by ohskylab

Question by Danyel: What type of education would I need to become an RN at a substance abuse detox facility?
I am currently going to school for pre-health with a nursing concentration, until I have the requirements to apply for nursing. I would like to be able to work as an RN in a substance abuse facility. I was wondering if anyone could give me any advise as to how to go about doing this? I do not know if I will need to specialize in a certain area in order to do so or not? If anyone could help me out in regards to what to do education wise I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by MeMeMe
Hi,

First off, good for you for wanting to work in addiction treatment! I’m an addictions counselor and have been working in mental health (mostly suicide prevention) for 7 years and we certainly need more qualified RNs in the field. So I think you will have an easy time finding work once you’re finished with school.

As for your question… To become an RN, you need to go to nursing school. Although I’m sure you already know this. As for specializing in addiction treatment, I don’t believe there are any additional requirements, but it would be good if you have experience working with addicts or at least a greater knowledge of treating clients with addiction. So I would suggest trying to get an internship of some sort with a treatment center in your area. They may not let you do much while you’re in school, but you will be able to put it on your resume. You can learn a lot from observing how things work in treatment. The other suggestion I have would be to take some extra classes that focus on substance abuse. Drug addicts and alcoholics face a variety of special issues separate from the “normal” population you would be working with in a hospital. Most community colleges and some universities now offer programs where you can learn more about these issues. I don’t know where you live, but you may want to start looking for college programs titled “Addictions Counseling” or “Addictions Studies.” Classes you may want to take would be any type of pharmacology, a bloodborne pathogens/infectious disease class, and even alternative treatments to addiction classes. It could also help to take a few classes for addictions counselors like group therapy, individual therapy, or something similar. These will definitely help you in the future in terms of communicating with your clients.

The most important thing I would think an RN working in addiction should have to be educated about is prescription drugs of abuse. Normally when I do an intake on a client coming into treatment, they have been medically prescribed multiple addictive drugs that only contribute to and exacerbate their disease (addiction). Usually these include opiate painkillers, benzodiazepines, and other sedatives and tranquilizers. I had a client once who was on NINE different benzos which she had been on for years, all prescribed by doctors for things like insomnia, anxiety, and even hypothyroidism. This is so egregious and disgusting to me! They were killing her. She obviously had to be medically detoxed for risk of seizures and death from her meds. And needless to say, after being evaluated by our MD, she didn’t NEED any of the pills.

Anyway, I’m rambling. Just excited to see someone wanting to help in the field of addiction treatment. It is rare these days, it seems. But what a satisfying and rewarding job. Good luck to you!!!

Give your answer to this question below!

Many drug addiction treatment centers focus on only the addiction itself. At 12 Palms Recovery Center, treatment plans include dealing with emotional and mental disorders that accompany the actual addiction as well.

According to reports published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), approximately 50 percent of patients addicted to drugs also suffer from some form of emotional or mental disorder. While a rehab in Vermont can help to treat the addiction, oftentimes they are not equipped to also treat the emotional or mental disorder. Focusing on the addiction does not mean that the mental disorder goes away.

At 12 Palms Recovery Center in Jensen Beach, Florida, dual diagnosis patients can and do receive treatment for both their addiction and their emotional or mental disorder. Therapists at 12 Palms Recovery Center are recovering addicts themselves who are also qualified to deal with patients suffering from both addiction and mental disorders. By separating drug and alcohol abuse from emotional and mental issues such as bi-polar disorder, depression, anxiety or PTSD, the qualified therapists and counselors can then determine the underlying factors apart from the addiction itself.

A rehab in Vermont can certainly diagnosis a patient with emotional or mental disorders, but oftentimes outpatient treatment for that disorder will be required. At 12 Palms Recovery Center, any patient with a dual diagnosis can work on their emotional or mental health issues along with their addiction in house—through one on one counseling, group therapy sessions and other time-tested methods of treatment and possibly medication, each patient suffering from dual diagnosis gets their own unique treatment plan developed specifically for their needs.

Many years ago, it was commonplace to lock up an alcoholic or addict in a sanitarium, only to leave them there to live out the rest of their lives in relative obscurity. Alcoholism and addiction back then was considered to be a problem of the mind, much like mental disorders. However now, addiction is treated with a time-tested plan of action, and emotional or mental disorders are diagnosed separately and treated along with the addiction. A rehab in Vermont can treat the addiction, but at 12 Palms Recovery Center, not only are both the addiction and separate disorders treated, each patient who has a dual diagnosis is given a specific plan of action to follow to continue treating both.

12 Palms Recovery Center is designed to be an all-inclusive treatment center, where each patient with a dual diagnosis receives a specific treatment plan that treats their specific needs. By working with qualified counselors and therapists, patients can finally be understood and supported with a specific plan of recovery.

Drug addiction treatment programs oftentimes focuses on just the addiction. At 12 Palms Recovery Center, an all-inclusive treatment plan that also treats emotional and mental disorders is available for dual diagnosis patients.  For more information on the services offered by 12 Palms Recovery Center, please call 1(866) 331-6779.
 

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