Mental health has always been a critical consideration, but it has become even more important since the pandemic. Nearly 50 million (20%) Americans reportedly experienced mental health concerns at least once in the past year, with 4.91% being severe cases. These statistics prove there is a dire need for support and mental health rehabs are the first consideration.
Rehab facilities provide the ideal environments for patients struggling with mental health, giving them the time and resources to recover. However, choosing a rehab requires conscious effort and consideration. You must select a facility matching your needs and requirements to maximize the value.
This blog post will provide a guide on factors to consider when choosing a rehab to simplify the process.
Factors to Consider when Choosing a Rehab
Your recovery is the ultimate priority when choosing a rehab, and the following factors affect its quality.
1. Insurance Support or Funding
Affordability needs to be your first consideration since even the best program is useless if you don’t have the required funds. Thankfully, rehabs across the US have several payment options, and most accept insurance.
Your job is to determine which options support your insurance and add them to the shortlist. A few rehabs also provide free-of-cost recovery programs for people who don’t have the funds, so you can check them out if you’re struggling financially.
2. Your Core Needs
Once affordability is sorted, you need to consider the next most important factor – your needs. Several mental health disorders require professional support, but each rehab facility has a specific set it caters to.
You need to understand your care needs and compare them to what the shortlisted facilities offer. Prioritize ones that mention specializing in treating your disorder but also include those providing treatment for it.
3. Available Treatments
Mental health disorders have several treatment options, but rehabs typically offer some of them. It isn’t possible to know what would work for you, but selecting a facility with a diverse treatment portfolio is better.
It will increase your chances of getting the most suitable treatment and a smooth recovery. It isn’t possible to check each rehab’s services, so you can rely on state or city guides to find the best options.
4. Inpatient or Outpatient Care Services
Inpatient care is when rehab facilities admit the patient, providing a residential space where they can live until they recover. Depending on the rehabilitation center, you can get cooked food and other facilities supporting the recovery process.
In contrast, outpatient care is when patients visit the rehab for the duration of their treatment or therapy session during the day and then return home. Some rehabs also started offering virtual therapy sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of outpatient care. The arrangement showed positive results, so some have made virtual therapy a permanent part of their services.
Most rehabs offer both services, but there are a few that offer only one of them. Some of you will need the inpatient residential program for recovery, while others can manage with outpatient care. Choose the one that best suits your needs and requirements.
5. Staff Qualification and Training
Treating mental health disorders requires people with the right qualifications and training. Even the staff facilitating the care process need to be trained to ensure they can handle the challenges that come with caring for patients.
Therefore, always make it a point to check how qualified the specialists are, especially the ones leading your case. Look up the institutions they studied at and confirm their work experience. Disorders are unique for each patient, so the more experience the specialists have, the better.
6. Location
Mental comfort is a necessary part of the recovery process, so you should try to find a rehab closer to home. Such a location will be accessible to friends and family if the specialist suggests family therapy.
It will also be familiar since you know about the community and won’t feel as out of place. Most importantly, it is the optimal solution if you are using outpatient services. Those require regular travel between your home and the rehab, so the closer it is, the better.
7. Quality of Facility
Never settle for an unhygienic and poorly maintained rehab facility. Your environment plays a critical role in your recovery, and being surrounded by such conditions won’t help. Most rehabs have customer reviews, so check them out before deciding to avoid such places.
Wrapping Up
We hope you found our guide for choosing a rehab helpful and will use it to make the right choice. You can also check out our other blog posts for useful health and lifestyle to get the information you need.
