Individuals from all social and economic levels can suffer from alcohol dependence.  When they know they need treatment, some of them can’t access it either because they don’t have time or worry about the social stigma of being an alcoholic.  Recovery may be the only thing that saves their family, job, or finances, though, so they should consider telemedicine as an option.

The homeless people you see on the street are only the public face of alcoholism.  One may work in the office or cubicle next to you, or even live in your own home.  It is estimated that over 1 in 10 Americans suffer today.  No matter who they are, at some time, hopefully, they realize that they need alcohol treatment.  Sadly, many will postpone or decline this addiction treatment for several reasons.

Entering alcohol treatment is still wrongly stigmatized as a weakness for a large segment of society.  Individuals in positions of authority and possibly well known, in business and politics, very often place public status over their own health, and think they will be okay without treatment.  But for every one individual who seems to be “living a party” and still making a living in the news, there are thousands who will lose everything.  

Successful alcohol treatment does require a time commitment from patients and their loved ones.  The patient needs to attend individual and group sessions to work through life issues that will prevent relapse.  Family and friends need to also attend groups to work on themselves as well as to provide support for the patient.  The resistance is not so much about attending the sessions, but more about the travel time and coordination of schedules that makes people nervous.  When one knows they need treatment, they should get it.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides telemedicine for individuals who have these reasons, and many others, to not seek alcohol treatment.  Sessions are conducted by video conference over the browser-based TherapyLiveVisit application, powered by MDLiveCare.  Participants in telemedicine only need a computer with a webcam and internet connection.  All sessions are secure and confidential, running behind several layers of encryption.

These individuals who need help with alcohol abuse or dependence can now get it before problems mount too high.  Eliminating regular trips to an alcohol treatment center solves the stigma and time issues.  There is no need to explain sudden regular “nights out” to those who may pry, and all sessions can be conducted at home or work.  Travel time is eliminated, along with the hassle of loading the family in a car.  Also, distant family members can participate in family sessions, which is a great benefit.

Telemedicine at Tarzana Treatment Centers is not limited to addiction treatment.  We also provide online mental health treatment and 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.

Heroin addiction imprisons its victims in a world that seems inescapable, even after successful heroin detox treatment.  Opiate cravings lead them to believe they can have “just a little” heroin since the body is cleansed.  For many, outpatient heroin treatment helps them to avoid relapse by dealing with life issues.  And for those who have work and family obligations, there is the option of online drug treatment via telemedicine.

Medical detoxification cleanses the body of alcohol and drugs, and is only the beginning of successful treatment.  So the physical battle with heroin addiction may be over, but heroin cravings and psycho-social factors remain.  The addicted brain sends a multitude of signals to the body, telling it that it either needs heroin to survive or that it won’t hurt to use a small amount.  The signal offers a sense of relief from all the obsessive thoughts in the addict’s mind.  Relapse is often the result.

Heroin treatment helps to ease the mental obsession for the drug, and get past the cravings.  Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) may also help with opiate cravings.  Residential treatment is very effective, and outpatient treatment works in many cases as well.  Some individuals, though, may have time or travel hindrances that make it difficult to attend outpatient sessions regularly.  For them, telemedicine is a welcomed solution.

As an example, a young male husband and parent is on his final two days of opiate detox.  He desperately wants to change his life and enter treatment.  He feels a need to get a job and support the family he had neglected, and declines residential treatment.  While he is willing to enter outpatient treatment, he can’t afford the travel costs and worries that it will interfere with a new job.  Without another option, he is likely to attempt recovery without treatment and is sure to relapse.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles offers telemedicine as another heroin treatment option.  Our friend could attend regular individual and group sessions by video conference using a webcam and computer with internet access.  Our TherapyLiveVisit application, powered by MDLiveCare, provides patients with a secure connection to our addiction treatment providers at affordable rates.  We are also able to offer phone consultations for those without video conferencing equipment.

Telemedicine at Tarzana Treatment Centers is not limited to addiction treatment.  We also provide online mental health treatment and 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.

The California Telehealth Network (CTN) was launched by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on August 17, 2010.  CTN will operate on both public and private funding, and is expected to lead California into an exciting new era in health care.  Tarzana Treatment Centers is pleased to announce our involvement.  We are thrilled at the opportunity to provide our addiction treatment, mental health treatment, and medical care to individuals in California who find it difficult to travel to facilities.

CTN is expected to connect 900 health care facilities by 2011, providing specialized health care services to California residents who normally can’t access them.  Rural health care providers will have access to specialists who can either assist them or work with their patients directly.  Currently, there are 50 sites that are being set up initially to begin this important project, which will have its control center at the UC Davis Medical Center.

Tarzana Treatment Centers, based in Los Angeles, California, is providing services at 3 of these initial sites.  Our specialized services will be a valuable part of CTN, making addiction treatment, HIV/AIDS services, and related mental health disorder treatment available along with the common services we also provide.  Many individuals suffer needlessly because they are immobile or live in remote rural areas.

The funding for CTN is $30 million, which includes $21 million from the Federal Communications Commission, $3.6 million from the California Emerging Technology Fund, and the rest from a combination of private and other public funds.  AT&T will build a secure, medical-grade telecommunications system that will provide the high bandwidth needed.  The goal is to reduce medical costs and improve clinical outcomes for patients.

Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, is online mental health treatment or medical care that can be conducted by video conference or by phone.  Online health care has become secure and affordable.  The cost-effectiveness makes for a lower cost to set up the program than to continue with the status quo in health care.  Its use has proven to reduce readmission rates for patients in medical care, and is expected to do the same for those in behavioral and mental health treatment.

Of course patient security is an obsession for the staff at Tarzana Treatment Centers.  So we would not have started working with telemedicine if there was even a hint that patient confidentiality could be compromised.  Our internal telehealth system, powered by MDLiveCare, is protected by several layers of encryption.  While details have not yet been released by CTN about the security this network will provide, we can assure you that our involvement will result in the high security.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides 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.

It’s difficult enough raising adolescent children, and then you discover the reason for their recent behavior issues is due to alcohol abuse or drug abuse.  You cringe at the thought of admitting them to alcohol and drug treatment because, beyond the shock you feel, it seems like yet another burden to tackle.  But it is important, and you know it, and telemedicine may be the solution for your hesitation.

Adolescent alcohol abuse and drug abuse can tear the closest families apart.  It starts with failing grades, behavior problems, and new friends who give parents that “bad feeling”.  A gradual increase of difficult situations explodes when parents discover substance abuse among their youth, and exhaustion generally follows.  So many parents will just want to give up.  Adolescent alcohol and drug treatment seems beyond the breaking point.

Although it is logical to make an attempt at solving a problem, procrastination takes over for most parents of substance abusers due to stigma.  “What will the extended family/friends/neighbors think?”  When they get past that hindering feeling and call an alcohol and drug treatment center, they learn about the time and emotion involved and put it off again.  All the while, their teens are going further down a road toward alcoholism or drug addiction, crime, injury, and possibly death.  Time is of the essence.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles offers telemedicine as an answer to both the stigma and time issues.  Teens can attend counseling sessions via video conference from home, using a computer with a webcam.  Parents can attend family meetings in the same manner.  We even have the technology to conduct group sessions over a secured internet connection.  This cuts the time and cost of travel to our locations, and saves you the need to explain the daily family trips to others.

Our providers use the TherapyLiveVisit application, powered by MDLiveCare, which works in any web browser.  If you have a computer with internet access and a webcam, you can use Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, or any other browser to access the application.  LiveVisit operates behind several layers of encryption, so you can be certain that your consultations will be completely confidential.  

The term “telemedicine” encompasses all forms of health care including mental health treatment and addiction treatment.  In many cases of youth alcohol abuse and drug abuse, there are co-occurring mental health disorders that had gone previously undetected.  Tarzana Treatment Centers is recognized as a leader in providing mental health treatment to adolescents.  Our telemedicine staff includes addiction counselors and mental health professionals, as well as medical professionals.

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.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles has taken pride in our efforts to remain current with health technology advancements.  We have now partnered with MDLiveCare to provide telemedicine services.  This will enable us to offer alcohol and drug treatment, mental health treatment, and medical care via video conference technology, which will allow access to more individuals who need these services.

Please click the link below to read the press release:

MDLiveCare® Health Services, Inc. Announces Agreements in California, Florida and Illinois as It Continues Building National Provider Network and Licensing Relationships

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides 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.

Telemedicine in mental health treatment has been in practice for over 40 years.  When this method of treatment was first introduced, it was reasonable to criticize its lack of security, confidentiality, and effectiveness.  But with advancements in technology and standards being compiled, it can now match face-to-face treatment in all three areas.

Thinking back to the 1960s technology brings memories of rotary dial telephones.  It would be considered high tech to use something more secure than a party line, where people used the same channel of communication at more than one location.  And even then it could not be considered secure.

Confidentiality was a major concern to skeptics since secured phone lines were not common to the public like they are today.  Laws didn’t exist to protect patient confidentiality like they do today either.  This type of security was very expensive, so in most cases it could only be assumed that it was not in place.  Therefore, patients could only get confidential mental health treatment via telemedicine at great personal expense.

Beyond security and confidentiality, effectiveness of 1960s telemedicine was in question.  This is not to question the intent or qualifications of mental health providers at the time.  However, in sessions much can be determined by facial expressions and patient demeanor that cannot be seen over an audio connection.  Unless secure video conferencing was used, which was incredibly expensive, e-therapy was lacking.

Telemedicine has evolved over the decades to where it is now possible for mental health patients to receive confidential and effective treatment from home.  Behavioral healthcare providers need to meet confidentiality standards as required by law for in-house treatment.  And it is now common to see video communication technology almost everywhere.

It is now reasonable to see telemedicine as effective and secure, rather than to be a skeptic.  While most of the general public, as well as professionals, may assume that these improvements have been made, they have not investigated the concrete proof of it.  Telehealth has become a great benefit to patients in widespread rural areas, with those with severe phobias, and others.  

Therapy sessions as well as vital signs can be transmitted over secure communication lines in a reliable manner.  Providers that have kept up with the latest technologies may only require minor hardware and software upgrades to provide tele-mental health.  They most likely have security standards in place if they are already transmitting patient information.

The important thing to note is that all of the technology and security individuals may fear get lost on telemedicine are already in daily use.  Responsible providers make confidentiality a top priority, and the use of technology has its own security standards.  So there is no longer a reason to be skeptical.

The American Telemedicine Association is in the process of compiling a list of standards for use among all telemedicine providers.  While many providers already hold to these standards, it is important they appear in writing for the purposes of adherence and continuity of care.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles is taking steps toward providing telemedicine in mental health and drug treatment.  As we cling to stringent standards at our facilities, the same is true as we move forward in this area.  We already follow confidentiality guidelines and secure technology standards, and will bring those into telemedicine.

We currently provide mental health treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  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.

Some individuals who need drug treatment have responsibilities in life, such as work or family, which take the option of residential treatment away from them.  Or they may not require the controlled setting that residential treatment provides.  Outpatient treatment is a valid option for these individuals.

Advancements in technology and treatment methodologies have also made another option available to these patients.  They can access treatment from home using their computers.  This gives patients the opportunity to receive the treatment they need, and save on travel time and fuel.  All of this can be done with no loss of quality in treatment.

One unique benefit that comes with online drug treatment, or telemedicine, is the ability for patients to review counseling sessions after they occur.  Patients in drug treatment sometimes miss important comments in groups and individual sessions because there is so much to be learned.  Reviews of the sessions can be an extra tool for preventing relapse during treatment.

Online drug treatment can begin with an outpatient medical detoxification program, if necessary.  It adds accountability for the patient.  Drug detox requires a certain amount of supervision even with the mildest cases.  So if outpatient drug treatment is needed, home-based treatment over the internet is a viable option.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides outpatient services as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help for drug addiction or alcoholism, 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.

Mental health treatment and alcohol and drug treatment can be difficult to access for many people.  For several reasons, they are not able to make regular trips, if at all, to a mental health professional or treatment facility.  But as technology improves in healthcare, like with telemental health, so do the chances that these individuals will receive the treatment they need.

For those who live in rural and so-called frontier areas typically need to travel a long distance in order to receive treatment.  Those with physical disabilities might live close to an office or alcohol and drug treatment location, but have mobility issues and can’t always get there.  The problem of visiting an office or facility even affects those with social phobias who fear leaving their home.

Many individuals with substance abuse or mental health disorders that fit the descriptions above would like to receive treatment, but are hindered or blocked by these life circumstances.  These are only a few examples of people who need an answer to this problem.  But technology has an answer.

Telemental Health is a not-so-new way to treat mental health patients that is rapidly increasing in use, and showing promise in alcohol and drug treatment.  This use of technology falls under the category of programs using telemedicine or telehealth.  And while the name may bring to mind a radio call-in show, it is actually a whole range of services that mean convenience to patients, physicians, mental health and behavioral health professionals, and technicians.

Patients who cannot access treatment in person, and even those who can, get an added benefit from telemental health.  Sessions can be saved and reviewed again after they were completed.  And while progress notes are very helpful to behavioral and mental health professionals, it stands to reason that reviewing a video of the last session will remind them of visual ques.  This means better treatment for patients.

Professionals treating with telemedicine have the benefit of auto-recording of many tedious records and sessions.  Beyond that they can attend continuing education online, as well as seminars and meetings.  Psychiatrists and Medical Doctors can also track patients’ medications, and even control in-home units that deliver medication to bedridden patients.

Telemedicine is especially valuable to those who require regular testing and monitoring.  In-home devices run tests and upload information to lab technicians and doctors.  So instead of running around to different labs all day, as can be the norm for some, most tests can be run without leaving the front door.

HalthcareITNews.com reported on a new telehealth partnership between Google and MDLiveCare.  The portion of the article below expands on patient benefits in telemedicine.  In time, this may be a solution for patients who have trouble attending alcohol and drug treatment programs.

-- Begin external content --

"Patients remember less than 25 percent of what they're told when they consult with a doctor," said Bob Smoley, the CEO of MDLiveCare. "By directly synchronizing the information that's shared during telehealth consultations with electronic patient health records, we're able to provide patients with a convenient solution to review their physician or therapist encounters, time and time again, which significantly increases patient awareness and treatment compliance. This integration allows us to further empower patients with better access to all of their health information and to provide a service unprecedented in medicine today."

-- Source: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/google-health-adds-telehealth-services-mix --

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides residential and outpatient alcohol and drug treatment, and uses the latest technology in all of our services as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare.  If you or a loved one needs help for alcohol dependence or drug addiction, 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.