First Step Services Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Options

      First Step Services, LLC, is a private agency that has three locations: Raleigh , Garner, and Durham , NC.  All three are considered outpatient substance abuse treatment hospitals.  At these locations we offer a wide range of outpatient substance abuse treatment options for both DWI and non-DWI cases.

      For many patients who are not quite at the point of needing inpatient or hospitalization, the treatment that might be  appropriate is our 90-hour intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment program.  This level of care is available at all three locations.  In Raleigh , this program lasts 3-5 months and weekly aftercare options are available that include 3-hour, 1 and ½ hour, or 1 hour groups.  The Raleigh IOP program has the client start for the first 2 months or so attending group every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday night from 6-9 pm. 

      We stress total abstinence from all mind-altering substances and building a strong support network through client attendance and participation in outside self-help groups.  First Step’s IOP program relies mainly on the power of the group therapy modality and employs cognitive-behavioral and motivational enhancement therapeutic techniques.  

      We stress the disease concept of addiction, honest self-disclosure, client-driven feedback, and “telling on the disease of addiction.”  Rather than sticking to a strictly didactic formula, we employ creative experiential activities during group ( River of Addiction , Trust Walk, art therapy exercises, small group interaction, brainstorming, etc.) to engage the client in a dynamic learning and support environment.

      At the heart of each three-hour group session is the process portion of the group.  Here clients are encouraged to openly share in a safe environment about their recovery achievements and pitfalls.  Client feedback, questions, and interaction with each other are just as important as timely clinical feedback given by the counselors. 

 

 

      We have a strong family program and encourage our clients to take advantage of it.  We offer free educational sessions each Monday from 6-7 pm for family members/loved ones/members of the community.  This is called the F.A.C.E. Program (Family And Community Education).  We make it clear to clients that family involvement is not only a requirement of insurance carriers but also greatly improves rates of success for substance abusers.

      We also feature a “Family Night” which is generally held the last Wednesday of each month during IOP time at no extra cost to the client.  Clients attend a special family IOP session with their loved ones.  Both facets of our family program are run by Frank Jolly, J.D., SAC, who has more than 20 years of substance abuse counseling experience.  We also encourage our clients to consider family therapy sessions here with our trained counselors as a supplement to their treatment.  Family therapy sessions can further educate family members and help facilitate open communication and help minimize enabling, codependence, and dysfunction in the family system.

      First Step is an in-network provider with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna, Magellan, and Tri-Care insurance companies, and we are always working on becoming in-network providers with other insurance providers.  When someone uses insurance, they typically have a copay for each service rendered (each individual group session, each individual session, each family therapy session, etc), which usually starts at $25 until we hear back from the insurance company.  Urine drug screens are generally not covered by insurance.  For those clients who choose not to use insurance, they can either pay a reduced rate up front for the program (not including urine drug screens or family or psychiatric sessions or additional individual sessions) or pay at each group.

      We will be happy to update concerned others (employers, family, etc.) by phone, fax, e-mail, or mail on the client’s progress on a monthly basis or more often if requested.  Of course, we need the client to sign a release of information so that we can share this information.