Caring Services, Inc.

The goal of Caring Services, Inc. is to provide the best possible opportunity for each individual to achieve sustained remission from substance use disorders and to assist individuals in rebuilding their lives. This is accomplished through multi-dimensional approaches to rehabilitation which include transitional housing, supportive living, outpatient treatment, relapse prevention skill building sessions, education, employment assistance, health and leisure development, intensive outpatient services, and improved focus on family and interpersonal relationships. The agency needs to remain compliant with all state and local regulations, increase capacity to serve and continue to offer an array of therapies which address the complex needs of persons in early recovery.

First and foremost, we have removed barriers from accessing at least one clinical treatment group per day. Our Morning Motivation group (9AM-10:30AM) is open to the public and is led by a Certified Substance Abuse Clinician and despite our having a waiting list for official entry into our program, those dealing with substance use disorders have access to a clinical treatment group to begin to initiate recovery. The beauty of this group is that there are participants from each stage of the Stages of Change that demonstrates that long-term recovery from alcohol and other drugs is attainable, but also shows those in sustained recovery that drugs and alcohol are still prevalent, and still causing havoc in people's lives.

Our long-term transitional housing allows us to continue the safe and supportive environment outside of the office setting. While treatment is an important element in our clients' recovery journey, there are still many more external factors that the recovering individual must face. These homes foster relationships with other recovering individuals, so that no matter the time of day, they have someone available to them at arm's length. While professional counseling staff is needed for our clients, we are acutely aware of the great benefit from having peers available to assist clients who may be having a rough day, or be battling a particularly rough craving experience. Our 108 beds spread across 11 locations allow these bonds to flourish, and the long-term aspect of our transitional housing allows those relationships to bloom into lifelong friendships to continue to help strengthen their sustain recovery goals.

We offer a great number of services to clients to help assist as many of their goals in-house. We operate a complete food pantry and clothing closet to help with some of the extensive basic needs of our clients. Clients receive a thorough screening, clinical assessment and orientation upon entry to the program, so we can assure we are providing person centered care for each client. After assessing our client's treatment needs, a combination of individual and group therapy sessions are establish, as well as psychosocial education groups that focus on relapse prevention skill building, which builds a firm foundation in early recovery. Assistance is provided to acquire food and nutrition benefits (SNAP benefits) as well as re-acquire a photo ID with their new address so they may seek additional resources in the community. The photo ID is sometimes the first time they've had photo identification in several years, perhaps even decades, which begins to plant the seeds of being a member of society and the community. We attempt to work with clients to develop employment opportunities with clients to return to the workforce, whether through Vocational Rehabilitation, a return to school to acquire a GED or higher education, or other opportunities. When clients are both themselves ready and it's determined to be in the best interest of the client clinically, transition planning begins to help find them secure and permanent housing. We're always assessing capacity at Caring Services to determine what needs exist in the community, based on client response, to ensure we're doing all we can to best serve our population.

Each additional service provided to our clients is an accomplishment of the agency because we've been responsive to the needs of those we serve. Whether being recognized on the local or state level for exceptional programming, praise for our hybrid model of treatment and recovery, or recognition for our incredibly talented staff members, we are striving towards excellence each and every day. The agency has most recently identified the opioid crisis in the community and has responded by developing a Naloxone distribution program which began as grass roots and has spun off to become an independent program run by a much larger organization in the community; the agency continues to be a distribution site for Naloxone in the community. The agency continues to be in compliance with Veterans Administration, CARF, Sandhills Center regulations and continues to add alternative therapies. In addition to 12 step yoga, the agency recently began to offer on-site acupuncture and Refuge Recovery meetings. The agency works with 12 step fellowships throughout the area and permits 12 step meetings on-site almost daily. The agency is currently the Clinical Treatment Program for VISN 6 of the Veterans Administration. We partner with agencies to provide wheels for work, HIV/AIDS education and testing, and our program participants volunteer with Special Olympics, City of High Point Parks and Recreation special events, and Operation In As Much.

The agency has outgrown its operations headquarters and has identified a need for expansion of staff, programs, and space. The agency is working to identify foundations, individuals, and groups who are willing to make an investment in the agency and those we serve. Investments in our agency result in lower crime rates, health care costs savings, fewer incarcerations which results in lower costs in the criminal justice system, the creation of long term tax payers increasing the tax base, less time lost by employers, fewer children remaining in the custody of DHHS, more family reunification, and men and women who learn to love and respect themselves, often for the first time ever.