Conemaugh Health System: New Visions

Rehab Reviews

8 years ago

Conemaugh Health System: New Visions Review

Created in 1892, Conemaugh Health System is one of the largest healthcare providers in the state of Pennsylvania. The Behavioral Medicine Services division was founded in 1956. In addition to an inpatient program dedicated to mental health clients, it opened its licensed outpatient unit for substance abuse treatment in 1982 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The outpatient program at large is referred to as New Visions and it serves adult men and women struggling with drugs and alcohol at varying degrees.

Treatment and Staff

Individuals interested in New Visions initially undergo a phone assessment with one of the organization’s intake coordinators to determine if he or she is a good fit for the program. Individuals then meet with the counselor and chart out a potential treatment plan and undergo a bio-psycho-social evaluation. If the individual is a resident of Cambria county and does not have insurance, the counselors work with the Cambria the county drug and alcohol department to help find them state funding. Individuals who are in need of a higher level of care are referred to outside residential and/or detox programs.

Conemaugh offers a regular outpatient, an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP). Although the exact length and intensity of the program is based on the counselor’s assessment of the client’s need, the average length of treatment is three months. Conemaugh’s treatment consists of both individual and group therapy. The PHP meets five days a week and consists of three hours of group meetings each day as well as two half-hour individual sessions. The IOP meets for three days a week and the regular outpatient program meets one to two times a week. The group sessions are two hours long and never have more than 10 clients. Counselors use a variety of treatment techniques including CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing (MI) and solution-focused therapy.
Conemaugh encourages clients to embrace the 12 steps and teach them the first step during the group sessions. Clients are also given local AA/NA meeting lists and encourage to attend as often as possible during and after treatment.

The New Visions program is not technically considered to be equipped to treat dual diagnosis, but all counselors who work at Conemaugh also have a background in mental health treatment in some way, and there are also, of course, other mental health resources through Conemaugh Health System at large.

New Visions’ counselors are comprised of LPCs and CACs.

Extras

Upon client request, Conemaugh can schedule individual family sessions with the client, counselor and their family members. Additionally, the organization offers a DUI program as well as an underage drug and alcohol program.

Conemaugh also runs a support group for clients who have been prescribed Suboxone for opioid addiction. Conemaugh does not provide Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), but does offer evaluation and referral services to outside providers.

In Summary

Conemaugh Health System’s variety of treatment programs and intensities allows clients to find programs that best suit their unique recovery needs. The PHP provides clients with an affordable alternative to residential care in an outpatient setting. The combination of both 12-step principles and evidence-based treatment is sure to set a solid foundation for sobriety.