Blueprints for Addiction Recovery

They are set up for 3 levels: outpatient, detox and telemedicine. Of the 8 centers within 14 miles of Lancaster, 2 offer a bed.

They detox from cocaine, methamphetamines and opioids. Which substances a place handles matters more than the word detox, and 2 of the 8 centers near Lancaster offer one at all.

They prescribe 2 medications: buprenorphine and naltrexone. What a provider actually stocks changes, so ask for the one you need by name before driving to Lancaster.

They have a program for veterans. Ask whether the group is veterans only, because for a lot of people that is the point of it and in Lancaster it may be mixed.

They offer telemedicine, so some of this can be done by video rather than traveling into Lancaster.

It is the stretch after discharge, and it tends to decide whether the program holds. Free meetings, a prescriber and a weekly session are the usual three pieces of a plan that holds. Ask what the discharge plan looks like before you choose the program.

The point of the call is to work out which level of care fits, which takes a handful of questions. Medical history matters here: seizures, pregnancy, heart problems and current prescriptions all change the plan. Ask for the name of whoever you spoke to, so the second call starts where the first ended.

The difference is where you sleep. Inpatient means you stay at the center, outpatient means you travel in for sessions. Partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient fill the gap, with several hours of treatment a day and your own bed at night. Ask whether the center offers the middle levels or only a bed and a weekly appointment.