What is Telehealth at Castle Health?

Telehealth refers to both clinical and non-clinical use of technology, like making appointments online. 

Castle Health offers telehealth services to its remote patients suffering from addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling and other co-occurring disorders.

The gold standard of treatment at Castle Health is the intensive residential treatment at one of our two residential facilities for a period of 5 weeks. Substance dependence may cause various life-threatening illnesses and a patient’s attention should focus on securing a spot in a residential rehabilitation treatment programme. The quality of each patient’s life depends on their recovery and health.

Some patients, due to work and family responsibilities, and financial reasons, may not be able to enter an intensive residential rehab programme.

Castle Telehealth is committed to delivering behavioural addiction therapy to everyone in need of treatment, as a form of online counselling. The online programme is less intensive than our residential programme and has been created to offer greater flexibility to our patients that need to fit their therapy sessions around their other commitments. This programme has lower costs than a residential programme, allowing us to improve accessibility to rehab.

Telehealth may be suitable for those patients who cannot enrol in a standard residential treatment programme at Castle Health as they do not have the budget for a full residential treatment stay or they cannot leave for longer periods of time due to their work and family commitments. For patients who choose Castle Telehealth, they can benefit from the following services:       

  • Residential (Foundation: 4-6 weeks; Advanced: 3+ weeks; PRO Pathway: 3 weeks + Intensive Continuing Care)
  • Continuing care (Intensive, 3 weeks: 3 individual + 2 group sessions/ week; Extended, 10 weeks: 1 individual + 1 group session/ week)
  • Aftercare (1 year free aftercare, weekly Friday Telehealth Group)

These online telehealth services are used to protect medical staff and patients from exposing themselves to serious complications from the Coronavirus. Having this option allows the patient to connect virtually with the staff member.

For patients who are choosing remote outpatient services from Castle Health, they can expect:

  • A full assessment at the beginning of treatment.
  • To attend therapy sessions, both individual and in groups.
  • To participate in psychoeducational groups on various topics such as relapse prevention.

What Should You Expect from a Telehealth Appointment?

 

Although telehealth services have been available for a while, it may be your first time using them.  After you discuss with our Admissions Specialists and choose one of Castle Health’s programmes for your personalized treatment, you will be asked to allow us to treat you remotely. You may want to talk about your treatment options with our Admissions Specialists and choose one of our facilities to treat your addiction treatment. After that, there are just a couple of steps that you need to take to start your treatment. You will have to wait for the Castle Health specialist to log you on the interactive database and allocate a Telehealth therapist. The next step is to connect with your Telehealth therapist and for each treatment and therapy session you may use KIPU Health, Zoom or Moodle.

Safe & Secure

Your privacy, information and health records are confidential and kept safe. Every Telehealth appointment is 100% private and secure. Castle Health uses a telehealth technological solution designed specifically to protect your information. 

Benefits of Telehealth

Using telehealth can help you in many ways. Here are a few telehealth benefits:  

  • Saves you time.
  • Reduces pressure associated with having to find a nanny for your children when you are in treatment.
  • Eliminates transportation time and costs associated with going to the treatment centre.
  • Reduces the risk of getting infected with COVID-19.

Other benefits

Audio-based technology (like radio and telephones) and the internet opened the possibility for doctors to assist patients that could not come to the clinic. Both video and audio can be streamed through the internet, making it possible for the medical team to access patients that they otherwise could not be reached.

Behavioural Telehealth

Mental health and Telehealth allow therapists to hold sessions online for patients struggling with addiction. For patients who avoid treatment because it is time-consuming, phone options and online are the right solutions that can help them to remain involved in family and job activities.

At Castle Health, the text message appointment reminders reduce the dropout rates during the recovery programmes. Interacting with patients becomes easier with the help of these features. Therapists can reach out to those in need, keeping them accountable, and helping them avoid slipping back into addictive habits.

Specific Methodologies

Counsellors use both computer screenings and text message contact to get in touch with their patients. This technology helps patients to avoid missing a therapy appointment by receiving a text message reminding them about the therapy sessions. Also, patients can save time by filling out computer screening applications before starting the sessions.

Get Help During COVID-19

By attending therapy sessions at our rehab centre, you can get sober and clean. Join a support group, show up to each therapy session and learn healthy coping skills and how to manage your cravings.

COVID-19

During the pandemic, the need for long-distance therapy has increased. Substance use disorder may worsen if the user is lonely or isolated as it may be the case during quarantine. Stopping addictive tendencies is a priority at Castle Health, and we can do this by helping our patients through telehealth services. 

Limitations

While Telehealth helps patients interact with their therapist, they are not always the right solution. Some patients with addiction may not have access to technology to attend online sessions. At Castle Health, we make sure both the patient and the counsellor have the necessary software to begin the recovery process and transform each therapy session into a successful interaction.

Consider Treatment Today

During the pandemic, it is important to continue to offer addiction services in the safest way possible for our patients and medical team. 

Many insurance providers cover Telehealth options for patients struggling with dependence. Call today our Admissions Department to talk with a specialist about your potential copays or deductibles and specific coverage.

At Castle Health, we offer various telehealth treatment options to help those in need regain sobriety. 

Learn more about our treatment options by calling Castle Health today. Our specialists can also help you by checking your health insurance eligibility.