VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Center for Treatment of Addictive Disorders
Overview
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Center for Treatment of Addictive Disorders is a substance abuse treatment center for people seeking treatment near Allegheny County. As part of their treatment modalities for recovery, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Center for Treatment of Addictive Disorders provides family counseling during treatment. VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Center for Treatment of Addictive Disorders is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, accepting private health insurance for treatment.
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Center for Treatment of Addictive Disorders at a Glance
Payment Options
- Private health insurance
- Cash or self-payment
- U.S. Department of VA funds
- Federal military insurance (e.g., TRICARE)
- Aetna
Assessments
- Comprehensive mental health assessment
- Comprehensive substance use assessment
- Screening for tobacco use
- Interim services for clients
- Outreach to persons in the community
Age Groups
- Adults
- Young adults
Ancillary Services
- Case management service
- Integrated primary care services
- Suicide prevention services
- Acupuncture
- Mental health services
Accreditations
The Joint Commission:
The Joint Commission accreditation signifies that a facility has met rigorous standards of excellence in patient care, treatment, and safety. It assures individuals and healthcare professionals that the accredited facility provides high-quality, evidence-based care for addiction and mental health issues, fostering trust and confidence in their services.
SAMHSA certification for opioid treatment program (OTP):
SAMHSA's Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP) Accreditation is a rigorous recognition process, signaling an OTP's commitment to high-quality care for those with opioid use disorders. It assures patients, families, and the community that the program adheres to evidence-based practices, maintains a safe environment, and employs qualified staff. This accreditation represents a commitment to addressing the opioid epidemic and promoting recovery, symbolizing quality and accountability in opioid addiction treatment.
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA):
DEA accreditation refers to the process by which a law enforcement agency is recognized by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as having met specific training, operational, and resource requirements necessary to participate in DEA-led drug enforcement efforts. This accreditation allows the agency to perform DEA-related tasks such as conducting investigations, executing federal search warrants, and participating in joint task forces.
Treatment At VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Center for Treatment of Addictive Disorders
Conditions Treated
Mental health treatment:
Mental health treatment involves a range of therapeutic approaches, provided by licensed professionals, to address mental health challenges. It includes psychotherapy, medication, and holistic practices to help individuals manage conditions, improve coping skills, and enhance overall well-being. The goal is to empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.
Substance use treatment:
Substance abuse treatment programs can help to address addiction and, if relevant, any co-occurring mental health conditions. Programs include outpatient, inpatient, dual-diagnosis, and partial hospitalization. The addict will receive therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy, or dialectical behavioral therapy, and sometimes complementary therapies like acupuncture and mindfulness-based therapy. By attending skills training and recovery groups you’ll build a strong foundation for your recovery and strengthen your support network, increasing your chances of long-term recovery success.
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.
Alcoholism:
Alcohol addiction is a condition where a person's brain gets used to having alcohol, making it hard for them to control their drinking. This can lead to feeling down, acting without thinking, wanting alcohol strongly, and feeling sick if they don't drink. To help with this, treatment programs are available. These usually include a guided process to safely stop drinking, talking with professionals to work through problems, and joining support groups with others facing similar issues. While these treatments can't fully cure the addiction, they provide tools and support to help individuals live a better life and keep their drinking under control.
Levels Of Care
Aftercare:
Aftercare is 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:
Sober living homes or halfway houses, offer secure, substance-free, and supportive living arrangements for individuals in the process of recovering from substance abuse. These facilities are particularly beneficial for individuals who have recently completed inpatient or outpatient treatment programs. Halfway houses are carefully monitored environments with established guidelines aimed at fostering and maintaining sobriety, including curfews, shared household responsibilities, and therapeutic gatherings. Residents often receive training in essential life skills and coping strategies to facilitate a smoother transition into mainstream society. Additionally, it cultivates a strong sense of community that fosters deep and enduring connections with fellow individuals in recovery, promoting a fresh and healthy lifestyle.
Outpatient:
Outpatient treatment in a rehab center offers flexible therapy sessions, typically ranging from 1-3 hours per week, allowing individuals to continue daily activities while receiving care. In contrast, intensive outpatient programs demand a more rigorous commitment, often involving 9-15 hours weekly, providing a more immersive therapeutic environment without the need for inpatient stays.
Hospital inpatient treatment:
Residential treatment programs provide housing, meals, and substance abuse treatment, offering patients an environment dedicated entirely to their recovery, distinct from their everyday life. While some rehab facilities concentrate on short-term stays lasting a few days to a couple of weeks, others emphasize long-term care spanning several weeks to months. Many centers offer both, customizing the treatment based on each patient's unique needs.
Short-term residential:
Short-term addiction treatment empowers individuals with self-awareness and essential coping strategies for lasting recovery. These brief drug rehab programs, typically lasting 7-14 days, are suitable for those at risk of dependency, offering a crucial opportunity to boost awareness and knowledge, preventing the dangers of addiction. Short-term programs often include detox, withdrawal symptom management, counseling, and therapy services.
Outpatient detoxification:
Ambulatory Detoxification, also known as outpatient detox, is a treatment approach for individuals seeking to overcome substance dependencies, such as drugs or alcohol. Under this model, patients receive medically supervised detoxification services from experienced healthcare professionals, frequently in environments such as clinics, healthcare facilities, or even the comfort of their own homes. This approach is often characterized by greater flexibility and cost-efficiency when contrasted with inpatient detoxification programs.
Outpatient methadone/buprenorphine or naltrexone treatment:
Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) offers an alternative to those battling opioid addiction. This regimen centers on the prolonged administration of methadone, an artificial opioid, aiming to decrease or halt the intake of unauthorized opioids like heroin. Coupled with the right dosage, counseling, and supplementary services, MMT can play a pivotal role in anchoring patients' lives, curtailing illicit substance consumption, and minimizing hazards associated with drug misuse, including overdoses and the spread of infections.
Regular outpatient treatment:
Regular Outpatient Treatment typically involves scheduled therapy sessions that occur on a part-time basis, allowing individuals to receive the necessary support and guidance while maintaining their daily routines. These outpatient sessions are generally held multiple times a week, with the exact frequency tailored to the individual's needs and progress. The number of sessions per week can vary, but it commonly ranges from two to five sessions, providing a flexible and effective approach to addiction recovery and mental health treatment.
Treatment Modalities
Family counseling:
Family Counseling is a therapeutic approach that seeks to address and resolve conflicts, improve communication, and strengthen relationships within the family unit. By providing a safe space for family members to express their feelings and concerns, a trained counselor facilitates understanding and collaboration among members, promoting healthier dynamics and enhancing overall family well-being.
Individual psychotherapy:
Individual Psychotherapy provides a private, one-on-one setting where clients can explore and address their personal challenges, behaviors, and feelings related to addiction and recovery. With the guidance of a trained therapist, clients work to uncover the root causes of their substance use, develop coping strategies, and build a foundation for long-term recovery and personal growth.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a form of psychotherapy that blends cognitive-behavioral approaches with mindfulness strategies. It is particularly effective in treating addiction, as it addresses the underlying emotional pain and destructive behaviors that often accompany substance misuse. Through enhancing emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness, DBT equips individuals with the coping skills necessary to maintain sobriety and improve their overall quality of life.
Nicotine replacement:
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a medically-approved approach to help individuals quit smoking. It involves providing the body with controlled, lower doses of nicotine, typically through patches, gums, lozenges, inhalers, or sprays, to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and cravings. By gradually reducing nicotine intake, NRT aims to wean users off their dependence, making it easier to quit smoking and improving overall health outcomes.
Group counseling:
Group counseling provides a supportive environment where individuals share personal experiences and insights, under the guidance of a professional counselor. It facilitates self-awareness, fosters interpersonal learning, and helps members work through personal and relational challenges. Through shared dialogue and reflection, individuals learn coping strategies, gain emotional support, and experience personal growth within a communal setting.
Experiential Therapy:
Experiential Therapy is a therapeutic approach that emphasizes direct experience and active client involvement to gain insight into unresolved issues and trauma. Through guided activities, role-playing, and other interactive techniques, clients are encouraged to confront and explore their emotions in the present moment, leading to a deeper understanding and resolution of their challenges. This therapy is rooted in the belief that transformative change occurs through meaningful experiences.
Nutrition Therapy:
Nutrition therapy, often referred to as medical nutrition therapy (MNT), harnesses the power of diet to address physical, emotional, and medical challenges. Expert nutritionists or registered dietitians craft specialized dietary strategies for individuals, guiding them to enhance both their physical and psychological well-being through food choices.
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-related counseling is a specialized form of therapeutic intervention aimed at assisting individuals who have experienced distressing, life-altering events. This approach focuses on helping clients process their traumatic experiences, develop coping mechanisms, and rebuild a sense of safety and trust. Counselors trained in trauma therapy use evidence-based techniques to support healing and resilience, ensuring survivors can move forward and lead fulfilling lives despite their past adversities.
Intervention Services:
Intervention services assist families and friends of addicts in orchestrating an intervention, a meeting where concerned individuals express their worries and urge the addict to seek treatment. Expert interventionists aid in planning, assembling, and conversing with the affected individual. They direct participants on how to convey the adverse effects of the addict's actions and emphasize the need for external assistance to tackle the addiction. The ultimate goal of an intervention is to encourage the addict to enter rehab and receive the necessary help.
Cognitive behavioral therapy:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a evidence-based psychological treatment that focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviors. It aims to develop coping strategies and promote healthier thinking to address a variety of mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and stress. CBT is typically short-term and goal-oriented, emphasizing the role of thought processes in influencing emotions and behaviors.
Telemedicine/telehealth therapy:
Telehealth Therapy enables individuals to access mental health services remotely through digital technology. Utilizing secure video conferencing, individuals can engage with qualified therapists from the comfort of their home, overcoming geographical barriers and often reducing waiting times. This level of care offers a flexible and accessible approach to mental health support, especially beneficial for those with mobility issues, busy schedules, or residing in rural or underserved areas.
Substance use disorder counseling:
Substance use disorder counseling treatment modalities refer to various approaches and methods used in the counseling and treatment of individuals with substance use problems. This can include individual therapy, group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, family therapy, and 12-step programs. The goal is to help the individual overcome their substance use, develop healthy coping skills, and lead a fulfilling life in recovery.
Smoking/vaping/tobacco cessation counseling:
Tobacco cessation counseling is a dialogue with a counselor about your tobacco or vaping habits, examining its place in your daily life to strategize quitting. It offers interventions for individuals keen on quitting, encompassing behavioral guidance and group or one-on-one counseling. These sessions can range from short encounters (under 5 minutes) to in-depth discussions (over 10 minutes) and might require multiple meetings.
Treatment for gambling disorder:
Gambling Disorder is a behavioral addiction marked by an uncontrollable urge to gamble despite harmful consequences. Treatment typically combines cognitive-behavioral therapy, group support like Gamblers Anonymous, and occasionally medications for co-existing mental health issues. The goal is to help individuals regain control and prevent future compulsive behaviors.
12-step facilitation:
12-Step Facilitation is a structured approach to recovery used in many rehab facilities. It's rooted in the principles and practices of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its 12-step program. The facilitation process promotes abstinence and supports individuals in becoming actively involved in 12-step self-help groups. The approach emphasizes personal responsibility, spiritual growth, and the importance of peer support to maintain sobriety and prevent relapse. By guiding individuals through each step, 12-step Facilitation aids participants in understanding the underlying causes of their addiction, seeking amends, and fostering a commitment to lifelong recovery.
Contingency management/motivational incentives:
Contingency management and motivational incentives are evidence-based treatment modalities used in addiction and behavioral health programs. Contingency management involves the use of rewards to reinforce positive behaviors and change negative behaviors, while motivational incentives provide incentives to engage in treatment and sustain recovery. Both approaches are designed to increase motivation and engagement in treatment and have been shown to be effective in promoting positive outcomes.
Motivational interviewing:
Motivational Interviewing (MI) in addiction treatment is a client-centered counseling style aimed at promoting behavior change by helping clients explore and resolve ambivalence. Through empathetic engagement and evoking change talk, MI empowers individuals to harness their own motivation to overcome addiction, leading to a self-directed path to recovery. This approach respects individual autonomy while supporting positive change in a compassionate, non-confrontational manner.
Anger management:
The goal of anger management is to reduce both your emotional feelings and the physiological arousal that anger causes. It is generally impossible to avoid all people and settings that incite anger. But a person may learn to control reactions and respond in a socially appropriate manner. The support of a mental health professional may be helpful in this process.
Matrix Model:
The Matrix Model involves clients in group and individual counseling, psychoeducation, and skill-building exercises to boost self-awareness, coping skills, and well-being. It prioritizes creating a supportive, collaborative therapy environment, promoting active client involvement in their recovery. This approach integrates cognitive-behavioral therapy, 12-step facilitation, family education, and relapse prevention strategies into a comprehensive evidence-based program.
Relapse prevention:
The Relapse Prevention Model is a cognitive-behavioral approach designed to teach individuals who are trying to maintain behavioral changes (like sobriety from drugs or alcohol) how to anticipate and cope with the potential for relapse. The model emphasizes the importance of understanding the processes and triggers that lead to relapse, developing strategies to prevent initial lapse, and minimizing the severity and duration if a lapse occurs. It's grounded in the belief that relapses can be viewed as learning opportunities, helping individuals strengthen their commitment and skills to avoid future setbacks.
Treatment for other addiction disorder:
Treatment for other addiction disorders typically involve a combination of therapy and medication. This may include individual therapy, group therapy, and behavioral therapy. Medications may be prescribed to help manage symptoms and reduce cravings. Additionally, support groups and aftercare programs can be beneficial in maintaining recovery and preventing relapse. The treatment modality should be tailored to the individual's specific needs and circumstances.
Ancillary Services
Languages
- Sign language services for the deaf and hard of hearing
Additional Services
- Pharmacotherapies administered during treatment
- Mentoring/peer support
- Breathalyzer or blood alcohol testing
Special Programs
- Clients with HIV or AIDS
- Active duty military
- Clients who have experienced trauma
- Persons with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Veterans
Contact Information
DISCLAIMER: The facility name, logo and brand are the property and registered trademarks of VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Center for Treatment of Addictive Disorders, and are being used for identification and informational purposes only. Use of these names, logos and brands shall not imply endorsement. BetterAddictionCare.com is not affiliated with or sponsored by VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Center for Treatment of Addictive Disorders.
