Valley Tele-Treatment Program (VTP)

by James Heller 26. February 2013 15:10

by Charles Yeh, MSW, ASW, CADC II, Project Coordinator

The Valley Tele-Treatment Program (VTP) of Tarzana Treatment Centers utilizes tele-communications (phone, e-mail, and video-conferencing) to assess for substance abuse issues, and provide immediate individual counseling if appropriate. By making access easier and more comfortable, and by combining the role of brief intervention with treatment, VTP can better help individuals at crucial moments concerning the risks and harm related to substance use. Participation may be as brief as one telephone conversation, or extend up to six months, depending on each individuals need.

A first goal of VTP is to reach more individuals, and to reach them sooner, to provide individualized prevention and early intervention for alcohol and substance use before consequences become severe, or individuals become dependent on alcohol or other drugs. Because it is not necessary for individuals to travel to our facility in person, the initial apprehension individuals may feel about speaking with a certified alcohol & drug counselor is greatly reduced. A second goal of VTP is to make treatment more accessible for individuals at all levels of substance use severity. Not only does VTP allow individuals experiencing physical or transportation barriers to more easily access treatment, the flexibility of the program offers broad effectiveness for treatment:

Low risk for harm—VTP offers a safe and confidential way to explore present issues and help to access the options available for help
Moderate risk for harm—VTP offers counseling to help build coping skills, and to facilitate participation in an ongoing supportive community for recovery
Severe risk for harm—VTP offers interim counseling to help maintain motivation and commitment to recovery when individuals are still waiting to receive residential or onsite outpatient treatment
Already in recovery—VTP offers continuing support to individuals going through a difficult transition

VTP services are available in English and Spanish, and are no cost for qualifying individuals. If you would like to access services, refer someone, or learn more about VTP, please call (818) 654-3821, or email vtp@tarzanatc.org.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides a full array of health care services including adult and youth alcohol and drug treatment. We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley and specialized services for HIV/AIDS care. If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders or from other services we offer, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us using our secure contact form.

Telemedicine services are also available with online medical care, online mental health treatment, and online alcohol and drug treatment.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment

Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

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Tarzana Treatment Centers Telehealth Program

by James Heller 11. July 2012 12:39

Connecting patients face-to-face with health care providers can be a challenge at times. This is especially true when the patient suffers from mental health or substance use disorders. Telehealth is a great solution whether the individual is already in treatment or is delaying the start of treatment.

Telehealth is a broad term for health care that is provided via email, phone, data transfer, or video conference. The main benefit for patients is that they can be anywhere for treatment, as long as they have a computer with internet access or a phone available. Tarzana Treatment Centers is currently using several telehealth delivery methods, and we plan to take advantage of more as they become available to us.

Tarzana Treatment Centers’ Telehealth Program makes it possible for patients in residential alcohol and drug treatment to visit with offsite providers without leaving the building. Each patient has a secure account on the LiveVisit video conference application, and can meet with clinic physicians or licensed mental health professionals. We also use telehealth video conferencing for outpatient clients.

Sufferers postpone getting treatment for mental health and substance use disorders more often than you might think. When they finally do go to that first treatment session, almost all of them realize that the delay was unnecessary. Tarzana Treatment Centers’ Valley Tele-Treatment Program (VTP) makes that first session more convenient. Individuals can receive treatment via VTP for up to 90 days, or they may choose to start face-to-face sessions after that first one.

For more information, please call 818-654-3821 or email vtp@tarzanatc.org today.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides a full array of health care services including adult and youth alcohol and drug treatment. We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley and specialized services for HIV/AIDS care. If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders or from other services we offer, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us using our secure contact form.

Telemedicine services are also available with online medical care, online mental health treatment, and online alcohol and drug treatment.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment

Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Telemedicine Uses – Senior Mental Health and Substance Use

by James Heller 21. September 2010 14:42

Aging brings more than the typical physical problems form seniors. Most will survive family members and friends, and face other possible losses, causing depression or anxiety. Some, following a doctor’s orders, may risk harm with prescription drugs without knowing that they are doing so. Telemedicine, in these cases, seems to be a very compassionate gift from the medical community.

It commonly comes with longer life that family members and friends will pass on. As their generational companion list begins to shrink, depression and loneliness is inevitable. The regular reminders of their own mortality can also be a source of anxiety. In these tough financial times they may also lose property through foreclosure, or be swindled by unscrupulous individuals.

Grief and loss therapy and mental health treatment can help to minimize emotional pain, but the tendency is to decline because they don’t want to leave home or they are immobile. The pain will not improve without talking about it. So if they have no one to grieve with, they become more isolated, and sometimes turn to alcohol or drugs for relief.

Prescription drugs are often ordered for seniors to stabilize physical or emotional pain. Opiate pain killers and benzodiazepines can spell trouble, though, when individuals also use alcohol, take higher doses than prescribed, or use other medications. Isolation and substance use can feed on each other, leaving a once vibrant person alone and numb.

These are the lesser known forms of alcohol abuse and drug abuse, and can be helped with addiction treatment. However, it is quite rare for seniors to agree to enter drug treatment for the same reasons as above. Sadly, younger family members tend to condone substance use to “ease the pain” of aging, and don’t offer proper assistance. Every day is a risk that tragedy will strike by accident or drug overdose.

Telemedicine has the potential to improve the golden years for many individuals. They don’t need to leave home to get mental health treatment or drug treatment. There are specialists in both fields who work with seniors on related issues. Grief and loss specialists can ease individuals through these processes, minimizing the duration of emotional pain. Addiction treatment counselors can help them to see that drugs and alcohol add to problems if they are abused, and are never the solution for emotional pain.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides online therapy for mental health and drug addiction. Our online treatment is delivered using the LiveVisit application, powered by MDLiveCare. One only needs a computer with a webcam connected to the internet to participate. This makes treatment convenient, accessible, and affordable. Security is important in treatment, so LiveVisit runs behind several layers of encryption. Phone access is available for those without a computer.

Telemedicine at Tarzana Treatment Centers is not limited to online mental health treatment and drug addiction treatment. We also provide online medical care. Our goal is to see that those who need treatment can get it.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides a full array of health care services including adult and youth alcohol and drug treatment. We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley. If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.