History
Community Substance Abuse Centers (CSAC) opened in Westfield,
MA in 1989. Service expansion is determined by the needs
identified by the treatment population as well as the unmet
need in under-served communities. Expansion efforts have
resulted in the successful licensure of sites in Westfield,
MA (1989); Northampton, MA (1993), Chicopee, MA (1994);
Hartford, CT (1995); New Bedford, MA (1998); Greenfield,
MA (1999) Hudson, NH (1999), Woburn/Peabody, MA (2002),
Somersworth, NH (2003),Chelsea, MA (2003), Newington, NH
(2006) and Portland, ME (2007).
Community Substance Abuse Centers is a privately owned for-profit
corporation. This tax status, particularly of health care
providers, is sometimes misunderstood in a negative manner,
conveying the notion that the major emphasis is to increase
profitability. While this may be true of publicly traded
companies, which must maximize profits for its shareholders,
it is not true of this privately owned organization. The
Community Substance Abuse Centers shareholder/owners participate
on a daily basis in the administrative and medical care
aspects of patient/consumer services. There is an evident
commitment throughout the organization to provide quality
and compassionate care to the patient/consumers in treatment.
The commitment to excellence has been awarded with a three-year
accreditation from CARF, an international accreditation
body.
Admission
Admissions are processed during regular business hours Monday
through Friday. Emergency admissions, including pregnant
women, psychiatric and/or medical referrals, are completed
within forty-eight hours of initial contact. The admission
process includes a bio-psychosocial assessment, physical
examination, blood tests, urinalysis and urine drug screen.
Treatment
Services include pharmacological treatment with methadone
and other medications in combination with individual, group
and family counseling. Treatment is individualized and driven
by objective goals. HIV/AIDS education counseling and testing
services are provided for all patient/consumers. Patient/consumers
are encouraged to participate in self-help programs such
as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, and the
program utilizes self-help principles in treatment. The
philosophy of care recognizes addiction as a primary disease,
emphasizes the need for compassion, and encourages a drug
free lifestyle. To sustain achievements in treatment, aftercare
counseling offers additional support to patient/consumers
who no longer require medication.
Staffing
The Community Substance Abuse Centers' treatment team consists
of multidisciplinary professionals who are committed to
serving the needs of the addicted patient/consumer. The
team is lead by Co-Medical Directors who are Board certified
in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine respectively,
and who both hold Certification by the American Society
of Addiction Medicine. The professional staff includes physicians,
nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, counselors,
case managers and support staff. Each staff member brings
valuable experience and training with appropriate certification;
services include HIV counseling and testing. Staff is culturally
and linguistically diverse, allowing effective communication
and sensitivity to all patient/consumers. Staff is available
24 hours daily to respond to patient/consumer care issues.
Licensure
The program is licensed, regulated and reviewed by the
federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and Drug Enforcement
Administration as well as the state methadone authority
and drug control agencies. All facilities participate in
the CARF accreditation process. Medicaid and other third
party payers may provide reimbursement, and we maintain
reasonable charges for services.
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