Boca Raton’s Preferred Schizophrenia Treatment Center

If you have a family member or loved one who is suffering from schizophrenia, you have likely been bombarded by an array of various emotions. It can be devastating to watch someone you care a great deal about suffer from the devastating symptoms of this illness, and you may have been left feeling helpless as to what you can do for your loved one. If your loved one has begun engaging in the devastating behavior of abusing drugs or alcohol in an attempt to minimize the distress he or she experiences, that can cause you to experience even more worry and concern. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to be of assistance to your loved one. Consider the following:

• Research schizophrenia so that you can gain an understanding of the illness. This will help you to be more empathic towards your loved one and what he or she experiences on a daily basis.
• Learn about the types of treatment available for those suffering from schizophrenia and then research treatment centers that offer specialized treatment for co-occurring schizophrenia and substance abuse concerns.
• Sit down with your loved one and talk to him or her openly about your concerns. Discuss his or her need for treatment, but do so in a way that does not come across as lecturing. Review the information you have found while researching various treatment centers and offer to assist your loved one in taking the first steps towards receiving treatment, such as by scheduling appointments, calling to ask questions about insurance coverage, etc.
• Once your loved one has engaged in treatment, show your support by being an active part of the therapeutic process. Talk to your loved one’s treatment providers in order to obtain suggestions for ways that you can help your loved one both while he or she is in treatment and once he or she has returned home.

When left untreated, the symptoms of co-occurring schizophrenia and substance abuse can wreak havoc on individuals’ lives. Men and women frequently find it difficult to maintain employment, which can lead to the development of financial concerns. Relationships often become disturbed, potentially resulting in the loss of important friendships and the onset of familial strife. Self-harming behaviors, social isolation, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors also often plague those suffering from schizophrenia. In regards to substance abuse, individuals are placing themselves at risk for experiencing a number of detrimental effects with their physical health as well. All of these detriments can be successfully overcome or avoided all together, however, by choosing to engage in treatment. In doing so, individuals can defeat their addictions and develop the skills needed to successfully manage their symptoms of schizophrenia.

Wellness Resource Center is a private treatment program that is dedicated to promoting the health and wellness of individuals who are suffering from addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions, including schizophrenia. Recognizing that the compounded issues that arise as the result of dual diagnosis substance abuse concerns and mental health disorders can cause monumental disturbances in individuals’ lives, Wellness is proud to offer a comprehensive, individualized, and integrative approach to treatment that is tailored to meet our clients’ unique needs. Our goal with each client is to assist in a process of internalizing hope and motivation for recovery, while helping them develop a concrete plan for maintaining and moving beyond the gains they make while in treatment.

At Wellness Resource Center, treatment begins in Phase I, which is our day and night treatment program with community housing. Also referred to as our partial hospitalization program (PHP), clients in this program are exposed to a daylong schedule of treatment activities eight hours a day, five days per week. The goals of this level of care are vast and include the following:

• Helping clients to understand the relationship between their presenting issues and problems that have arisen in their lives
• Assisting clients in identifying specific behaviors and tendencies that have promoted or could promote relapse
• Guiding clients as they build skills that can be successfully maintained after returning to the community
• Helping clients learn how to manage challenges (family, emotional, social, etc.) that continue to interfere with healthy living

Phase I of treatment is supported by caring and compassionate staff members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This phase is designed to promote daily living activities while also implementing intensive therapeutic interventions as clients work to manage the symptoms that result from schizophrenia. During a client’s stay at Wellness Resource Center, the following may be included into his or her treatment plan:

Medication management: When people are suffering from schizophrenia, the implementation of certain psychotropic medications is necessary to help them stabilize and to help alleviate the distressing symptoms they experience. The use of any medication, however, will be determined based on an individual’s specific needs, on a case-by-case basis. Clients will meet with a psychiatrist at a minimum of once per week in order to monitor any medication that has been prescribed, as well as to make any changes that may be necessary.

Individual therapy: Clients meet with their primary therapists at least once each week for individual therapy sessions, with additional sessions being added on an as-needed basis. During these sessions, clients have the opportunity to meet privately with their therapists in order to discuss how their treatment is progressing and to discuss any problems or concerns that they may have.

Group therapy: Group therapy is the central component to treatment at Wellness Resource Center. Groups meet 5 days a week, with between 3 and 4 different groups being held each day. Group therapy is an exceptional way for clients to explore their commonalities and has proven to be a vital avenue for helping clients to gain insight, ultimately assisting them in making positive changes in their daily lives. The various types of groups that clients can expect to take part in during programming include:

• Process groups
• Gender-specific groups
• Psychoeducational groups
• Age-specific groups
• Experiential groups

Within these groups, a variety of different topics will be discussed, including coping skills, goal-setting, trauma, body image, and relapse prevention, amongst countless others.

Family therapy: Family therapy sessions are offered to clients and their family members when deemed clinically appropriate to helping a client successfully progress in treatment. If family members are unable to be physically present for any scheduled family sessions, Wellness Resource Center will reach out via telephone contact, conference calls, and written communication in order to ensure that they are kept informed of their loved one’s progress in treatment.

Experiential therapy: At Wellness, we believe that a holistic approach to treatment is crucial when treating those suffering from schizophrenia and co-occurring substance abuse concerns. In order to do this, we are pleased to offer a number of experiential therapies that clients may engage in during their time in treatment. Clients’ time spent participating in experiential therapies will vary, however, as all treatment is tailored to meet each individual’s unique set of needs. Examples of the experiential therapies offered as part of programming at Wellness include:

• Psychodrama
• Labyrinth
• Equine therapy (on an ancillary extra cost basis)
• Communication-based activities
• Teamwork activities
• Adventure activities
• Social activities

Family Program: When individuals are battling schizophrenia, it does not only affect them, but it affects their family members as well. Keeping this in mind, Wellness Resource Center is immensely proud to offer our Family Program at no additional costs to clients or their families. This program meets every other month and provides psychoeducation for our clients’ family members, while also giving them the opportunity to participate in process groups that aim to help them understand the importance of communication in regards to their loved one’s recovery.

After completing treatment in Phase I, clients may step-down to the programming offered in Phase II. Phase II is an extended care option that is offered through our intensive outpatient program (IOP). In this phase of programming, clients may continue living in our client housing, attend treatment part-time, and then receive intensive case management while beginning to look for employment. Following Phase II is Phase III of treatment, which may be recommended for some clients. During this phase, clients are provided with long-term supported sober living.

This thorough and seamless extended care continuum truly makes Wellness Resource Center stand out as an exceptional provider of care for substance abuse and co-occurring schizophrenia. Clients’ lengths of stays are not limited, and services throughout the entire care continuum are provided by the same staff members. In doing so, clients can rest assured that they will receive constant, continuous care from the time of their admission until the time of their discharge, and beyond.