The following are recommendations for one to consider when selecting a drug and alcohol treatment program:

1. How long has the agency been in operation?
   
   
2. Is the agency licensed by a state and/or federal agency which annually reviews agency operations?
   
   
3. Does the agency have a specialized accreditation from Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organization (JCAHO) or Commission on Accreditation of Rehab Facilities (CARF) or other highly-recognized accrediting body?
   
   
4. Is the agency a United Way member agency or member of the Chamber of Commerce in their community?
   
   
5. What is the treatment philosophy of the agency?  Ask for a copy.  When reviewing it, determine if an emphasis is placed on family therapy and support of 12-Step fellowship programs.
   
   
6. Request information on payment options, including the capacity of the agency to provide treatment if funds are not available.  Some agencies have developed “contingency funds” to utilize for patients who are not able to pay for the cost of services.
   
   
7. Inquire about the management of the agency.  How long has the director and/or treatment supervisor been employed at the agency in these capacities?  It is important to make these inquiries in order to determine continuity of patient care.
   
   
8. How long have the counselors been employed with the facility?  Are they certified or licensed professionals.  This is important because certified and licensed professionals have undergone a stringent competency-based process which measures their skills and abilities.  This is not to imply that non-certified and non-licensed professionals are not qualified.  Instead, it is meant to insure you that these professionals are continually expected to acquire education and treatment in order to maintain these distinctions.
   
   
9. Does the agency have a defined Aftercare Program?  Request information delineating the salient points of the Aftercare Program.
   
   
10. Is the staff skilled in assisting the family with a clinical intervention?  Does the facility provide counseling appointments for the family and/or significant others even though the patient might be unwilling to come in for treatment?  This is very important since we are dealing with a family disease and family members must be afforded access to treatment as well.
    
    
11. Ask the agency to share their treatment outcome data with you.  In today’s health care environment, every facility should have data for public review, which measures their treatment effectiveness with patients, percentage of patients completing treatment, length of time between first contact with agency and first counseling experience.  I believe patients should be seen immediately for crisis situations, and for non-crisis situations should be seen no later than 5-7 days after first contact.
    
    
12. Does the agency provide evening and weekend counseling for individuals who are not able to receive counseling during the daytime?  Access to treatment and responsiveness to community needs should be hallmarks of service of any community agency; therefore, agencies with extended clinical hours are sending a message that they are trying to provide you, the consumer, greater access to services.

Conclusion
Although this list is certainly not a complete listing of all the points to consider, I hope it serves to provide you with important information that will assist you in your selection of an appropriate drug and alcohol treatment agency.