Family
Family Resources
Chances are you have come to this page because you have a loved one who is struggling with alcohol or with abusing drugs. As much as you love them, the burdens and worries take their toll. You feel helpless and a hostage to the abuse. We are here to say it does not have to be this way. People and families are healing every day. At Cirque Lodge, we can help with answers, resources and most importantly treatment.
We are the preeminent family owned, family based alcohol and drug rehab treatment facility in our nation. Our whole mission has been dedicated to providing healing and recovery, not only to the alcoholic/addict who is suffering but to the loved ones that make up the family system who are suffering as well. It is our hope that the resources supplied on this page will get your family headed in the right direction. Remember, nothing changes, if nothing changes.
We understand that you have questions on what to do next. Ask them. We get questions every day and the only ones we cannot answer are the ones that are never posed.
A Program Developed for Families
If your loved one is a resident at Cirque Lodge, we encourage you to make every effort to be a part of our Family Week Program. Imagine an intensive alcohol and drug rehab program developed specifically for the well-being of the family. We feel it is the signature program in our entire addiction treatment experience.
It is so foundational to our program that we set aside 4-days every three weeks of our treatment schedule and dedicate it to the family. Family Week provides you with the education and the skills you will need to support your loved one and yourself through the recovery process. It will help you better understand the nature of chemical dependency and the stress that it puts on families.
Oftentimes we are asked what to do when attendance at Family Week is not possible? If this is the case, be assured that you are always welcome to attend. Even after your loved one is discharged from the residential addiction treatment program, family week is available. We know of no other alcohol and drug rehab facility that offers such a promise to the family of their clients. Please be sure to check our Family Week schedule for the upcoming program, as well as an itinerary of workshops and process groups.
Other Resources
Cirque Lodge is dedicated to providing the most effective addiction treatment with compassion, dignity, and respect. Privacy and confidentiality are our highest priority.
We understand that addiction is not a choice, and rehabilitation should not be a punishment. Our residential program is an enriching experience that nurtures personal development. It offers you a fresh start and lays the foundations for a joyful and productive life.Cirque Lodge is dedicated to providing the most effective addiction treatment with compassion, dignity, and respect. Privacy and confidentiality are our highest priority.
We understand that addiction is not a choice, and rehabilitation should not be a punishment. Our residential program is an enriching experience that nurtures personal development. It offers you a fresh start and lays the foundations for a joyful and productive life.
Al-Anon or Nar-Anon
Cirque Lodge offers a weekly Al-anon meeting onsite in our facilities. The big book of Alcoholics Anonymous says “there is a certain sense of security in the familiar.” We believe that regular meetings regularly, are a key component to staying sober. The same can be said for the family, “Regular meetings regularly.” We find if the family much like the client will be more successful by familiarizing themselves with meetings while they are participating in family week. “We will not do it out there, if we do not do it in here.”
Al-anon Family groups provide a supportive network for the friends and loved ones of alcoholics. Nar-anon is a similar fellowship for loved ones battling drug addiction. For adolescent children, many family groups provide an Alateen program. By attending these meetings you can better learn about alcoholism and drug addiction and how to support your loved one in recovery. Alanon.org or Nar-anon.org are excellent resources to find out more about these programs and regular meetings in your area.
What Family Can Expect During Treatment and Recovery Process
We understand the anxiety family members experience
We would like to thank you for entrusting your loved one to the care of Cirque Lodge. We know it is not an easy decision, and there is probably not much we can outline in any way that will put your mind at ease. Rest assured that at Cirque Lodge, your loved one will be given the love, support, and therapeutic assistance they need to begin the journey of recovery.
Our state-of-the-art facilities offer indoor therapy and exhilarating outdoor activities aimed at healing the entire person.
We understand the anxiety family members experience during the early part of treatment. While your loved one is in care and getting attention for their needs, you are home and often with many unanswered questions. It is our hope that the information below will help ease any fear or insecurity as you also start the process of healing and recovery.
Below we have outlined some of what to expect while your loved one is in care with us, as well as ways to stay in contact.
Your loved one will be assigned a primary therapist who oversees the treatment program. Upon admission you will receive the contact information of this therapist so you can stay in touch. Also your loved one will be assigned a resident ID number which we use to maintain confidential contact at our facility.
We work on a call back system so to contact your loved one, you will need to call our main number, and be prepared to give the resident ID number. We will take a message that will be given to your loved one who can then return the phone call when they are not in session. We will have your loved one for a very short period of time so we try not to interrupt any therapeutic sessions with phone calls or visits. With that being said, if there is an emergency of any kind let us know, we will get your loved one the phone as soon as possible.
We will contact you once your loved one has arrived at the facility. Upon arrival he/she will meet with our nurse to check their vital signs, submit a toxicology screen, and ultimately determine which level of care is best suited for their needs.
If your loved one is admitted to our Detox Unit, rest assured that they are being well taken care of by a talented group of nurses and physicians. During the detox process your loved one will have limited access to phones. There are many assessments to finish during this period and often the clients are not in the best of condition to really be talking to anyone. Pending a release of information being signed on your behalf by the resident, you can receive updates during the detox period from our clinical staff.
During the first 72 hours of treatment, we ask our clients to refrain from making any phone calls. We use this time to have clients acclimate, engage and hopefully become enmeshed in our program and with the resident community. You may leave messages for your loved one during this time. After the 72 hours has elapsed, your loved one will be able to call during assigned times.
Therapist Contact – Your loved one’s primary therapist will contact you within 72 hours after arrival to begin discussion of treatment goals and to glean pertinent information in regard to your loved one’s use history. Again this is all pending that they have consented and signed the proper releases. Following the initial contact, the primary therapist will contact you with updates on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
During the first weeks in treatment your loved one will begin to feel better physically. It is common, during the first 5-10 days, for them to feel they, and the family have “over reacted” to their drug and alcohol issues. “They are not nearly as sick as the other residents.” Some may feel they can come home and control their use of alcohol/drugs or not use at all. This is a crucial time in treatment because clients will focus on the minutiae rather than the fact that they have a life threatening illness and have devastated most of their surrounding environs.
The truth is they are simply having significant drug or alcohol cravings and are loathe admitting it. We strive to minimize the distractions in treatment and we have built one of the best reputations for treatment. However be prepared for the complaint that would preclude them from being able to finish their treatment stay. It is very important that families and the treatment team are united during this treatment process. If at any time you feel you need support in communicating with your loved one, please contact their primary therapist by phone or email.
As your loved one has embarked on a journey into recovery, this is a good time to start working on your own recovery. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” Going to Al-Anon meetings, seeing a therapist, and researching the problem, will help you gain insight to the disease of Addiction/Alcoholism, how this has affected you and your family, and what you can do about it.
Cirque Lodge Family Program is in our belief, the most powerful aspect of healing and recovery in addiction treatment. Family members are deeply influenced by their loved one’s drinking, using, and mental health disorders. Family dynamics are usually an influential aspect to your loved one’s abuse, or recovery from drugs or alcohol. Our Family Program helps explore, address, and deal with these concerns during a 4-day period of multi-systemic family therapy. “Family Week” is held every 3 weeks regardless of holidays. You will receive an email from our STAR Program with Family Week dates, hotel information and the family week schedule. You can also access the information on our Family Program page.
Family Intervention
Cirque Lodge can and will help you with the process of intervening. Often the most difficult portion of the treatment process is getting our loved one to agree to treatment.
We wholeheartedly believe in the intervention process.
Not only is it invaluable in getting the people we care about into an addiction treatment program it is an excellent family education program. Often times without knowing the family can sabotage the process of getting someone to an alcohol or drug rehab facility by an untimely word or misinterpreted actions. We work with all of the leading professionals in intervention services.
For help and answers to questions regarding intervention, we encourage you to call Keith F. CADC, BRI II Cirque Lodge Director of Family Support Services.
Keith has long been regarded as one of, if not the leading interventionist in the country. After years of travel, Keith decided to put down some roots with an organization and chose Cirque Lodge as the alcohol and drug rehab facility that would represent his knowledge of the industry and the people within the industry. This makes him, in our belief, the most knowledgeable resource in the country for families looking for intervention services.
Keith has dedicated his career to working with families, and is not only a specialist in getting you to the right intervention resource but is also excellent in referring families for their own addiction education. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the nationally and internationally known Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS). Through his association with AIS, Keith is in close contact with the top interventionists in the country. He is excellent at assessing if an intervention is necessary and if so, matching the right professional to work with your family assuring your loved one is placed in the appropriate level of care.
We encourage you to contact Keith directly to go over any questions surrounding the intervention process. He can be reached by phone at either 800-582-0709 on his cell phone at (205) 533-2489 or email him at kfierman@cirquelodge.com.
Keith stays in close contact with many of the top interventionists in the country, and is happy to work with you in matching the right professional to meet the needs of your family.
Intervention is simply moving the precipitating event as to why someone comes to treatment forward. Waiting for that event to happen on its own can sometimes lead to catastrophic consequences. As for waiting for our loved ones to come to the decision that their lives are unmanageable due to their alcohol and drug problems, our experience is that day never happens without the aforementioned event. That day just never comes and meanwhile the abuse, pain and suffering escalate out of control.
An intervention provides the right environment for discussing a loved one’s alcohol abuse or drug problem and the consequences that are associated with those problems. It should be carefully planned to provide the right message and the right environment not only for our loved one who is struggling with their addiction issues but for their family and friends as well.
By involving a professional interventionist you involve a facilitator with experience and objectivity and a person who can choreograph the entire event. Interventionists interject the right messages and more importantly interject them at the right time.
Family members can try to have these types of heart-to-heart discussions with their loved one, but our experience is that we are usually too enmeshed with family and friends to be rational or objective. This is where an interventionist really shines. If you want your loved one in an alcohol or drug rehab facility our research shows that it pays to involve an intervention professional.
Intervention providers also provide a great number of services to families seeking to help a loved one which can include:
- Recommendations for an appropriate alcohol / drug rehab facility or program.
- Recommendations for appropriate levels of care.
- Recommendations for mental health placements.
- Companion services for travel to and from an addiction treatment program.
- Monitoring for families during the treatment episode and post discharge.
- Family therapy recommendations.
For General Questions about the Cirque Lodge addiction treatment program or for admission information, please call 800-582-0709.
