The Basics
Founded in 2003, Meridian Behavioral Health Services has been offering a variety of services to adolescents and adults suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues in North Carolina. Outpatient and community-based services are offered in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Transylvania counties, while community-based services are also available in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Swain and Buncombe counties. All substance abuse programs include a range of therapeutic support, focusing on life skills and relapse prevention. Services include an adult Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), medication management and a Juvenile Justice Treatment Continuum (JJTC) for court-ordered adolescents.
Treatment and Staff
Meridian has programs to help both adolescents and adults with substance abuse and dual diagnosis support. While detox is not offered, referrals to an outside facility can be made upon request. In addition, Suboxone is available to those attempting to withdraw from opiates. Adolescent IOP group sizes tend to be around 10 to 15 people at a time and support those with co-occurring disorders.
IOP is a 12- to 16-week program, offering hands-on care for those in early recovery. Clients receive nine hours of group therapy and an hour of individual therapy (or more, depending on circumstances) per week, as well as case management and couples or family therapy when needed. Group topics focus on relapse prevention, life skills, anger management, processing and introduction to the 12 steps. Evidence-based therapies such as CBT and DBT are used in sessions. Following the initial intensive phase, clients can participate in an aftercare program, which consists of one social support group per week. This phase can last for up to eight months.
Medication management is offered as part of the outpatient programs or on its own. This service includes initial assessments and ongoing monitoring of medication needs.
The JJTC track offers court-referred youth intervention plans for co-occurring disorders. The program includes family therapy and parent education, as well as group therapy based on Motivational Interviewing (MI). Services that may also be included are targeted case management, intensive in-home treatment and therapeutic foster care (TFC) based on the youth’s needs.
The staff includes physicians, nurses and LADCs.
Extras
Meridian offers additional behavioral health programs for youth, as well as a variety of adult programs that focus on supporting the community.
For youth, the intensive in-home option provides family intervention. All treatment is individualized based on each family’s needs, providing support in areas including communication, problem-solving and behavior management. Services are typically more intensive in the beginning and taper off as the youth and parents progress. The TFC program is for those who demonstrate violent, disruptive or self-destructive behavior patterns. Clients can be referred by social services, the juvenile justice system or their parents. The program includes individual, group and family therapy, along with case management. TFC parents must attend a 40-hour training program.
For adults, the jail program helps those who have been incarcerated get out of the cycle of addiction. Weekly counseling and educational groups with evidence-based practices help clients develop coping skills and change negative thought patterns. A sexual abuse intervention program (SAIP) is for clients who have committed acts of sexual abuse/assault against minors and/or adults. It includes a mixture of therapy, education, case management and workshops. The psycho-social rehabilitation (PSR) program is for those with psychiatric disabilities, offering them support six hours per day, five times a week. Treatment focuses on functional, social, educational and vocational goals, instilling clients with independence.
Meridian also offers several recovery education centers that hold workshops, lectures and seminars about wellness management and self-improvement.
In Summary
Meridian Behavioral Health Services aims to help clients of all ages. Using evidence-based therapies and medical intervention, if necessary, this program attacks the client’s issues head on. With an individualized approach and a hands on staff, clients can receive the exact care that they need.
Meridian Behavioral Health Services
PO Box 2187
Sylva, NC 28779
Meridian Behavioral Health Services Cost: Free (state funded). Reach Meridian Behavioral Health Services by phone at (828) 631-3973 or email at info@meridianbhs.org. Find Meridian Behavioral Health Services on Facebook
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Sponsored DISCLAIMER: This is a paid advertisement for California Behavioral Health, LLC, a CA licensed substance abuse treatment provider and not a service provided by The Fix. Calls to this number are answered by CBH, free and without obligation to the consumer. No one who answers the call receives a fee based upon the consumer’s choice to enter treatment. For additional info on other treatment providers and options visit www.samhsa.gov.
