Martin County, Florida. Florida’s beautiful Treasure Coast. If you have ever been a “snowbird” or lived in the vicinity of Martin County, you know about the traffic during “season.” But there is another kind of traffic that is causing more serious problems.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office applied to become a member of the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program in 2018. This is a federal program included in the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Officers and deputies will have access to more funding and more federal resources to help fight the flow of drugs through the county.
Counties have to be considered a substantial center of drug production, manufacturing, importation, or distribution to be able to join the program. Police departments also have to show they have dedicated resources to react to the trafficking issue and the harmful impact it’s having. This often means that major narcotic organizations operate in the area.
The Fentanyl Effect
The Martin County Sheriff says drug overdoses and deaths from overdoses are up for 2020 compared to other years. They conclude that the rise in overdoses and deaths are most likely due to heroin laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is still making its way into Martin County, blended into a variety of other drugs.
It has been found recently mixed into cocaine. The problem comes when you have a person who has no tolerance to opioids, who’s a cocaine user ingesting what they thought was cocaine and, in fact, it’s fentanyl.
The founder of FamiliesRecover.org, John Nelson, also foresees a busy year trying to help people who are addicted to opioids. “Now you’ve got the people making the pills on the streets with the fentanyl. You’ve got people actually putting it in marijuana and cocaine now. It’s just something that isn’t going away anytime soon.”
Prevalent Alcohol Abuse in Florida’s Youth
According to the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, alcohol is the most commonly used substance among Florida students. Florida has an especially tough challenge because Florida youth have a higher rate of alcohol use than the national average. Besides, Florida is a tourist destination, attracting thousands of youths each year for sporting events, spring break, and other holidays.
Binge drinking is reported by 1 in 15 high school students and blacking out from drinking reported by 1 out of seven. The Sheriff’s department has reported a spike in incidents involving young teens and alcohol poisonings. They call the operation “Operation Summer Rain.”
Underage drinking is a constant public health problem that creates significant costs for society. The total cost of underage drinking in the state of Florida was found to be $3.687 billion (in 2006 dollars). The estimate includes medical costs, productivity costs, and pain and suffering costs. Vaping has become one of the most common forms of substance use among Florida youth.
Mental Health Treatment in Martin County, Florida
Everyone knows you should pay attention to your physical health. And you can tell if there’s something wrong. It’s not so easy to detect a problem and take care of your mental health. Many people have undiagnosed mental illness. Some people try to handle their issues by self-medicating.
Self-medicating can lead to a whole host of connected problems. Drugs and drug arrests, criminal charges, loss of income, and other risky behavior frequently leads to jail.
Martin County faces a jail overcrowding problem. From 2006 to 2016. Martin County’s jail population grew from 525 to 696. The average jail stay is 28 days for the total jail population. This overcrowding is made worse by the increasing number of inmates diagnosed with mental illnesses and disorders.
Mental Health and Martin County Jail
The jail averages 200 new mental health patients annually. Between 2006 to 2016, there was an 80% increase in the number of mentally ill inmates identified at booking. This was an almost 105% increase in inmates Baker-Acted from 50 to 105.
About 200% of inmates report receiving mental health care before their incarceration. More than 25% of inmates report a previous mental health hospitalization. Co-occurring disorders are found in 80% of the jail population. A recent study of the Martin County Jail reveals that almost 30% of inmates housed there are taking psychotropic medications.
According to the Martin County Jail Administrator, the percentage of inmates with mental illness, substance abuse disorder, or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders exceeds 80%. Intervening early for mental health and substance abuse offenders provides opportunities to offer appropriate care and reduce the cost of incarceration.
What Type of Treatment Applies to You?
You have begun to think about treatment, and that’s a good thing. Let’s discuss some options, and you decide what will suit you best. It’s a fact that there is no individual treatment program that is right for everyone.
After getting an assessment from your doctor or another medical professional, these are some of the options you need to consider:
Detox
If you have had a long-term, severe addiction, then you will probably need detoxification. Detox is not part of treatment, per se, but it gets you ready to go to treatment by clearing your body of all or most of the toxins you have been ingesting. Drug and alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be extremely painful, so patients need the 24-hour supervision of medical staff during this time. Medications can be prescribed to help with the withdrawal symptoms.
Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT)
You may be prescribed medications during detox. Depending on the drugs you used, you may still need medication while in treatment. Cravings can last well after your stay in detox.
Co-occurring Conditions
If you have a mental or medical condition along with a substance use disorder (SUD), you will receive a dual diagnosis. You might not be aware of it at this time, but your initial medical assessment will help you discover the appropriate treatment. It may be necessary to live in a hospital or medical center. This is not usual, but it may be needed depending on the severity of your issues. They must be treated simultaneously for the best outcome.
You Relapsed After Previous Treatment
If you went through treatment before and then relapsed, you may need a higher level of care. This often happens when people go through an outpatient program and later find they are not prepared for the stresses and obstacles of life without substance use. You need a modification of treatment like many people with a chronic disease.
Severe SUD
If your substance use disorder is extreme, long-term, and your tolerance is growing, you will need a residential or inpatient treatment. In residential treatment programs, you live at the treatment center facility. It is a safe, drug-free environment, away from the old triggers and stressors that caused you to be substance dependent. It allows you time to work on your health and nothing else. A typical program lasts 30 to 90 days.
You Have Home and Work Obligations
Do you have home, work, and school obligations that make it impossible to live away from home? There are outpatient programs that offer intensive treatment and supervision in the treatment facility. Then you go home after your counseling and therapy sessions. There are different types of outpatient programs that vary in intensity and duration. Outpatient programs are more effective if you have a supportive circle of family, friends, co-workers, and employers.
So What Resources are Available in Martin County, Florida?
Now that you know what to consider, here are some of the programs available at Coastal Detox in Indiantown, Florida. These are basic programs that will be customized for your particular needs.
Detox
Most people will need a medically assisted detox. As mentioned before, some of the withdrawal symptoms can be very painful and result in some uncomfortable side effects like sweating and vomiting. Withdrawal from other substances are physically mild but may cause a psychosis that may prompt a suicide.
Residential Program
After you complete detox, you can enter our Residential Treatment program. You will live at the facility and have continuous medical and psychiatric care. There is a wide range of therapies that can be used in your treatment plan to help you learn to live a healthy, drug-free life. The typical length of stay is 14 days. Then you can step down to one of the outpatient programs if you and your counselor think it would be best.
Executive Treatment Program
Our Executive program is designed for high-profile individuals who need the ultimate in privacy. For these individuals, the stigma of addiction often prevents them from getting the help they need. Coastal Detox offers outpatient or inpatient treatment in the Executive program.
The outpatient program has a lower level of care, but it does allow you to live at home during treatment. You can continue your work, school, and other activities, but it is not your only choice if you have work obligations.
If you choose the Executive inpatient treatment, you will get a higher intensity of inpatient 24-hour treatment. And you can still continue to satisfy your professional responsibilities while living at the treatment center.
Recovery Management Program
After detox and after your initial treatment plan, Coastal Detox offers the Recovery Management Plan that continues to help you transition into life without drugs or alcohol for a full year. Research shows that the longer you stay in some sort of treatment, the better your success at long-term recovery and sobriety. This program provides support through peer support specialists available on a one-to-one basis and helps with goal setting and assessments. It is offered at no cost for the first 90 days.
Treatment Programs for Working Professionals
You may have a job that you are planning to return to after treatment or continue working while in treatment. If you have a SUD and mental health concerns, we can structure a program for you.
- Residential—Residential treatment offers the highest level of care for first responders, union workers, and other working professionals. If you have a severe addiction and a comorbid mental issue, this is the most effective program. It offers 24-hour supervision and care. The residential program lasts 28 to 90 days and longer if needed.
- Intensive Outpatient (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization (PHP) programs-In these programs, you will live at home but attend therapy and counseling sessions during the day. They are more intensive than Outpatient treatment but still offer the freedom to continue with family, work, and school responsibilities.
- Outpatient treatment—Outpatient treatment can be used as a step-down from one of the more intensive programs. If you have a moderate addiction that has not been ongoing for the long term, this program can work for you. You get several hours of therapy a week while someone else receives over 20 hours. It depends on your type of addiction and your individual needs.
You Can Participate in These Therapies at Coastal Detox in Indiantown, FL
We offer a wide range of therapies so that a customized program can be created for you and your individual needs. You will work with your counselor to decide which therapies would help you meet your recovery goals. Some of the most frequently used are:
- Individual Therapy—During the individual therapy sessions, you will interact with your therapist one-on-one. Your therapist will help you look at your life realistically, You will examine your choices and how they have caused the negative results in your life.
- Group Therapy—Group therapy consists of a group of 5 to 15 people and usually 2 therapists. Group sessions are a way to keep you accountable for your decisions by other members of the group. Sessions promote discussions of coping skills and relapse prevention tactics.
- Family Therapy—During family therapy, you will have the opportunity to mend relationships that may have been damaged by your substance use disorder. Family members that wish to attend will also learn about substance abuse, the interdependent nature of the relationships, and behaviors they might also need to change.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)—CBT is a short-term, goal-oriented therapy that has proven to be very effective in treating substance abuse. It identifies the discrepancies between what we want to do and what we actually do.
Mental Health Treatment in Florida
According to the President and CEO of the Florida Council for Community Mental Health Centers, the State of Florida ranks 49th per capita in mental health spending with $39 per day per person budgeted. Half of the lifetime mental illness diagnosed in Florida begins by age 14. Only 42% of adults with severe/persistent mental illness and 18% of children who are at-risk of emotional disturbance have their needs met.
Florida also ranks 3rd nationally for the homeless population and 2nd in the number of children in detention facilities. Forensic commitments are the fastest-growing segment of mental health consumers, and commitments are up 72% in the State of Florida since 1999.
Without community-based services, individuals with mental health disorders often behave in ways that get them involved with the criminal justice system. Jail and prison often present the only opportunity to receive some form of mental health and/or substance abuse treatment.
You CAN Get Sober for Life in Indiantown, Florida
It is possible, and many people have done it. But, completing a treatment program is another good place to start on what we’ll call Phase 2–Staying sober. The longer you work on your sobriety and stay consistent, the better it will be for you.
Recovery Management Program—As mentioned before, Coastal Detox has a one year program specifically designed to get you back to your life, drug-free, and looking forward to your future. This program has the benefit of being long-term, and you will be able to continue working with your counselors whenever needed. It is also free for the first 90 days. This provides a sense of security that can’t be found completely out on your own.
Recovery Residences–Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR) is an organization that represents recovery residences in Florida that are certified by The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR). NARR is a nonprofit organization devoted to expanding the availability of well-operated, ethical, and supportive recovery housing. They have developed the most widely referenced national standard for the operation of recovery residences. You can contact FARR at www.farronline.org.
Living in a recovery residence will help you ease into life and work in a drug-free environment. You will live in the residence with other people in recovery, and everyone contributes to the upkeep and assigned chores. You may work elsewhere but return to the home each day.
Other Recovery Aids in Indiantown
- Alcoholics Anonymous—The 12-step program is a proven and effective way for you to maintain sobriety. In AA, recovering, and those who want to recover, alcoholics meet to discuss ways to deal with their disease. Individuals can share valuable information about coping with triggers to relapse and handling life in recovery. You can find meetings in your area by checking this site. www.martincountyaa.org/meetings.
- Narcotics Anonymous (NA)—NA is also a 12-step program working with the same structure and philosophy as AA. There are 9 meeting sites within 20 miles of Indiantown. You can check for meetings near you at www.na.org/meetingsearch
- SMART Recovery—Self-Management and Recovery Training is a mutual support group for people battling any type of addiction: overeating, gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc. The goal of SMART is to help you develop the power within yourself to change. You can find out more and find a meeting at www.smartrecovery.org/local-meetings.
Four Ways to Pay for Treatment at Coastal Detox in Indiantown
- Insurance—Coastal Detox works with 15 different insurance companies. Our financial specialists will work with your provider to develop a plan for you.
- Private payment—Occasionally, your insurance will only pay a portion of the cost. Some people would rather not use their insurance at all. In these cases, we accept private payments and can set up a payment plan.
- Financing—You may be able to secure a loan from your bank. It is an investment in your future that you won’t ever regret.
- Medicaid—You have no doubt heard of Medicaid. It is a federal program that provides medical coverage for low-income individuals and families, people with disabilities, elderly, and pregnant women.
What About Indiantown, Florida?
Indiantown was established originally as a trading post by the Seminole people. Tribes fled southward from the U.S. Army, white immigrants settled the area was settled in the 1890s.
In 1924, S. Davies Warfield built an extension of the Seaboard Air Line Railway that passed through and stopped in, Indiantown. Plans were laid out to make Indiantown a model city. But the land boom fizzled out after 1926, and the hurricane of 1928 halted development.
Indiantown is currently a small village of 5,588 people. The economy relies on seasonal agriculture. It is the home of Payson Park, one of the top thoroughbred horse racing facilities in the country.
Time and nature have contrived to keep Indiantown, a small community with little of the distractions and hubbub of a big city. A good place to focus on yourself.
You Want Help, and We Want to Help You
Coastal Detox has a beautiful facility in Indiantown. We have flexible programs that can work to fit your unique needs. Our staff is ready and waiting for you. Come be part of our caring family. Contact Coastal Detox now. Waiting doesn’t help anything.