Frequently Asked Qustions
What is your treatment philosophy?
Banyan’s clinical approach to treatment is to address our patients’ substance use disorder alongside any co-occurring mental health disorders and life issues in an integrative, multi-disciplinary fashion. Treatment planning is designed to meet all of our patients’ needs and treatment is delivered as a team, which includes assessors, therapists, case managers, doctors/nurses, and other support staff. In conjunction with the 12 Step model (and alternatively, Smart Recovery, which all of our therapists are certified), our therapists utilize the following therapeutic approaches in their group and 1:1 work with our patients: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), client-centered/humanistic interventions, empowerment counseling, and solution-focused counseling.
Do you have a separate religious track?
It’s not a track, it’s an entire program called Faith in Recovery Program. It is an available option for clients who wish to enter a faith-based program. Faith in Recovery Program is a Christ centered faith-based recovery and dual diagnosis program that uses a non-denominational approach to treatment. This program is designed to allow clients to establish or continue their faith and relationship with God while also addressing their addiction. The program integrates clinical therapies and faith based ideas into customized programming. Faith in Recovery is an all-inclusive, separate program, and not merely just a “track” as most other treatment facilities. Most similar type of programs (faith-based treatment tracks) consists only of a Bible study and a weekly off-site church service. Faith in Recovery is a completely comprehensive Christian-based program. Every aspect of the drug and alcohol addiction recovery program revolves around the Christian principles and is God-centered.
We approach treatment from a spiritual and clinical perspective. All clients are assigned a therapist for their clinical needs. We also have a full-time Program Director and Chaplain for all Biblical needs.
Do you work with a 12-step model?
Yes, we work with a 12-step model. In the "Big Book" which is the central text of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that outlines the program, the twelve steps are defined as a "set of principles, spiritual in nature, when practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole." Here are the AA Twelve Steps:
STEP 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. Many alcoholics have a hard time admitting that they can't control their alcohol use. Once they acknowledge that they are powerless over their addiction, their recovery process can begin.
STEP 2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. AA believes that people with an alcohol addiction need to look to something greater than themselves to recover. Those working the steps are free to choose whatever higher power or God works for them.
STEP 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. Here, the alcoholic consciously decides to surrender themselves over to whatever or whoever they believe their higher power to be.
STEP 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. This step requires taking a moral inventory of oneself and self-examination that can be uncomfortable, but honesty is key in this process. The goal is to identify any areas of past which include regret, embarrassment, shame, guilt or anger.
STEP 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. This step involves admitting to past poor behavior. Often, alcoholics will share what they wrote down during the previous step with their sponsor.
STEP 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. The alcoholic admits that they are ready to have their higher power remove the wrongs they listed in Step 4.
STEP 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. Every person has character defects; after all we are only human. The recovering alcoholic is not strong enough to eliminate these defects on their own, so they ask their higher power to do so.
STEP 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Alcoholics write down all of the people they wronged through their alcoholism. The wrongs could range from stealing from them, lying, manipulation, etc.
STEP 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Many alcoholics work with their sponsor to figure out the best way to complete this step. Making amends may include writing a letter to a person or sitting down face to face with them to talk about their issues and overcoming them.
STEP 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. This step involves a commitment to monitor yourself for any behaviors that may be detrimental to yourself or others and to admit when you are wrong.
STEP 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. Step 10 requires you to commit to some kind of spiritual practice. That practice could be anything from prayer, to meditation, yoga, to reading scripture.
STEP 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. This step encourages members to help others in their recovery and to pay it forward. Many members become sponsors once they have completed the 12 steps.
Do patients attend outside 12 step groups? Are there 12-step group meetings on campus?
p>We bring some meetings in as well as bring patients to attend outside groups.
Walk me briefly through your treatment program from admission to discharge.
Client will admit at Banyan Boca Raton or Banyan Stuart for detox and residential treatment. We have other locations nationwide depending on levels of care the patient needs and which location is best for them. They will be assigned a therapist, an assessment and checkup is completed and they are admitted into our program. Detox taper will begin and can last for 7-10 days (depending on usage). Once detox is complete, client is stepped down to residential care where clients are kept under 24 hour medical supervision for another 14 days to acclimate before transitioning to our PHP program where we offer a real life setting.
Once detox and residential treatment is complete (Approx. 3 weeks), we will step down the client to PHP at Banyan Pompano. Client will receive a Publix gift card for groceries; an additional assessment is completed, and client is placed into our program (Faith in Recovery Program or traditional 12 Step Program). Client will be in treatment 5 days a week and will be offered supervised activities on the weekends. Client will stay at this level of care for approximately 30 days before stepping down to IOP at Banyan Pompano.
Once client completes PHP, they will move down to IOP. Client will be in treatment 3 days a week as opposed to 5 days a week. Clients are encouraged to get a job, volunteer, and go to meetings in their spare time. Once client is close to completing their 90 days at Banyan Treatment Center, case managers will set them up with aftercare close to their home, or if the client wants to stay local, we will recommend transitional housing in the area.
After discharge, regardless of where they are, clients will receive phone calls from our Alumni team. We offer an event for them to attend once a month and a bi-weekly Alumni meeting held at the Banyan Pompano facility.
How do you deal with difficult patients? What causes you to ask a patient to leave treatment?
At Banyan, we approach resistance from patients from a motivational interviewing perspective and “roll with the resistance.” This means that we avoid direct confrontation, to ensure that our clients are feeling heard and safe, and help our patients formulate their own solutions to what they are being resistant to instead of forcing suggestions and directives on them. We rarely ask our patients to leave treatment but if we do, it is typically related to a behavioral issue that threatens the safety or treatment process of one or more clients in our community.
How do you deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
PTSD is addressed from both a clinical and a medical standpoint. We offer Rapid Resolution Therapy, which is an evidence-based therapeutic technique that eliminates the negative emotional or behavioral influence of traumatic events. We also utilize the Seeking Safety curriculum in our group and individual therapy sessions, which is another evidence-based therapeutic tool that addresses trauma and substance abuse issues concurrently. Sometimes, our medical staff will prescribe medication to alleviate certain symptoms of PTSD such as nightmares and sleep disturbance.
Do you offer alternative treatment therapies?
Alongside cognitive behavioral therapy, which is recognized as the most effective modality in treating substance abuse and other mental health disorders, Banyan Treatment Center offers alternative therapies such as Biosound Therapy, which integrates biofeedback therapy, Sound Frequency Healing, Music Therapy and Guided Imagery. The system consists of a vibrational platform, known as the Serenity Bed, which is constructed with memory foam and integrated with an audio/visual delivery system. The system utilizes precisely choreographed music that is synchronized with low frequency sine tones and binaural beats. Biosound Therapy has been shown to alleviate stress, anxiety, depressive thoughts, cravings, impulsivity, fearfulness, body aches, muscle tension, and headaches. We also offer sound healing classes, yoga classes, acupuncture, and chiropractic services. (Add picture of serenity bed)
Do you offer any specialty programs?
We offer art and music, mature and mindfulness programming, SMART Recovery, Faith in Recovery, Vivitrol Therapy, Alumni programming, and stabilization.
Do you have expressive arts therapies? If so, which?
Yes, we offer art therapy groups 3x/week as well as music therapy groups 2x/week.
What is the average age of your population currently?
Our average age is 25-35, but we also offer a Mature and Mindfulness program where we have older adults attend group together.
Is there opportunity for exercise and outdoor time?
After the therapeutic day is over, we bring clients to the beach, gym, and outside meetings.
What do patients do for fun?
Clients have a recreational room at the Detox level that has video games, movies, and board games to choose from. Once at Banyan Palm Springs, we also offer special events for holidays, as well as a weekly talent show for current clients to participate.
