Finding effective and affordable treatment for addiction can be challenging. Depending on the severity of the addiction, unhealthy environmental factors, and co-occurring mental illness, many patients will require a more comprehensive and full-time inpatient treatment program. While outpatient programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) have proven to be successful in many cases, addiction and recovery expert Dr. Louis Hampers of Denver, CO touts the long-term benefits of holistic inpatient care.
Addiction Research & Treatment Services (ARTS), located in Denver, offers a full range of both outpatient and residential substance abuse treatment options for adolescents, adults, and families. Dr. Louis Hampers references a 2013 survey amongst graduates of ARTS’ adult female residential program, called Haven, when discussing the necessity of addressing the many challenges of sobriety.
Detoxing from substance abuse and attending outpatient therapy is typically not enough support for women who also experience mental illness and situations of abuse. In the case of Haven, patients are admitted for approximately one year and enrolled in a highly structured and multi-phase progressive treatment model. The model utilized by Haven provides women with life skills to help them handle societal, financial, familial, and educational pressures that can lead to relapses.
It’s important to remember that successful treatment does not just mean that program graduates remain sober from drugs and alcohol, but that they also reintegrate into society and their families. Obtaining employment, stable living conditions, custody of children, and bank accounts are all milestones that help to assess treatment program success. Haven graduates report a high rate of success across all of these milestones, including an estimated 89% of graduates remaining sober from all substances.
The comprehensive inpatient treatment program at Haven creates a personalized treatment plan after an initial assessment and utilizes:
- Motivational Counseling
- Development of Problem-Solving Skills
- Identification of Behaviors Leading to Drug and Alcohol Use
- Creation of Pro-Social Attitudes and Values
- Addressing Specific Issues Related to Substance Use
- Reconnection with Family Members and Participation in Family Groups
- Connection with Community Support Groups
- Resocialization Skills Training
- Reintegration into Community, including Employment, School, Leisure Activities
- Money Management Skills
- Employment Placement and Monitoring
Throughout the program, participants are enrolled in and exposed to:
- Individual and Group Education and Counseling
- Drug and Alcohol Testing
- Peer Run Activities-Groups-Meetings
- Relapse Prevention
- Medication Assisted Therapies
- Vocational Skills
- Life Skills Training
- Exercise Programs
- GED Preparation Classes
- 12-Step Meetings
- Specialized Parenting and Interactive Groups
- Coping Skills
- Trauma Responsive Groups
- Psychiatric Care and Medication Monitoring
- Case Management Services – Linking Women to:
- Healthcare
- Dental Care
- Benefits Acquisition
- Transportation
- Eye Care
Following successful completion of the entire Haven residential program allows graduates access to one year of Haven aftercare services, including educational groups, therapy groups, and family activities.
As Dr. Louis Hampers mentions in his research, graduate response to the Haven program is that it is “life-saving.”
“Real recovery involves a constant battle to overcome old compulsions, selfishness, and toxic ways of thinking,” Dr. Hampers says, citing that identifying relapse warning signs and behavioral relapses are critical to staying in recovery. Continued work with counselors, psychiatrists, and therapy groups is necessary to prevent falling into past behaviors.
Dr. Hampers completed his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, followed by dual degrees in Medicine and Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Wharton School.
After completing residency training in Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and sub-specialty training in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Dr. Hampers worked as a Medical Officer at the Presbyterian Church of East Africa Chogoria Hospital in Kenya for one year.
Dr. Hampers later joined the faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, eventually becoming an Associate Professor in 2007. After relocating to Denver, Dr. Hampers served as the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at the Children’s Hospital of Colorado and Section Head of the Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Hampers’ expertise in substance abuse treatment stems from his own experience. He has been in recovery from drugs and alcohol for 12 years. He speaks annually to the second-year medical students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine about the dangers of addiction in healthcare providers. He is also active in 12-step work in the Denver area.
Learn more about Dr. Louis Hamper’s work here.
