Overview
The Sandusky VA Outpatient Clinic is an outpatient facility that provides a variety of specialty services, such as treatment for addiction and substance use, mental health, PTSD, and women veterans. It is situated in Sandusky, Ohio. The clinic offers complete support to veterans in need of these vital services, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System - Sandusky VA Outpatient Clinic at a Glance
Payment Options
- U.S. Department of VA funds
- Private health insurance
- Federal military insurance (e.g., TRICARE)
- Medicaid
- Medicare
Assessments
- Comprehensive mental health assessment
- Comprehensive substance use assessment
Age Groups
- Adults
- Young adults
Operation
- State government
Accreditations
The Joint Commission:
The Joint Commission accreditation for addiction and behavioral health signifies that a facility has met rigorous standards in patient care, treatment, and safety. This recognition assures patients and professionals of the facility's commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based care in the fields of addiction and behavioral health, fostering trust and confidence in their services.
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF):
Established in 1966, the non-profit organization known as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) has a dedicated focus on accrediting rehabilitation organizations. CARF's primary mission is to assist service providers, particularly rehabilitation facilities, in upholding and promoting the highest standards of care.
Treatment At VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System - Sandusky VA Outpatient Clinic
Conditions Treated
Mental health treatment:
Mental health treatment involves various therapies and support services provided by licensed professionals to address mental health issues. These interventions, which can include therapy, medication, and holistic approaches, aim to enhance well-being, improve coping, and empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives. It's personalized, comprehensive care for mental health challenges.
Alcoholism:
Alcohol addiction is a health problem where drinking takes control over a person's life. It affects how their brain thinks and acts, leading to strong desires to drink, bad feelings, sudden actions, and discomfort when not drinking. To help someone with this problem, there are treatments like detox, counseling, group support, and learning coping methods. While treatment can't completely cure the urge to drink, it helps people regain control of their lives and feel better overall.
Opioid Addiction:
Opioid rehabs specialize in supporting those recovering from opioid addiction. They treat those suffering from addiction to illegal opioids like heroin, as well as prescription drugs like oxycodone. These centers typically combine both physical as well as mental and emotional support to help stop addiction. Physical support often includes medical detox and subsequent medical support (including medication), and mental support includes in-depth therapy to address the underlying causes of addiction.
Substance use treatment:
Substance use rehabilitation represents a holistic treatment strategy tailored to aid individuals grappling with drug or alcohol addiction. This comprehensive rehabilitation method encompasses two key aspects: first, addressing the physical dependency, often commencing with detoxification, and second, tackling the psychological triggers through a range of therapeutic techniques. The ultimate aim is to empower individuals to attain and sustain sobriety while providing them with the necessary skills and coping mechanisms to successfully reintegrate into society and lead a life free from substance abuse.
Co-occurring Disorders:
Dual-diagnosis rehabs are usually the appropriate solution to treat co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. These facilities typically employ medical and behavioral experts who use a range of interventions, together with the right healing environment, for you to achieve and sustain long-term recovery. Treatment usually includes evidence-based therapies (like cognitive behavioral therapy), recovery support meetings, 12-step facilitation, psychoeducation, skills training, and group therapy.
Levels Of Care
Detoxification:
Detoxification, often shortened to detox, is like giving the body a fresh start by getting rid of harmful substances like drugs or alcohol someone may have taken. When a person stops taking these substances, they might feel sick or uncomfortable as their body adjusts to the change. Detox helps ease these uncomfortable feelings while making sure the harmful substances are removed from the body in a safe way. This process helps prevent any additional harm caused by the drugs or alcohol.
Aftercare:
Aftercare treatment refers to the continued support and care that individuals receive following the completion of their primary treatment program for substance abuse or addiction. This phase aims to aid individuals in maintaining their sobriety, improving personal skills and coping strategies, and integrating back into society. Aftercare can include ongoing therapy, support group meetings, education, and monitoring, which are crucial for preventing relapse and promoting long-term recovery. Through a combination of community support, accountability, and personal development, aftercare provides a structured pathway for individuals to continue their recovery journey in a supportive environment.
Halfway house:
A sober living residence provides a nurturing atmosphere where individuals in recovery offer each other mutual support while sharing household duties. Residents actively engage in 12-step programs and hold one another accountable for maintaining sobriety. To continue residing in either a men's or women's sober living environment, individuals must stay free from drugs and alcohol, actively contribute to household responsibilities, attend support group meetings, and contribute to the living expenses of the home.
Outpatient:
Outpatient treatment at rehab centers provides adaptable therapy schedules, usually spanning 1-3 hours weekly, enabling participants to maintain their everyday routines while undergoing treatment. On the other hand, intensive outpatient programs require a more dedicated time investment, frequently around 9-15 hours a week, delivering a deeper therapeutic experience without the commitment of inpatient residency.
Treatment Modalities
Family counseling:
Family Counseling is a therapeutic approach that seeks to address and improve communication, understanding, and dynamics within a family unit. By addressing conflicts, emotional distress, and behavioral challenges, a trained therapist provides guidance and tools for family members to strengthen bonds, resolve issues, and foster a healthier family environment.
Individual psychotherapy:
Individual Psychotherapy is a personalized therapeutic approach aimed at aiding individuals in overcoming addiction and its underlying psychological triggers. A licensed therapist works closely with the individual through one-on-one sessions to unearth and address personal challenges, emotional issues, and behavioral patterns contributing to their substance abuse. Individual psychotherapy lays a robust foundation for a sustainable recovery and a better quality of life by fostering self-awareness, coping strategies, and healthier behavioral responses.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the critical role of thinking in how we feel and what we do. It aims to identify and challenge distorted or negative thought patterns and behaviors, teaching individuals to replace them with more constructive and rational beliefs. CBT is evidence-based and has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety, and phobias, among others.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evolved version of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that aims to assist individuals in recognizing and influencing the interplay among their thoughts, emotions, and actions. DBT is particularly beneficial for those grappling with self-harming behaviors, including self-inflicted injuries like cutting, as well as suicidal ideations or tendencies. Clinically, it has shown effectiveness in managing intense emotions and conditions such as Borderline Personality Disorder.
Nicotine replacement:
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a medically-approved approach designed to help individuals quit smoking by providing a controlled dose of nicotine without the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. Available in various forms, such as patches, gums, lozenges, and inhalers, NRT reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings, making the transition to a smoke-free life more manageable.
Group counseling:
Group therapy entails therapeutic sessions conducted in a collective setting rather than one-on-one. It encompasses various modalities, from support groups and experiential therapy to psycho-education and beyond. The approach focuses on treatment and emphasizes the dynamic interactions and shared experiences among group members.
Experiential Therapy:
Experiential therapy is a form of therapy in which clients are encouraged to surface and work through subconscious issues by engaging in real-time experiences. Experiential therapy departs from traditional talk therapy by involving the body, and having clients engage in activities, movements, and physical and emotional expression. This can involve role-play or using props (which can include other people). Experiential therapy can help people process trauma, memories, and emotion quickly, deeply, and in a lasting fashion, leading to substantial and impactful healing.
Nutrition Therapy:
Nutrition therapy, aka medical nutrition therapy (MNT), treats physical, emotional, and medical conditions through diet. Specific dietary plans are designed by professional nutritionists or registered dietitians, and patients follow them in order to affect their physical and mental health positively.
Marital/couples counseling:
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Trauma-related counseling:
Trauma therapy addresses the deep-seated emotional and psychological wounds often linked with substance abuse disorders. Recognizing that traumatic experiences can be a root cause or a significant contributing factor to substance addiction, this therapeutic approach seeks to help individuals understand, process, and heal from their traumas. Doing so fosters emotional healing and bolsters the individual's chances of long-term recovery from addiction. Integrating trauma-informed care into addiction treatment ensures a comprehensive approach that addresses substance abuse's symptoms and underlying causes.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy:
EMDR is a therapy method initially designed to address trauma. During an EMDR session, patients engage in eye movements reminiscent of REM sleep, either by following a therapist's moving finger or tracking a light bar. These repetitive eye movements aim to aid the brain in reprocessing memories, potentially diminishing the severity of traumatic recollections. As a result, related memories may also heal, leading patients to feel notably more at ease, balanced, and emotionally composed.
Motivational Interviewing:
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a clinical approach to helping people with substance abuse issues and other conditions shift behavior in positive ways. It is more goal-oriented than traditional psychotherapy, as MI counselors directly attempt to get clients to consider making behavioral change (rather than wait for them to come to conclusions themselves). Its primary purpose is to resolve ambivalence and help clients become able to make healthy choices freely.
Eating Disorder Treatment:
Eating disorders encompass conditions like anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and unhealthy eating habits. Some mental health experts view these disorders as akin to food addiction, where food is used compulsively, much like substances in drug or alcohol addiction. Consequently, specific substance abuse treatment programs may include support for eating disorders. Furthermore, eating disorders can co-occur or be diagnosed alongside drug and alcohol addiction.
Life Skills:
Life skills training equips individuals with essential competencies, such as time management, career planning, financial literacy, and effective communication, to navigate the challenges of daily life. These skills are foundational to achieving not just sobriety but a thriving, fulfilling life post-addiction. Such training lays the groundwork for sustainable success and long-term recovery.
Holistic Treatment:
Holistic treatment in a treatment center encompasses a comprehensive approach towards achieving mental, physical, and emotional wellness during addiction recovery. Unlike traditional treatments that focus solely on combating addiction, holistic treatment delves into the underlying issues contributing to substance abuse, providing individuals with the tools to achieve lasting recovery. By integrating a variety of therapeutic modalities such as yoga, meditation, nutritional counseling, and alternative therapies like acupuncture, a holistic rehab aims to nurture the individual's overall well-being, fostering a balanced path towards a drug-free life.
Religious Programs:
Religious programs in rehab integrate spiritual principles and practices with traditional rehabilitation methods to offer holistic healing and recovery. These programs cater to individuals who seek solace in their faith and believe that spiritual growth can significantly complement their journey to sobriety. By incorporating prayer, meditation, religious teachings, and fellowship, these programs aim to strengthen one's spiritual foundation while addressing addiction's physical and psychological challenges. Whether rooted in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, or other faiths, religious programs provide an avenue for deeper introspection, community support, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Ancillary Services
Languages
- Sign language services for the deaf and hard of hearing
Special Programs
- Pregnant/postpartum women
- Active duty military
- Persons with eating disorders
- Clients who have experienced trauma
- Persons with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Contact Information
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