We accept Court Referrals for Testing and Treatment at NTS for a low fee, and on a sliding scale.  The reports are in-depth and we communicate with the courts, whether the referral for testing and assessment comes from Alaska, Utah, or Orange County, we are experienced at conducting assessments and testing.  Should the report results suggest you need treatment, then we can provide affordable outpatient treatment that satisfies virtually every court requirement.  Our outpatient treatment services at NTS can be modified and adjusted to fit the needs outlined in the assessment and court requirements.  NTS Outpatient Services are court and probation approved and are exceptional in quality.

The Assessment: The assessment is generally an hour long clinical interview to assess for mental, alcohol, and/or drug problems. After the interview a report is generated with recommendations to the court for treatment, if the person needs treatment.  Sometimes the person who comes in for an assessment only needs some education on addiction and alcoholism. Other times the person needs therapy.  Either way, the recommendation will be suggested to the court and the client can either complete the recommendations at NTS or we can refer the client to the appropriate services somewhere else. 

Labels: Court Assessments for Treatment, Court Referral for Testing and Treatment, Substance Abuse Referral for Courts Orange County

The NTS LINKS Program is a Christ based addiction treatment program that helps Christians recover from their addictions using Christian based methods and curriculum.  The program is the newest program at NTS and we are very excited about it.  Christ based addiction treatment is actually more rare than one would think, given all of the Christian mega-churches in Orange County.  We expect the LINKS Program to be one of the best Christian Addiction Treatment Programs in Orange County, California. We want to be a resource for all the Christian Churches in Orange County and hope that we can raise money in the future for scholarships for those unable to afford Christ based addiction treatment.  For more on the new LINKS Christ based addiction treatment center, please call us. 

Labels: Christ Centered Drug Treatment, Christian Drug Rehab Orange County, LINKS Christian Addiction Treatment

"Short Term" addiction treatment is available at some addiction treatment programs, but generally addiction treatment programs are designed to be a minimum of 30 days.  If you are able to find a short term addiction treatment program (e.g., less than 30 days) then it will usually consist of two weeks of inpatient treatment and then additional outpatient treatment.  Historically, addiction treatment programs were created as 28 day treatment programs because that's all the insurance companies would pay for.  These days most addiction treatment programs, with the exception of a few, have extended their programs to be longer than 30 days.  People can still do 30 days of addiction treatment (or 28 days), but it is almost always suggested that a person stay in drug rehab for longer than 30 days if it is at all feasible for the person to do so.  No one has even considered designing a short term addiction treatment program because according to research long term treatment, not short term treatment, is more effective.  Some of the old addiction treatment programs that are now extinct were short term addiction treatment centers promising quick cures, but these failed miserably and went out of business.   Every once in a while the public is sold quick cures to addiction and alcoholism, but don't be fooled, there is no such thing.  Treatment for addiction and alcoholism is a lifelong process that often begins in a treatment facility, but then must continue long after. 

At NTS we have allowed people to enter our addiction treatment facility for two weeks, but they had to commit to outpatient treatment after leaving our inpatient facility. 

Labels: Addiction Treament, Orange County Outpatient Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Short Term Addiction Treatment

Yesterday it was announced that California would be taking many parolees off parole and releasing non-violent offenders. According to the Orange County Register,  "More than 1,500 county inmates have been reported to have been released statewide under the new guidelines, including 401 inmates from Orange County jails. Most of those inmates were released by counties that interpreted the law to mean that inmates could earn time off their sentences retroactively – resulting in the some early releases on the day the law took effect." Most of these inmates are non-violent offenders, well behaved, and do not present a physical risk to others in the sense that they were not convicted of sex crimes or violent crimes.  What that means is that most of the people being released are drug addicts and alcoholics with drug and alcohol violations.  Almost everyone can agree that treatment within jails for alcoholism and drug addiction is not the best, and that most of these addicts and alcoholics will be released untreated.  


According to the Orange County Register, "In the Sacramento case, Superior Court Judge Loren E. McMaster said that the release of inmates into the streets under the new provisions, while the number of deputies is being reduced, is a 'formula for disaster.'"  
As I have stated before, this is a Formula For Disaster!  Drug and alcohol rehabs in Orange County and in California will surely be inundated with clients.  I guess that's good for business, but no one wants what's about to happen in California to happen. 


The only way this would have been able to work, and perhaps even help, would have been if every County in California had already set up drug diversion programs and drug courts that these inmates could be transferred in to upon their release.  Unfortunately most of those programs have been cut as well, leaving the inmates with no resources.  I'm all for releasing people from prison and jail with non-violent drug offenses, but only if it means they will be going to addiction treatment.  


So once again I'm suggesting that all Californians consider moving out of state or stay off the roads after 10pm and definitely don't drive on the weekends.  There might be a lot of drunk and drugged drivers on the road sooner than later.  

Labels: California Addiction Treatment, California Releasing Inmates, Economy and Drug and Alcohol Treatment

Chynna Phillips and Brooke (Charlie Sheen's WIfe) entered drug rehab recently. Chynna's people (I can't believe she still has "people") say it is for "anxiety."  Well, people only enter drug rehab for drugs and usually it's the drug abuse that causes so much anxiety.  It still amazes me that publicists and managers try and lie to the public about why someone enter rehab.  My favorite publicist/manager comment I've heard throughout the years is what they say when a rock star has to cancel a concert and they say it's from "exhaustion and dehydration."  Ya right... excessive drug use and alcohol consumption do cause exhaustion and dehydration, but they make it seem like they are working so hard that they just collapsed from all their hard work.

Brooke (Charlie Sheen's wife) is another story.  When the infamous incident happened everyone who knew what was really going on with Chuck and Brooke expected that a trip to rehab for Brooke was forthcoming. I hope she gets the help she needs.

Remember that whenever a celebrity checks in to a rehab, they are their for some addiction.  They have to be.  Addiction treatment facilities are licensed to treat addictions and not anxiety as a primary diagnosis.  They are not allowed to treat "anxiety" only.  So don't be fooled by what uncreative publicists and managers tell the public through the media.  Always be wary of "statements" released by publicists and managers.  They are almost never the truth.

Labels: Charlie Sheen

If you are looking for Sober Living in Orange County, California there are many places that offer fairly good/safe environments for post-treatment sober living.  The important thing to remember when choosing a sober living is to keep your expectations low.  Sober Living is not the same as residential, or even transitional, addiction treatment.  Sober Living houses in Orange County are unlicensed and usually understaffed.  Sometimes they are referred to as "halfway houses."  In the ideal world, sober living houses, or halfway houses, are meant for people who have completed residential addiction treatment successfully, but are not fully ready to live on their own.  Sober Houses, or Sober Living, is generally cheaper because they do not do any addiction treatment, but only "babysit" the people living in the house.  Sober Living Houses in Orange County are, for lack of a better word, adult babysitting houses.  Sober living houses have rules and requirements, but that's it.

In contrast, Transitional Sober Living is usually done at a residential treatment facility and has all the babysitting benefits of a Sober Living, but also has some addiction treatment thrown in.  For example, we call Transitional Living at NTS, Sober Living on Steroids.  People in the Transitional Living Program have a case manager, sometimes a therapist, and must attend three of our Outpatient Groups per week.  Transitional Living has more staff available on a regular basis because it draws from the more intense and expensive Residential Addiction Treatment Program.  

So, if you are considering a Sober Living House, possibly as a cheaper option, make sure you lower your expectations.  A sober living house may sound like a good idea (a cheaper option), but often times they are just relapse homes for people in-between more intensive treatments.    
Generally, if a person is not ready to live on his or her own after long-term residential treatment, then it usually means that they need more time in residential treatment.  The goal of residential extended care treatment is always to help the alcoholic or addict transition back in to living on their own.  Sober Living Houses tend to attract people who are not ready to get sober and actually need more intensive long-term residential addiction treatment.

Labels: Orange County California Sober Living, Sober Living, Transitional Sober Living

Spice is supposed to be a mixture of "herbs,"but studies have been unable to prove that the herbs listed on the package are actually in the substance.  Spice is sold in head shops across the country.  Spice is legal and at this point in time, extremely difficult to detect in urine.  Further examination of the drug by scientists has found that the main ingredient in Spice is a synthetic Cannabinoid  that German scientists have since listed as an illegal substance.  Other countries have followed suit and banned the substance, or substances, found in Spice.

At this time, drug and alcohol treatment facilities across the United States are struggling with controlling this legal form of marijuana.  Clients within drug rehabs across the United States are smoking Spice on a daily basis and drug rehabs are scrambling to find ways to detect the substance in urinalysis tests.

At NTS, we have done our own research in to the drug Spice and found ways to detect it in Urinalysis tests.  We have also researched the different ways Spice is packaged and what it looks like so that we know what we are looking for when we search client's belongings and person.  Since becoming more adept at detecting and finding the drug Spice,  we are now much better at controlling its abuse in our drug rehab.

Spice is a drug, and like many substances that began as a legal substance, Spice will most likely be banned in the United States soon, but right now it is a big problem in drug rehabs all across the United States.

People in residential and primary drug rehabs across America who do not want to be sober find ways to beat urinalysis tests and spend enormous amounts of time finding drugs that are undetectable in common urinalysis tests so that they can continue to get high without consequence.  The first step for drug rehabs is to become highly aware of the situation.  Word has not fully spread across the country, but as soon as one person in a drug rehab finds the drug Spice, it will permanently effect the entire drug treatment community forever, because the information will be passed down to newer residents, and so on, and so on...

Labels: SPICE BANNED, SPICE DRUG, Spice Epidemic in Drug Rehabs, SPICE IS A DRUG

Labels: California, California Addiction Treatment, California Budget Crisis and Drug Rehabs, California State Budget Crisis

When the original concept of combining higher education with traditional drug treatment was introduced in 1998 people in the addiction treatment industry were more than skeptical.  Everyone thought we were insane.  Now, famous drug rehabs accross the United States are scrambling to develop their own college programs.  Since research has shown that combining college classes with drug treatment produces better outcomes, drug rehabs (like Promises in Malibu) have sought to create their own college programs within their addiction treatment facilities.  The problem is that unless done right, putting clients in college while they are in treatment can actually produce worse results and defocus from treatment efforts.  A drug treatment college program must be integrated with a drug rehab's programming.  It must have a separate staff dedicated to the college program elements, but the staff must also be trained in addiction treatment.  The logistics of running a college program within a drug rehab produces a whole set of different hurdles to jump.  In many instances, drug rehabs will find that they cannot facilitate a college program because of lack of staff, program flexibility, and lack of training. If drug rehabs attempt to create a college program halfheartedly they will be left with disastrous results.  Unless all the elements of the "college combined with addiction treatment model" are in place, every attempt at instituting a college program within a drug rehab will fail, and fail miserably.  Through years of experience in creating college programs within addiction treatment facilities I know that those who have tried it on their own have never been able to succeed.  Unfortunately they still try at the expense of the clients they are trying to help.  A college program can be a tremendous benefit to drug rehabs and their clients, but it must be done right.  I have actually created what I call a "College Program Kit" that I have freely given to other drug rehabs wanting to create a college program within their addiction treatment facilities to help them in starting it, but what most drug rehabs discover is that it is not as easy as it looks, for the reasons mentioned earlier.  Sincerely, Brendan Bickley

Labels: College Combined with Addiction Treatment, College Drug Rehab, College Programs in Drug Rehabs, History of College Program in Drug Rehabs

A couple weeks ago NTS had its first Snow Day in the local California mountains.  We took over 25 clients snowboarding and skiing on a Wednesday.  It was snowing/raining, but it turned out to be a beautiful day with no injuries.  Some clients went just for the scenery.  Taking 25 clients anywhere is difficult, but taking them on a two hour drive to the local California mountains is another story.  Not many addiction treatment programs as large as ours can facilitate something like a Snow Day, but NTS is not like other programs.  California has had a great snow season so far and we hope to take advantage of our close proximity to the local Southern California Ski Mountains.  At NTS we like to encourage fun in sobriety as much as possible.  We have formal activities twice a week and our school program (The Academy) sometimes has 3 activities per week.  Last week The Academy at NTS took all their  students to Universal Studios for the day.   We like to encourage people who participate in activities like snowboarding and skiing to try those acitivities sober.  Snowboarding and skiing is often associated with alcohol and marijuana.  In fact, when we entered the Big Bear Mountain parking lot we could smell the marijuana smoke in the air, but our clients were safe and sober and that was the important thing.  They made it through the day sober and learned how to snowboard and ski sober. 

Labels: Activities, Fun Addiction Treatment, Snow Day, Snowboarding and Skiing in Treatment