First Step Farm – Women’s Facility - Candler, NC

About the Facility

First Step Farm - Women's Facility offers inpatient treatment for individuals with alcohol and/or substance addiction. The program includes 12-step meetings, group therapy and more. First Step Farm - Women's Facility is located at Candler, North Carolina.

First Step Farm of WNC is a private, non-profit corporation in operation since 1976. They are a North Carolina licensed residential supervised living center for substance dependent adults, serving all 100 counties of North Carolina. They are located in the beautiful Pisgah Mountains of Western North Carolina in Candler, NC, a short distance from Asheville.

They are licensed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, governed by a Board of Directors comprised of community members, and operated by qualified, licensed staff (many recovering) with years of experience in chemical and alcohol recovery.

The Women’s Facility was established in 1992 on 32 acres. It currently accommodates up to 15 female residents.

The Women’s Facility produces a variety of annual and perennial flowers for both retail and wholesale customers.

When residents arrive at First Step Farm they are greeted and oriented by staff. Each new client learns the program, its rules, policies and procedures. Residents are expected to remain abstinent from all drugs and alcohol during their residency, being accountable through random alcohol and drug screenings.

Residents remain on farm property for the first 2 weeks of the program, visiting only with immediate family members. They also attend a daily morning meeting; two group therapy sessions per week, and four group therapy self-help meetings at night (two at the Farm, two in the community).

The Farm maintains the highest ratings for food preparation and housing with inspections performed by the NC Health Services regulation and NC Environmental Health. In addition, residents help keep the facility, their personal areas and belongings clean. Residents are provided with three country style nutritionally balanced meals.

Treatment

Alcoholism

Alcohol use disorder, commonly called alcoholism, involves an inability to control the amount or frequency you drink and feeling withdrawal symptoms when you don’t drink. Treatment for alcohol addiction may involve residential or outpatient alcohol rehab in North Carolina, counseling, or 12-step programs. Typically, some form of professional treatment and support is necessary to achieve long-term recovery.

Drug Addiction

There are many types of drug rehab in North Carolina. To receive treatment for addiction, you can choose from many inpatient and outpatient programs. Often, participants start with detox and work through a full continuum of care that continues with ongoing support for long-term recovery.

Opioid Addiction

Opioid rehabs specialize in supporting those recovering from opioid addiction. They treat those suffering from addiction to illegal opioids like heroin, as well as prescription drugs like oxycodone. These centers typically combine both physical as well as mental and emotional support to help stop addiction. Physical support often includes medical detox and subsequent medical support (including medication), and mental support includes in-depth therapy to address the underlying causes of addiction.

Substance Abuse

North Carolina offers substance abuse treatment programs that provide a holistic and evidence-based approach. Through a comprehensive mental health assessment, addiction experts can provide an individualized care plan specific to your needs. You can expect most rehabs programs to provide individual and group therapy, recovery meetings, and evidence-based therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Depending on your circumstances and severity of addiction, you may need more intensive care. Levels of care include outpatient, residential inpatient, intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization. By choosing the right level of care, you’re more likely to succeed in long-term recovery.

Insurance and Financial

Self-pay options
Private insurance

Programs

Adult program
HIV/AIDS program
LGBTQ program
Program for women
Young adult program

Levels of Care

Inpatient

Residential treatment programs are those that offer housing and meals in addition to substance abuse treatment. Rehab facilities that offer residential treatment allow patients to focus solely on recovery, in an environment totally separate from their lives. Some rehab centers specialize in short-term residential treatment (a few days to a week or two), while others solely provide treatment on a long-term basis (several weeks to months). Some offer both, and tailor treatment to the patient's individual requirements.

Sober Living Homes

A sober living home in North Carolina offers structure and support to help individuals maintain sobriety. The home is free from substances and offers 12-step programs, individual responsibilities, and mutual support with others in recovery. This setting can provide a lifeline as individuals strengthen recovery skills and prepare to reenter mainstream society. Most residents remain in a men’s or women’s sober living home for six months or more.

12-Step

12 step programs are based on a model of life-long recovery and are rooted in peer support and spiritual development. Regular attendance at 12 step meetings is the cornerstone of treatment, as is the selection of a peer sponsor to guide participants through the steps of recovery. These steps are based on non-denominational spiritual principles and are designed to foster self-awareness, forgiveness, acceptance, and accountability. Specialized programs are widely available, including programs for teens, seniors, and families.

Aftercare Support

Completing a drug or alcohol rehab program shouldn't spell the end of substance abuse treatment. Aftercare involves making a sustainable plan for recovery, including ongoing support. This can include sober living arrangements like halfway houses, career counseling, and setting a patient up with community programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

Clinical Services

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.

Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapy is a form of therapy in which clients are encouraged to surface and work through subconscious issues by engaging in real-time experiences. Experiential therapy departs from traditional talk therapy by involving the body, and having clients engage in activities, movements, and physical and emotional expression. This can involve role-play or using props (which can include other people). Experiential therapy can help people process trauma, memories, and emotion quickly, deeply, and in a lasting fashion, leading to substantial and impactful healing.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.

Individual Therapy

In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.

Trauma Therapy

Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.