How to Rate Rehab Centers

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and injury rehabilitation centers are two of the primary types. There hundreds of these facilities across the nation, both inside hospitals and operating independently. Getting the best care from these rehab centers when you need it is essential. The best way to ensure you get the best care is to visit the center you wish to attend and tour it, making notes you can later use to evaluate and rate the rehab center before you make a commitment to sign a loved one or yourself on for treatment.

Instructions

• 1

  Call the rehab center you plan to evaluate and rate. Set up a time to visit the center. Ask if you will be able to meet with a counselor or therapist. Ask if you will be able to tour the facility. Bring a notebook with questions you've prepared ahead of time. Be sure to write down any question you can think of that will help you rate the rehabilitation service. When you arrive, ask for brochures or other printed material the rehab facility hands out so you can compare what you actually see with what's offered or promised in the printed material.

• 2

  Ask about the ratio of one on one counseling and therapy sessions to group counseling and therapy. A good rehabilitation program will offer an equal balance of both. Ask to sit in on a group session if possible. Due to HIPPA privacy laws, this may not be allowable, though some rehab centers can arrange for it under certain circumstances.

• 3

  Take a tour of the facility. This can usually be arranged if you call and ask in advance. Ask to see the inpatient facilities, the group meeting rooms and classrooms, the nurses station, and any detox facility on site. You will also want to look at the kitchen and make note of the quality of the meals served to clients. Ask what types of educational programs are included in the program and if the facility offers aftercare.

• 4

  Speak to as many of the staff as you can, including the receptionist, cooks, counselors, and any other staff that may be able to answer questions for you. You can ask to speak to a client or two as well, just to get a viewpoint from someone using the rehab service. HIPPA privacy typically prevents this, but it can be arranged under special circumstances. See as much of the facility as you can, speak to as many people as you can, and ask any question you can think of. This is the only way to effectively rate a rehab facility.