Will tough times get tougher?

Residential treatment centers and wilderness programs are considering the merits of growth strategies in today's economy.

No answers, new questions.

That has seemed to be the prevailing theme in the last eight months for anyone who runs a residential treatment center or wilderness program.

The national economic crisis has reintroduced memories of past recessions and of the residential  treatment whirlwind arrival more than four decades ago. 

Without the benefit of hindsight on the present situation, few are willing to predict how damaging this period will prove to be to the treatment community and the people it serves. Yet while discussion of tightened capital markets, slumping reimbursements, and shaky staff morale prevail throughout the field as we start a new year, in many organizations there also is discussion of long-term strategic planning that might leave many programs in a better place financially and psychologically.  You need to be mission and market focused in your analysis. You need to go through a deliberate process to identify what your strategy needs to be to deal with uncertain times.

Most leaders and observers that I have spoken with in the treatment industry believe that organizations in uncertain financial times tend to look first at curbing expansion plans. Credit is tight for everyone and because of this organizations are experiencing the pinch and families are not able to access the disposable income they once could. Student census in many programs has declined. 

Families concerned about the economy may see less of an "investment value" in treatment right now, and also worry that their loved-one (child, adolescent, young adult) needs more after treatment and are looking at long range plans.

Most residential treatment centers and wilderness programs are not covered by insurance. When programs decide to extend credit as they have during other slowdown periods, that can create some long-term problems for operations.

Ultimately, these day-to-day problems will at the very least complicate decisions on longer-range goals and new initiatives.

Ironically, this might still be the ideal time to proceed with certain expansions, since constructions costs are relatively reasonable right now. The current market conditions are not permanent, and most expansion projects are long-term.

We do have to cope with these short-term conditions with prudence, as those of us who are passionate about assisting families know that our long-term outlook is to grow services, and expand offerings to meet the needs of children of the 21st century. With the credit market looking more restrictive, more of us in this industry might see partnerships with other entities as a conduit to expand offerings and to access top talent. I know some organizations are seriously considering formal affiliations. It is my hope that these organizations make sure they are a match in philosophy, both business and treatment-wise. The lines can get blurred. There is not any one company in this industry that is not impacted by the economy.

Treatment is a crisis-driven business. Addiction treatment centers for the most part are doing outstanding. And those programs that are passionate about assisting families and their children are staying true to their clinical care mission. We all at the end of the day have to be consistent with our belief of how treatment needs to be done.

Essentially, that means professional educational consultants, residential treatment centers and wilderness programs that truly put the best interest of the child first will still tend to offer services first and figure out how to make the dollars work later.

Services Offered by Horizon Family Solutions

 

At the same time that residential treatment facilities are becoming more technologically sophisticated, many directors of these programs remain hesitant to loosen rules that generally restrict student's access to technology while they are receiving services. Access to computers is often carefully granted or not allowed at all, largely over concerns that students will become distracted from their recovery work through this connection to the outside world. Access to technology is offered under controlled and rare circumstances in most residential treatment centers.

In residential treatment the facilities restrictions to certain books, computers, television and even wireless technology to a great degree comes as a shock to some students entering treatment.  For young adults it is at times used as an excuse not to enter treatment or not to stay in treatment.

The idea is to have students be free of stimuli from the outside world.  This is rarely an issue after four to ten days of a students entering their program. The conflicts and questions that might come up about access to technology as the start of treatment sometimes reflect the students lack of knowledge about what to expect in treatment and what the process is about. On the adult treatment side, there is some flexibility for clients who own a business and a work situation might necessitate occasional use of e-mail.

An impending court date might also require that a client maintain contact with someone on the outside.

In all such situations, the use of technology is still very carefully monitored.

During my recent research for the book - One Size Does Not Fit All - Who Knew! - I spoke to all different kinds of residential facilities around the country, both adolescent and young adult facilities, about their access to technology.  It really varies from one end of the spectrum to the other.

It really is agreed upon and individualized by those involved in the situation. In some facilities computer work stations are made available based on individual need.

What is important is that parties remain mindful of the importance of the person in treatment. The primary focus is on the work at hand.

The question of access to technology constitutes a reasonable discussion among treatment providers.

You need to be comfortable with your decision and have a clear explanation.

 

Elan School accepts adolescents with emotional, behavioral or adjustment problems

The Conference will be presented on March 4, 2009 in Bend, Oregon

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