workshops etc.

c) Why South Africa?

When South African treatment centres first gained popularity in the UK they were seen as the budget alternative. Today the cost differential is not as obvious, but there are still good reasons to choose a South African centre over a UK or US one:

• It can be easier to persuade a young person who is ambivalent about treatment to go to a centre in South Africa than a UK centre. It's an exciting destination and the weather is usually better.
• Even taking travel costs into account, it is still significantly cheaper than one of the more expensive UK options.

However, there are some issues to bear in mind with overseas treatment:

• Private medical insurance will almost never cover overseas treatment
• The distance makes it harder for family members and friends to visit
• It can be harder to reintegrate back into life in the UK after treatment abroad

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What makes you recommend one centre over another?

We have run treatment centres ourselves and know how different each one can be. The right choice is a matter of matching the client's needs with the centre's strengths.

When we assess individuals, we take into account:

• Age
• Gender
• In the case of substance use, the type and amount being used, and for how long
• Any other mental health issues
• Financial circumstances, so we can gauge what is affordable and sensible
• Level of motivation and commitment to getting well
• Other life issues which may conflict with treatment such as work commitments, childcare or similar
• Previous experience of treatment or other help
• Criminal convictions that may prevent overseas travel
• The need to get away from negative influences, or the need to stay close to positive ones

In terms of treatment centres, we look for:

• The right match of expertise
• A stable and experienced staff team
• A large enough number of people in treatment (smaller centres can get empty quickly)

When we have as much of this information as we can gather in the time available, we will make our recommendations – and you are welcome to do your own research based on these. Once you make your choice, we will take care of all the arrangements to get you or the person you are trying to help into treatment as quickly as possible.

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What about after treatment?

This is the really important question – and it's vital to consider it before treatment. The most important factor is whether the person will be in a safe and supportive environment for long enough to allow them to embed the new habits they will pick up during treatment.

We can help you to think about post-treatment plans, and make sure that they give the client a real chance of making a lasting change to their life.

How do I start the process?

Simply call our Residential Advisory Team on 0845 564 3676. We will be able to chat about the issues you are facing and help you find the best solution for you and your family. You can also fill in the form above if you would rather have us email you.

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