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Apex Rehab: Only Facility in San Diego with Joint Commission Accreditation

the joint commission national quality approval seal

apex rehab joint commission san diegoApex Rehab is located on Camino del Rio in gorgeous San Diego, California. Apex recently received accreditation for behavioral health from the Joint Commission, which is “America’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care,” according to their website . This makes Apex Rehab the first and only current drug and alcohol rehab in San Diego with accreditation from the Joint Commission. This article will explain why this is so important. Behavioral health is a complicated term. Preferred nowadays to the term ‘mental health,’ it’s the science of emotion, behavior and mental health all in one. According to Psychology Today, “Behavioral health includes not only ways of promoting well-being by preventing or intervening in mental illness such as depression or anxiety, but also has as an aim preventing or intervening in substance abuse or other addictions.” In the world of substance addiction recovery, this is a goldmine, because literally about half of American drug addicts and/or alcoholics also suffer from some type of mental disorder. It’s become no secret to the healthcare industry that substance abuse and mental disorders are linked. So, in a way, a rehabilitation facility that offers behavioral health therapy is offering help for a dual diagnosis. This is a critical component for a rehab facility to have during today’s times, when heroin and prescription pills and alcohol are ravaging our nation. The current drug epidemic knows no borders, and every state in the US is suffering horribly. It would make sense then that the state with the highest population, California, is suffering pretty particularly horribly.

Californian Addiction

Approximately 5 million residents of California are either drug addicts or alcoholics. That’s nearly 20% of the entire population of the golden state. According to California’s own Department of Public Health, about eleven people die every single day in the state due to fatal drug overdoses. We are talking over 4,000 people a year. Plus, literally tens of thousands of trips to the emergency room in California are drug-related every year, (40,000 in the last three years), and that does NOT include alcohol-related ER visits. Ten years ago, only two of the 58 counties in California experienced an annual fatal overdose rate of 20 people per every 100,000 people. Today, nineteen of the counties qualify for this horrifying statistic. California has a lot of guns. A lot of states do, but CA’s population is huge compared to most other states, so naturally there are lots of firearms. In fact, among premature deaths, guns cause the fifth most in the state. The following information pertains solely to premature deaths. California has some seriously violent areas. There are maximum security prisons and gangs are very real. Every day you can read about someone killing someone else on the west coast. Homicide, in fact, is the fourth most prevalent cause of death in the state. People don’t just kill other people, though. Very sadly, sometimes people end their own lives, and in California, suicide is actually third among leading causes of death. Perhaps this too is a statistic altered by the fact that so many people live in California. Also, so many people drive in California. This writer has a friend who works in L.A. who once said, “People get out of their cars on the highway and grill burgers sometimes when it’s real bad.” Unfortunately, car accidents cause the second most deaths in the state. You may have guessed by now where this is going. Even if you have indeed figured it out, you cannot read the following sentence without feeling some sort of shock and awe. In a state known somewhat for its violence, and for its insane driving, the single most prevalent cause of death in California is drug abuse turned fatal. Perhaps even worse is how few Californians are seeking professional help.

Not Getting the Help they Need

For every one hundred Californian drug/alcohol addicts, only 15 of them will ever receive any kind of treatment. This means over 4 million of the state’s population are untreated addicts. At this point in time it’s well-known that addiction is a disease of the brain. This is not a good scenario. Alarmingly, this trend is nationwide. Take a look at the graphic below. Believe it or not, California, at 15% as stated above, is actually ahead of the national average (11%) for percentage of addicts that have received or are receiving treatment. people who have received treatment vs not receieve treatment So, for every 100 Americans struggling with their addictions, barely ten will seek the help they need. Is this true for any other disease?!?!? Since it couldn’t be worded any better, bear in mind how few addicts in this country receive the help they need as you read this from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: The substance use recovery process is highly personal and occurs via many pathways. For many Americans, this recovery process includes access to and use of substance use treatment at specialty facilities, such as a hospital (only as an inpatient), a drug or alcohol rehabilitation center (as an inpatient or an outpatient), or a mental health center. Having access to substance use treatment and supportive services to address various needs associated with substance use disorders is critical for those who are in need of treatment.” Now, let’s get real. The chances are that if you’re reading this, either you are an addict or someone you know and love is an addict. Also, there’s a decent chance you’re reading this from somewhere in California. The fact of the matter is that the services of a professional rehabilitation facility are definitely needed. Do not be like the majority and ignore the disease. Let’s talk about not only why rehab is a necessity for addicts, but which one is the best in California. Note: Obviously, if you or someone you love is indeed an addict, reading this article should be low on your priority list. Seek help immediately, especially if any level of danger exists.

Why Behavioral Health Rehabilitation is a Must for Addicts

Addiction is not an easy thing to treat. It’s nothing that can be fixed with an antibiotic or some good exercise, (although the latter may help a little). According to CRC Health Group, “Because addiction has so many dimensions and disrupts so many aspects of an individual’s life, treatment for this illness is never simple. Drug rehabs must help the individual stop using drugs and maintain a drug-free lifestyle, while achieving productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society.” So, obviously the main goal is to stop use of the drug or of alcohol altogether. However, rehab does much more than that. The quote from CRC Health goes on to say, “Effective drug abuse and drug rehab treatment programs typically incorporate many components, each directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences.” It’s not only about sobriety. Rehabilitation will also:

  • Remove you from the stresses of your everyday life
  • Provide therapy for all stressful aspects
  • Medicate you as necessary to ensure a safe process
  • Offer outdoor activities and extracurriculars
  • Improve living habits
  • Possibly create bonds that are lifelong

Behavioral health rehabilitation is the ultimate form of recovery for a substance addict. As discussed, this type of rehab focuses both of the substance addiction and any concurrent mental disorders. The location of the rehab you choose is important, and should be somewhere calm and with weather you enjoy. In the state of California, perhaps no better city for behavioral health rehab exists than San Diego. And perhaps no better rehab exists in California than Apex Rehab.

Why Apex Rehab should be the Number One Choice

As mentioned, Apex is the only rehab accredited by the Joint Commission in all of San Diego. This is a huge deal. Since 1972, the Joint Commission has been issuing accreditation to behavior health rehabs, and approximately 2,500 organizations are accredited as of today. It’s the single most stringent accreditation organization in the country. You don’t just pay for it and get it. Accreditation from the Joint Commission “concentrates on operational systems critical to the safety and quality of care, treatment or services provided to the individual,” as per their website. The requirements for qualification are developed by a team consisting of health care experts, health care providers, measurement experts, and also people who have been in rehabilitation. This ensures a well-rounded point of view. Now, consider this. Apex Rehab not only met the stringent requirements for accreditation; it exceeded the requirements and was given behavioral health home certification. According to the Joint Commission: “Behavioral Health Home Certification is an optional certification to recognize organizations that coordinate and integrate all health care needs of a population served. The optional certification goes above and beyond what is required for accreditation and provides additional recognition as a health home.”

Better than the Rest

There are two main reasons Joint Commission accreditation makes Apex Rehab the best in San Diego. One is obvious. The facility is so top-notch that it was accredited in the first place. Second is the benefit of having accreditation from the Joint Commission. Patient safety is strengthened, risk management is improved, surveyors are on-hand for expert advice and/or education, and much more. For a complete list of Joint Commission accreditation benefits, click here. With a stay at Apex Rehab, you can expect:

  • Reduced Drug Use
  • Improved Mental Health
  • Improved Overall Health
  • Healthier Relationships
  • Better Employment Opportunities
  • A safe, secure, professional environment

Of course, there is never a guarantee that rehabilitation will work for every single person every single time. The fact is that when it comes to inpatient treatment, 73% of those who enter a program complete the program, and 21% of those who enter a program remain sober for at least the next five years. Before you go thinking that these numbers are not exactly favorable, consider this… Among those who enter into a treatment program for Type I Diabetes, about 40% experience a relapse of symptoms. For asthma, the number is as high as 70%. Addiction, like diabetes or asthma, is a disease, so one can take comfort in knowing that the relapse rates for substance addicts are similar to those of other common diseases. Again, to quote CRC Health, because they are the nation’s leading provider of treatment and educational programs: “Three decades of scientific research and clinical practice have yielded a variety of effective approaches to drug addiction treatment. Extensive data document that drug addiction treatment is as effective as are treatments for most other similarly chronic medical conditions.”

In Conclusion

So there you have it. Rehab works, it’s a necessity, not nearly enough who need it actually go, and Apex Rehab may just be one of if not the best one in California. Apex is at least the best in San Diego, which may indeed be the single best location for recovery in the entire nation. Apex Rehab offers detoxification services, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, inpatient rehab & outpatient rehab – all of which are accredited by the Joint Commission. You’d be a fool to go anywhere else, really, so contact them today.

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