In over 20 years of experience as an Addiction Counselor, I’ve worked in a number of different treatment environments. These settings have ranged from large, hospital -based facilities, to smaller Intensive Outpatient Programs. Client populations have varied. For example, one program I worked for in the Chicago area which favored the so-called Minnesota Model treated 100 or more patients at any given time, while another in California served dually diagnosed individuals, male and female, who met in large (20 or more) groups for educational and therapeutic sessions. In both scenarios, the larger numbers bring challenges and obstacles to both client and staff alike.
Although larger groups seem to afford the leader an opportunity to reach many people at the same time, this is not always the case. The apparent economy of size and time does not necessarily equate with effectiveness. No matter how organized and well structured the program, it is easy for a client to “fly under the radar” or get “lost in the shuffle” when staff is trying to impart knowledge, motivate willingness for change, and hold people accountable for their actions.
I’ve found the best group size for effective processing is from 6 to 11 people. When group size grows greater, group effectiveness likely suffers. As someone who has experienced substance abuse treatment as both a client and later as a staff member, it is clear to me that smaller is better in CD treatment.
A program such as offered by Laguna Beach Recovery offers safety, security, comfort, structure and personalized attention – all essential ingredients of building a foundation for long term, uninterrupted sobriety. Individual therapy combined with small group settings afford the clients an opportunity to share, to grow and to learn. In my opinion, there are four basic goals of Chemical
Dependence treatment;
- Become educated about the nature of the illness
- Understand that you are not alone; that there is always help available
- Learn basic recovery tools that can help one stay clean and sober a day at a time
- Practice applying these sober skills in a non-threatening, safe environment and share the experience in group processing.
Laguna Beach Recovery offers all of this in a setting which reminds clients that sobriety is walked on a path of beauty, freedom, and fellowship.
Posted on behalf of: John D. Tobias MS, LPC, CADCII
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