Rehab News

The America in Rehab Blog

Welcome to the America in Rehab blog. In this section of our addiction treatment marketing website, you’ll find the latest in rehab industry news as well as expert insight, primarily authored by America in Rehab founder Jim Peake, who has more than 20 years of experience marketing on behalf of addiction treatment centers nationwide.

If there’s a technological or treatment advancement in the rehab industry, we’ll be here to break it down and offer analysis. We’ll also cover techniques and strategies that can help your treatment center better engage online visitors and capture admissions. Be sure to never miss a new post on America in Rehab by bookmarking this page or following our social media profiles.

Brief Overview on Drug Rehab and Treatment Center Marketing

This entry was posted in Addiction Treatment Marketing on March 20, 2018 by admin.

When the drug rehab and treatment center market seek to fill beds and fanny’s in seats in their IOP’s they know that their paying customers can have insurance reimburse at lucrative rates. If you are going in for a heart bypass operation you typically don’t have a lot of time to get a referral from a friend or your local physician because a bypass can be an emergency situation. When it comes to addiction treatment and selecting a drug rehab people tend to do their own online research and reach out to friends, doctors, interventionists, clergy, hospitals, etc. While in some situations there may be a sense of urgency there are typically a few days to decide where to go for treatment.

Drug Rehab Local Search Campaigns – Where Do Addicts and Their Families Search for Drug Treatment Centers?

If it is a first-time situation for treatment, families will look close to home. If this is the case then the treatment center really wants to make sure that they have a local search campaign that is strong and robust. For example, one of the most powerful links you can have is a Google Map. Why? Because Google Maps come up after Google Paid Search results. For example, if you do a search for Drug Rehab Marblehead you will see our sister website Addiction-Rep. This is valuable real estate.

This Google Map location should be where you get many of your calls off of the internet. It should be your strongest call volume organically unless you are buying paid traffic or unless you live in a small town without a traffic light.

Drug Rehab NAP – Name Address Phone Campaigns Building Trust with Google
Local search campaigns dovetail with NAP Campaigns. For example, there are many directory types of websites that are also trying to rank with Google. In order to have creditability with Google your listings must all be exactly the same. You want your address to read 123 Main Street, Suite #211, Anytown, NY 10036 vs. 123 Main St., STE 211, Anytown, NY 10036. To a computer these are two different addresses. We have taken the NAP to a whole new level in the drug rehab industry by listing many of the addiction treatment directories that you can build out your NAP listings on. The more listings you are on with consistent addresses the chances are they will help increase your overall page rankings.

SEO Building Drug Rehab Assets that Pay Dividends Now and into the Next Several Years

What we have been describing above is partially what we call “asset building” however we really aren’t adding a lot of valuable content. You will want to build content on your website that is valuable enough that other people will want to share. If the content is valuable Google will find it and if Google likes it they will make it available by indexing it in their search results for others to find. When we talk about assets we are talking about the following:

E-Books
Whitepapers
Infographics
Educational Videos
Well written blog posts
Presentations
Etc.

What is SEO? SEO is an all-encompassing word and can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. To us it means getting found on Google without having to pay for the click. (At the end of the day you are paying someone either inhouse or outside your organization to create content so there is still an indirect cost per click). The advantage of creating content for your business is you are creating an asset that will deliver website visits for the foreseeable future and if this occurs you will get phone calls from people seeking addiction treatment.

Smart Drug Rehab Marketing is Multi-Channel Marketing

As any investment advisor will tell you it is smart to balance out your investment portfolio and not bet heavy on a couple of stocks or mutual funds. The same can be true of picking your ad sources for your drug rehab. Ideally you want calls/leads coming in from multiple different channels. Let’s put them in 3 groups:

Online/Offline Channel
Paid Channel
Referrals Channel

In the online and offline world, you can get leads from SEO, PPC, E-mail, NAP, Local Search, Social Media, Television, Radio, Newspapers and more. If you are getting TV, Radio and Newspapers we are assuming you are getting “free press,” in these “ad sources.” While they are not really ads they are driving traffic to your website and your call center.

On the paid channel you can get traffic and leads from both online and offline. You can buy ads on Facebook, Google and Bing for example. You can also by ads on television, radio, outdoor and newspapers for example. Buying paid ads are a smart way to go when your census starts to falter and you need to throttle up the activity and the calls into the call center.

On the referral side of the equation you can get a number of referrals from several different sources. It is recommended if you have sales people that they are compensated via W-2 on a salary basis. Also having referrals come in from interventionists, psychiatrists, lawyers, doctors, hospitals, clergy, other treatment centers, sober living houses is another great way to keep the beds full. Just be careful and make sure you consultant an attorney who is familiar with the patient brokering laws in your state of operation when it comes to compensating your referral partners.

The BRIDGE: The Latest Technology In Treating Pain Without Drugs

This entry was posted in Industry News, News and tagged Addiction Treatment, BRIDGE Medical Device, Newsworthy, Opiate Withdrawal on October 7, 2016 by jimpeake.

Today, we know more about the nature of addiction – and how to treat it – than ever before. Contrary to prior beliefs that drug addicts are “morally flawed and lacking in willpower,” science has shown us that addiction is an issue of physical and mental health. This means that, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in order to treat addiction, we must have a deeper understanding of the brain and human behavior.

Learn more about The Bridge at Bridge-Rep.com.

Environmental factors certainly come into play, but research has also revealed that there exist genetic and biological considerations that influence how the disease of addiction develops in an individual, and how it progresses. Addiction recovery and behavioral health experts agree that to properly treat addicts, clinicians cannot ignore one of the greatest biological barriers to recovery – the physical pain of the detox process, and the patients’ fear of that pain.

The Painful Withdrawal From Addiction

The pain and fear of withdrawal pose a huge gap between addiction and sobriety – a gap which many healthcare professionals have tried, unsuccessfully, to close.

According to the U.S. Library of Medicine, withdrawal symptoms are many, including the following:

Agitation
Anxiety
Muscle aches
Insomnia
Runny nose
Sweating
Yawning
Abdominal cramping
Diarrhea
Dilated pupils
Goose bumps
Nausea
Vomiting

Seeing this list, one can begin to understand why someone would opt for the “high” of addiction over the displeasure of getting sober.

In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse states that 40 to 60 percent of those seeking treatment for addiction ultimately relapse, leaving their treatment program and returning to addiction.

For many reasons, we continue to study how to address addiction. One of those reasons is the cost absorbed by Americans as a result of substance abuse. NIDA reports that addiction and abuse of everything from nicotine to alcohol to illicit and prescription drugs cost Americans more than $700 billion per year in “increased health care costs, crime and lost productivity.”

Costly in both the literal and figurative sense, drug abuse must be addressed through solutions that are both innovative and research-based.

The Medications Available For Addiction

There are a variety of medications available through rehabilitation facilities, all aimed at supporting patients through withdrawal. The medications work to cleanse the body of the substance to which the patient has become addicted. It is a grueling process.

Suboxone

This opioid-based medication is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, and it works to block the effects of opioids such as pain relief and feelings of well-being. The problem is that these effects are exactly what lead patients to abuse the drugs in the first place, so the loss of relief can make withdrawal an extraordinarily uncomfortable process. Although it is used to treat addiction, Suboxone can also be habit-forming if dosage is not closely monitored. It can cause upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea.

Methadone

This opioid is used to treat addiction. It reduces the withdrawal symptoms that people experience when abstaining from heroin. Both Suboxone and methadone can cause breathing problems in patients, so those suffering from asthma or other breathing conditions should disclose these to their doctor so that alternative treatment can be explored.

Vivitrol

This is an injectable substance used to treat drug or alcohol dependence, and it can be effective when used properly. But, like Suboxone and methadone, the side effects can be severe. While this medication can help subside the need to use an opioid or drink alcohol, it can also cause liver damage and more serious and even fatal ailments if mixed with other medications.

The Risks Of Relying On Medication To Treat Addiction

For these and other reasons, researchers are working to identify solutions that can treat addiction, without the residual harmful effects sometimes experienced by patients on medications. Nontraditional methods of treatment are gaining popularity as the idea of addressing dependence on one substance with the use of another has raised concerns about the body’s ability to emerge from such a process healthy and strong.

Treating Pain Without Drugs: Nontraditional Solutions

In the midst of this $700 billion problem, another solution is emerging … one that has the potential to revolutionize the way addiction treatment is managed.

Through a contemporary understanding of how addiction works with the brain, Innovative Health Solutions has come up with a non-narcotic, FDA-cleared device that helps to target the pain and discomfort that is characteristic of withdrawal from opioid addiction.

By easing patients through what is arguably the most challenging phase of the addiction recovery process, this device works with the brain to support patients along the path to overcoming addiction.

The BRIDGE Device To Help With The Pain Of Withdrawal

The BRIDGE is a small, discrete neuro-stimulation system (NSS) that attaches to the patient’s ear, sending “gentle, electrical impulses directly into the brain via electrodes placed on your nerve endings found in and around the ear.”

The electrical impulses sent through the electrodes target the areas of the brain most damaged by addiction, blocking pain signals that travel through the spinal column. This act of blocking pain is crucial, as the first few days of being weaned off a drug can be torturous.

In short, the BRIDGE is a tiny tool that sticks to the patient’s ear and signals the brain to block the physical and emotional distress suffered during withdrawal.

Relief is often felt within 10 minutes, and nothing is ingested by the patient. This research-based opiate epidemic solution makes it possible for those who choose to take action to heal from the disease of addiction to do so gently and effectively.

The BRIDGE Is A Groundbreaking Device

The device should be placed on the patient by a licensed clinician, and it attaches externally behind the ear with thin electrodes that adhere to various areas of the ear itself. In this age of technology, the BRIDGE is minimally obtrusive and can go as unnoticed as a Bluetooth headset, earbuds attaching to one’s cell phone, or even a hearing aid.

Once the BRIDGE has been installed – a process taking only 15 minutes – patients describe the relief of pain, reduction of sweating, shaking and anxiety, as well as feelings of calm and relaxation … all within half an hour. Those who walk into a clinic with extreme discomfort, nervousness and fear have been witnessed walking out with a smile, and a noticeably calm and soothed demeanor after using the BRIDGE.

According to Jeff Mathews, a director for the Union County Opiate Treatment Center in Indiana, his experience with the device has been…

“Phenomenal”

See Mathews’s full interview about the BRIDGE by clicking on the link below:

https://vimeo.com/innovativehealthsolution/review/172016651/c9f21757b3

A Solution At A Crucial Time

Patients are instructed to wear the device for five days before having it removed, and then they are placed in a long-term assistance program, which often includes counseling and medication-assisted treatment. These are the most critical five days of an addict’s recovery process because, as mentioned previously, the withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that many people never make it to the stage of long-term assistance or counseling. They often quit, opting for the unfortunate state of addiction over the painful process of recovery.

The BRIDGE is an innovative opiate epidemic solution to the distress of withdrawal.

In 2014, the U.S. National Library of Medicine reported that there were 435,000 heroin users in the United States and more than 4 million people who were users of non-medical narcotic pain relievers. Not only does the BRIDGE have the potential to drastically reduce this national number, but it can offer an economic boost to the nation, as it is American-made. Innovative Health Solutions is a company based out of Indiana, so the device’s success not only points to addiction recovery, but also to the state’s (and country’s) economic development.

Where The BRIDGE Is Used

VA hospitals and clinics across the nation are already implementing this innovative technology to relieve post-surgical chronic and acute pain. It has been tested on more than 30,000 patients, and the effects are undeniable.

The Union County Opiate Treatment Center has also used the BRIDGE on dozens of patients. Of the first 37 to be treated with the BRIDGE, all have made it through the initial withdrawal phase and continued on to the long-term treatment phase.

Of those who continued, 89 percnet succeeded in completing the entire process. Compare that to the 40 to 60 percent relapse rate reported by the NIDA, and it is clear why so many are reaching out to Innovative Health Solutions to learn more about this cutting-edge product.

Drawbacks Of The Device

The drawbacks of using the BRIDGE are minor. First, although it is extremely safe, water resistant and low voltage, the device should not get wet. If the batteries get wet, it will simply stop working. Patients need not fear any sort of electrical shock. Patients have been able to take showers and wash their hair by simply holding a dry washcloth over the device.

There have also been rare side effects reported, including slight skin irritation, bleeding, pain or infection at the site of the device, dizziness, fainting, and an allergic reaction to the adhesive or tape used to attach it. Those experiencing any of these symptoms should contact their clinician.

It’s Time To End The Opioid Epidemic

Previous attempts at addressing the growing drug addiction problem in the United States have, quite frankly, not worked. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that in 2014, opioids killed more than 28,000 people – more than any other year on record. The BRIDGE has proven results, and can drastically lower these numbers.

An experienced medical team coupled with the biological and technological accuracy of the BRIDGE can optimize your outcomes in recovery. It’s time to reclaim your life.

If you (or someone you know) is ready to recover and has been held back by the fear associated with withdrawal pain, now is the time to act. For more information on the BRIDE, see what WDRB in Kentucky had to say about the device, or contact us to learn more.

Medicaid To Pay For Inpatient Addiction Treatment?

This entry was posted in Industry News and tagged Newsworthy on April 8, 2016 by jimpeake.

It was a long-standing rule of thumb that if you or a loved one needed addiction treatment, you had to pay out-of-pocket, hope that your health insurance provider offered some level of benefits or rely on state and local sources for financial help. The Federal government was firmly removed from funding addiction treatment.

However, according to npr.org, this policy may be changing with a proposed policy change affecting Medicaid. In a substantial turnaround, Federal help may soon become available as the program is proposing to cover 15 days of inpatient rehab per month for anyone enrolled in a Medicaid managed care plan.

Is 15 Days Of Inpatient Treatment Enough?

Those within the addiction treatment industry are certainly supportive of the additional support potentially being offered to those who need help battling drug or alcohol addiction. Yet, many believe that 15 days of residential care isn’t sufficient for those with addictions to heroin, prescription painkillers, alcohol and other hard-to-treat substances.

The majority of addiction treatment professionals believe that it simply takes more than 15 days to obtain a positive outcome from addiction treatment. The concern is that those who undergo treatment for this length of time are likely to fall back into addiction shortly after treatment. With poor outcome rates, the policy change may do little to help those in need.

What The Proposed Policy Change Could Mean For Addiction Treatment Providers

Along with individuals struggling with addiction, the policy change could also affect providers of addiction treatment services. This funding could potentially open up the possibility to obtaining addiction treatment to a greater number of individuals.

However, these prospective patients may only be able to obtain the amount of treatment offered by the program – 15 days. Thus, it may be necessary to consider how these individuals can combine other resources from state and local funding, other forms of insurance, and private funding to obtain the amount of treatment that will provide the best chance of long-term recovery.

With each relapse, recovery is more challenging. Thus, the goal of any program is to provide the individual the best chance of sustaining recovery after they leave inpatient addiction treatment.

Stay On Top Of Changes In The Addiction Treatment Industry

Because our industry is rapidly evolving due in large part to changes in health insurance and public funding of insurance, it’s vital to stay on top of what is happening. With the latest information, you can position your treatment facility and provide the correct information to individuals struggling with addiction and their loved ones.

Are you searching for an experienced partner to guide your marketing efforts? Contact the treatment industry leaders at America in Rehab today to learn more about our services.

Learn More About Our Professional Rehab Marketing Services

New Addiction Bill Passed In Maine – What Does It Mean?

This entry was posted in Industry News and tagged Newsworthy on March 7, 2016 by admin.

In January, the Maine House and Senate passed a groundbreaking bill to tackle the epidemic of drug overdoses and addiction in the state.

How The $3.7M For Addiction Treatment And Overdose Is Divided

While the bill establishes that $1.2 million will fund 10 positions for drug investigators in the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, more attention is being focused on the fact that $2.5 million will specifically target addiction treatment, with $900,000 being used to establish and operate a drug detoxification within the state. Additional funds will be used to fund projects operated by jails and local police departments to connect drug users with treatment and recovery programs as an alternative to incarceration.

The $2.5 million in the bill earmarked for addiction treatment will be drawn directly from the Medical Uses of Marijuana Fund, which is funded from fees charged to medical marijuana dispensaries and state-licensed caregivers. These funds are certainly making many within the addiction treatment industry to take notice.

Critics Of Maine’s Addiction Bill

Although the bill had bipartisan support, there has been criticism over certain elements of it. Some believe that Maine’s addiction problem is far greater than many realize. Thus, the amount provided in the bill will not be sufficient to make a substantial dent in the growing problem. Others have complained that the bill contains no specific funding to expand medication-assisted treatment using drugs like methadone and buprenorphine. Because many believe that medication-assisted treatment is the most effective option for addicts, this “oversight” in the bill has created substantial controversy with some within the addiction community.

What Still Needs To Be Done

While Maine is taking proactive steps to address the devastating effects of drugs within their state, other fundamental steps need to be taken there and throughout the United States. These include:

Increasing evidence-based prevention and education within schools.
The development of more recovery support systems in local communities.
Help individuals in recovery reclaim their lives after addiction by assisting them in finding education and/or employment opportunities.
Address issues that create an unhealthy stigma for those who suffer from addiction.
Ongoing efforts to identify and fill holes in getting addicts the help they need.

Stay Updated On The Latest News Affecting Addiction Treatment Providers

Expert Online Drug Rehab Marketers

Only time will tell whether or not the addiction bill passed in Maine will generate more exposure for the problem of drug addiction. To stay on top of the latest news and information affecting your treatment center and to get the support you need with expertly-designed, industry-specific marketing, call America in Rehab today. Our expert online drug rehab marketers are some of the industry’s best. Call us today!

Learn More About Our Rehab Marketing Team

Why Is Addiction Treatment A Hot Investment In America?

This entry was posted in Industry News and tagged Drug Addiction Treatment, Newsworthy on February 26, 2016 by admin.

With the recent financial backing of addiction recovery treatment provider, Recovery Centers of America, by a New York private equity firm, investors are realizing that there are big opportunities in one of healthcare’s fastest growing sectors – addiction treatment.

Why the new infusion of capital into this industry?

Why Addiction Treatment Is One Of Healthcare’s Fastest Growing Investment Sectors In America

There are several key reasons that have made investing in addiction treatment facilities so favorable.

Changes To Policies

First, federal policy changes have made addiction treatment more accessible. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Affordable Care Act have been slow to take effect, but many more people now have the insurance coverage they need to obtain addiction recovery services.

Lack Of Resources

The second reason why addiction is shaping up to be a strong investment in many parts of the U.S., is the current shortage of facilities for those with mental illnesses. Despite the fact that the disease is prevalent in both men and women of all ages and that it impacts families, community safety, workforce productivity and school dropout rates, there has not been enough funding to support those in need of services.

Growing Need

Industry experts estimate that eight to 10 percent of Americans could be classified as either addicts or alcoholics. The economic impact of untreated addiction is substantial. Many calculate that $700 billion is spent on issues related to addiction, such as crime, health costs and reduced productivity. What is even more startling is that nine out of ten addicts or alcoholics do not receive treatment. As more individuals get access to the care they need, the demand for addiction treatment is expected to grow quickly.

More Acceptance

While addiction is still considered somewhat of a taboo subject, it is slowly becoming more acceptable to discuss as more people learn that it is a mental illness that requires treatment and not just a character flaw. Through awareness campaigns and more advertising by addiction treatment providers, the general public will gain greater understanding of addiction and will be more likely to get help when they need it. With the new investment capital, Recovery Centers of America are rolling out a $20 million a year ad campaign to promote their 18 treatment centers.

Build Awareness For Your Addiction Treatment Center

As more addiction treatment providers invest in advertising and other forms of outbound marketing, competition will become increasingly fierce to attract new clients. Having an industry-specific marketing team on your side is the best strategy for staying competitive in this rapidly-evolving industry.

Call America in Rehab today to learn more about specialized strategies for your addiction treatment center.