Self-pay recovery program options, applied in full or in part, are becoming more mainstream these days due to the reduced availability of insurance coverage as well as for the intensive and personalized care that many of today’s programs afford.

A well-designed recovery program should provide the alcoholic or the drug addict with the best chances of success. This program of sobriety should be made to fit the needs of each client, taking into account family and work responsibilities, emotional level, prior treatment history, and several other factors that may complicate or enhance the chance of success.

Why seek a detailed recovery plan?

I still remember my outreach visits to state-run and hospital detox facilities many years ago. We referred to them as “spin and dries” because alcoholics would enter for a three to five day detox, and then would be discharged back to “life”. As I addressed the listless and heavily medicated crowd, I would actually walk through the rows of seats in order to try to stir some life into these poor souls, attempting to attract them into a 12-step program. There was no “program” in there… just medication, sleep and a bit of cleansing of the system. This is the bottom line form of treatment, as these folks would drink, detox and drink again, only to return to those chairs as I walked around them. Very sad.

I believe that my trips to those detoxes helped me years later when I was pulled into the counseling field by a friend. I promised myself that I would do everything in my professional power to never let a person leave my care without a plan in place for recovery. Never.

Well, fast-forward to today, my work as a sober coach allows me even more participation with my clients, as I can walk with them from the early pre-contemplative stage of the recovery cycle, right through a successful transformation into a life of productivity and freedom from addiction. I can be there as a guide to help formulate the plan, discuss fears and reservations, hold the family together during this tedious process and to hold my clients accountable to complete what they signed up to do. This process works… and it takes some cash to do it.

So, are self-pay recovery programs expensive?

Well, sure, they cost money. Much of the work is outside of the insurance criteria, as insurance companies run behind the times when it comes to advances in recovery models. They require years of studies in order to fine-tune their actuaries in assessing new risk. It is just how they operate.

The cost is also a measure against the resources available to the addict or alcoholic.

Most important, however, is how the cost is viewed by my clients and the families. This is a key factor. If viewed as a cost vs. assets situation, the costs of self-pay recovery can appear astronomical to many families. Costs can range from $3,000 to, well, there is a current case going on at the time of this writing in the middle east that will exceed 1 million dollars, if it hasn’t already. However, 30-40,000 isn’t too outrageous here in the states.

Lets look at a reasonable figure of, say, $10,000. $10k can deplete an affected family of all liquid assets. And, considering that a recovery program is never guaranteed, this becomes a risky “gamble”. Truth. It is a risk… especially since it is being placed against someone who does not have a track record for being very successful. A 20:1 horse race may appear to be a better bet.

This is exactly why we want to have a well-designed program to limit the risk.

Now, lets look again at that $10 grand, not as a cost vs assets, but as an investment that can stop the insanity. We want to ask some questions…

• How much has the person spent of his or her own money on feeding the addiction?
• How much family money has been lost?
• Has the ability to earn an income been threatened or cut off?
• Will the family lose a home if this behavior continues to evolve?
• What is the cost of an attorney if things become legally icky?
• Are there children involved and if so, what will be their future?
• Does it look like a divorce may be in the future?
• What is the emotional condition of the family right now?
• Might someone die?

I know these are really tough questions, but if you stood the chance of repair with a carefully designed and executed plan of recovery, would $10,000 or even $30, 000 be too much?

No, in this light $10,000 is cheap.

The cost of recovery may be viewed as either expensive or not, depending on your point of view.

My recovery service offer…

I am offering a no-cost, 60-minute assessment session right now. I will schedule up to fifteen of these sessions per week. This offering is for individuals, families and employers who have a serious desire to effect a change. The family must be involved in this process. No more secrets; no more lies. It is time to repair and to heal.

Feel free to call or contact me here to secure your appointment. This is based on a first-come, first served basis.

This offer is valid for the US, Canada and the UK. I have teams in place on both sides of the pond. I follow the practices of best ethics, as well as the practice of CPC – Cooperation with the Professional Community. You will receive great care.

ALL contacts are strictly confidential.

Please help someone today by using the social share buttons below. Thank you, Dave

About the Author:

Dave Innis, CRC, is an independent certified recovery sober coach and companion. He works with recovering alcoholics and addicts globally, either in person, via Skype sessions, phone or email. Dave Innis began as a counselor in late 1994 and has worked in the field both in the southwest and eastern US. Dave operates in the US as well as globally, and lives in Chicopee, Ma. Dave will work with individuals, families, employers or recovery agencies upon request.