In Washington State medicaid is called Apple Health. If you have Apple Health you need to call Washington State Recovery Help Line at 1-866-789-1511 to be refereed to available substance about treatment centers in your area. if you would like more information please check out the Chemical Dependency Info.
Substance Abuse Treatment Resources
For a nice list of drug and alcohol treatment agencies in Whatcom county check out the Drug Alcohol Treatment Agencies Info.
Probably one of the most successful treatments for substance abuse disorders is the methadone maintenance programs. You will need to apply at the specific methadone clinic you wish to work with. Please use the Opiate Addiction Resource to locate a methadone clinic closest to you.
Although they both use the same general approach to treating addition Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) have distinctly different cultures.
To to find NA meetings in your neighborhood please go to the NA Meeting Locator.
To find AA meetings in you area please go to the AA Meeting Locator
If you are looking for a place to stay for any client you may have who is in recovery please check out the Clean Sober Housing Info and/or Clean and Sober Housing Info.
Working With Clients Who Have Substance Abuse Issues
It is important to assess where a client is on the stages of change continuum. Where your client is at will have a great impact upon what type of intervention you should use.
There are just as many different types AA/NA treatment programs as there are people. You should encourage your client to shop around when looking for substance abuse support groups. You client will be able to get the best help in their recovery from substance abuse.
Most people who have a substance abuse issue also suffer from some form of mental illness. Effective substance abuse treatment requires that the client has had a full mental health assessment, and is actively engaging in mental health care treatment if it is deemed necessary.
Probably the best approach to take when working with individuals struggling with substance abuse issues is Motivational Interviewing.