TUCSON, Ariz. – September 6, 2012 – Sierra Tucson, an international leader in the treatment of addictions, pain management, and mental and behavioral health disorders, has announced the deployment of enhanced clinical and patient engagement services to increase treatment efficacy. These program enhancements, which were rolled out August 20th, are the result of an eight-month program assessment, development and planning process that included internal and external input.
“Sierra Tucson is one of this country’s top treatment centers and we are excited to roll out these new initiatives that will underscore our client-centered, outcome-informed approach to treatment,” said Phil Herschman, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer of CRC Health Group, Sierra Tucson’s parent company. “The programmatic enhancements are the result of input from CRC’s 12-member Clinical Advisory Board comprised of the treatment industry’s leading professionals, researchers and academicians, and our valued internal experts.”
A dually licensed treatment center, Sierra Tucson has expanded services across the board for all of its core programs – Chronic Pain, Addictions, Trauma, Mood & Anxiety, and Eating Disorders – with extended family process groups, relapse prevention training, and various program-specific therapies and psycho-educational offerings.
“At Sierra Tucson we are continuously looking for ways to improve our patient’s ability to achieve their ‘miracle,’” said Stephen Fahey, MSW, MBA, Executive Director of Sierra Tucson. “To attain that goal, we thoroughly reviewed both evidence-based and ‘emerging’ approaches and best practices applicable to the treatment of addiction and co-occurring illnesses.”
Multiple clinical program additions have been incorporated into the seven-day-per-week schedule, including expanded grief/loss coverage, life coaching, sexuality and recovery, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and healthy communications. Daily mindfulness meditation training sessions were added, in addition to dedicated time for yoga and the completion of therapeutic assignments.
“Our over-arching goal was to get away from disparate therapeutic threads and provide a comprehensive experience of deep, relevant, and compelling services that meet both the general and unique needs of our patient population,” stated Robert Johnson, D.O., Medical Director of Sierra Tucson. “We defined what we feel are core competencies for every patient’s recovery process. Many of these competencies relate to a patient’s ability to self-regulate their emotions and physiology for the sake of their long-term recovery success.”
In addition, program-specific Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) workshops have been added throughout the week and are mandatory for every client.
“We’ve systematized the teaching and application of DBT skills, something no other facility is currently doing,” said Dr. Johnson. “A specific DBT skill is highlighted each week across the campus, and clinicians in every discipline – psychiatrists, therapists, nurses, integrative therapy staff, and evening/weekend counselors – help patients apply that skill to manage symptoms such as anxiety, thoughts of self-harm, and behavioral impulsivity.”
The treatment center also has introduced a “Foundations Day” program in which new patients are oriented to the history, culture, values, environment, and clinical processes of Sierra Tucson, what Sierra Tucson staff feel are important elements for patient engagement and, ultimately, recovery success.
“What has evolved is a more intensive, yet easy-to-follow clinical program and a more in-depth orientation for new patients, which will enhance engagement from the very beginning of their treatment,” said Fahey. “We’re taking the richness of the Sierra Tucson patient experience to a new level and setting a new standard of clinical excellence for the industry.”
About Sierra Tucson
Since its inception in 1983, Sierra Tucson has become an international leader in the treatment of addictions, mental and behavioral disorders, and chronic pain. A premier facility for treating coexisting disorders, Sierra Tucson is known for its holistic, bio-psycho-social-spiritual treatment approach. Individualized treatment plans incorporate 12-Step philosophy, a wide variety of innovative and integrative therapies, a Family Program, and a combination of Western and Eastern Medicine practices.
Dually accredited by The Joint Commission, Sierra Tucson employs seven full-time physicians as a key part of its multidisciplinary treatment team. Located on 160 acres at the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona, this exceptional facility offers a beautiful, natural healing environment and the highest level of confidentiality. For more information about Sierra Tucson and its programs, call 800-842-4487 or visit www.SierraTucson.com.
Sierra Tucson is a member of CRC Health Group, the most comprehensive network of specialized behavioral care services in the nation. CRC offers the largest array of personalized treatment options, allowing individuals, families, and professionals to choose the most appropriate treatment setting for their behavioral, addiction, weight management, and therapeutic education needs. CRC is committed to making its services widely and easily available, while maintaining a passion for delivering advanced treatment. Since 1995, CRC programs have helped thousands of individuals and families reclaim and enrich their lives.