The truth is they are seriously overworked and underpaid. It is understandable that for those reasons waiting times can be long at times, but still they do a great job. Their primary care, mental health, and pharmacy is worth it
About VA Northwest Health Network
The Vancouver VA Medical Center is a comprehensive medical center within the VA Northwest Health Network. This location is in Vancouver, Washington, in the Rose Village neighborhood and just off I-5. They have numerous healthcare services and specialties for veterans and their families, including addiction recovery.
Every Level of Care for Drug and Alcohol Addiction
The VA has an extensive treatment program for drug and alcohol addiction and this campus has every level of care you could need. They can help you detox and get you started on your recovery. They have residential rehab as well as intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and outpatient therapy.
People with addiction need different levels of care at different stages of recovery. Thanks to this facility’s full continuum of care you can get your treatment from the same campus at each stage along the way.
Fisher House for Residential Rehab
One aspect of this facility that I found especially impressive is a facility on campus called Fisher House. Fisher House has accommodations for families whose loved ones are inpatient at the hospital but it also has a residential rehab program for drug and alcohol addiction. You’ll have 24 hour support during your program which typically combines medications with counseling and group therapy and addiction education.
They treat co-occurring mental health conditions too and they have a special program as well for veterans who have substance use disorder and are experiencing homelessness. Since it’s all within the VA system, they can coordinate your addiction and mental health care with primary care and specialists.
The client feedback for this VA center’s addiction treatment and particularly for Fisher House is excellent. Clients called this home a sanctuary where they felt safe and could focus on their recovery. Clients and their families alike said that this program was effective and gave them an opportunity to live a healthier and fulfilled life after addiction.
Latest Reviews
The staff at this facility seem to care if I live or die.
Another low grade for the VA in Vancouver...and most likely Portand, as well.Met my Primary Care for the first time and I was asked "So, what is going on?" I told the doctor of a few things that are causing me l a lot of difficulty...when I was informed that my appointment was for 15 minutes and only one issue could be addressed.Now, when I was 19 years old and sent overseas I never had an opportunity to question, dispute, or change my orders. I did what I was told. All GIs were promised excellent medical care for life via the VA. It was something I always kept in mind. Now that I am older I need their help I find the VA is now run like a cheap HMO.The Army lied to me, and the VA has failed me, and I know many other veterans who feel exactly the same.It will cost me money, but I am ditching the VA and their sub-standard care and obtain medigap insurance. And, today, October 15th is "Open Enrollment Day" to get what I hope is good coverage and better treatment.FTVA!
Only visited the pharmacy. A kind man with a parking shuttle drove us from our vehicle to the building. The building was clean. The staff was kind. Medicine was filled quickly.
Rehab Score
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8.2 / 10
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Other Forms of Payment
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Outpatient Outpatient Programs (OP) are for those seeking mental rehab or drug rehab, but who also stay at home every night. The main difference between outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) lies in the amount of hours the patient spends at the facility. Most of the time an outpatient program is designed for someone who has completed an inpatient stay and is looking to continue their growth in recovery. Outpatient is not meant to be the starting point, it is commonly referred to as aftercare.
Intensive Outpatient Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) are for those who want or need a very structured treatment program but who also wish to live at home and continue with certain responsibilities (such as work or school). IOP substance abuse treatment programs vary in duration and intensity, and certain outpatient rehab centers will offer individualized treatment programs.
Sober Living Homes Sober Living Houses (SLHs), aka sober homes or halfway houses, are safe, substance-free, supportive living facilities for those recovering from substance abuse. Ideal for those who've just been through inpatient or outpatient treatment, SLHs are supervised environments with rules that support sobriety, such as curfews, shared chores, and therapeutic meetings. Residents are also often trained on life skills and coping skills to make it easier to transition into society. SLHs also provide a strong sense of community that can lead to the kind of deep and lasting connections with other sober individuals that supports a new, healthy lifestyle.
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).
Treatments
The goal of treatment for alcoholism is abstinence. Those with poor social support, poor motivation, or psychiatric disorders tend to relapse within a few years of treatment. For these people, success is measured by longer periods of abstinence, reduced use of alcohol, better health, and improved social functioning. Recovery and Maintenance are usually based on 12 step programs and AA meetings.
Effective drug rehab in Washington integrates care for the whole person, offering comprehensive solutions to addiction. Treatment methods address mental, physical, and relational aspects of substance abuse.
A combined mental health and substance abuse rehab has the staff and resources available to handle individuals with both mental health and substance abuse issues. It can be challenging to determine where a specific symptom stems from (a mental health issue or an issue related to substance abuse), so mental health and substance abuse professionals are helpful in detangling symptoms and keeping treatment on track.
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.
Programs
Adult Program
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
Military Program
Serving in the military is both mentally and physically challenging, and can result in trauma that persists even after combat ends. Military programs are tailored to the specific and often complex needs of active duty personnel, veterans, and military families. Clients often access these programs through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Young Adult Program
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
Clinical Services
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.
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
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.
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.
Life skills trainings involve all the skills a person must have in order to function successfully in the world. These include time management, career guidance, money management, and effective communication. Truly successful addiction recovery is based on the ability to not only live substance-free, but to thrive. Life skills teaches the practical necessities of functioning in society, which sets clients up for success in life, and therefore sobriety.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a clinical approach to helping people with substance abuse issues and other conditions shift behavior in positive ways. It is more goal-oriented than traditional psychotherapy, as MI counselors directly attempt to get clients to consider making behavioral change (rather than wait for them to come to conclusions themselves). Its primary purpose is to resolve ambivalence and help clients become able to make healthy choices freely.
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.
Staff & Accreditations
Staff
Jaime Areizaga-Soto
Chairman of the BOD of Veterans’ Appeals
Tanya Bradsher
VA Deputy Secretary
Kurt DelBene
Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer
Dr. Shereef Elnahal
Under Secretary for Health
Accreditations
The Joint Commission, formerly known as JCAHO, is a nonprofit organization that accredits rehab organizations and programs. Founded in 1951, the Joint Commision's mission is to improve the quality of patient care and demonstrating the quality of patient care.
Joint Commission Accreditation: Yes
Accreditation Number: 4569
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1992 by congress, SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on American's communities.
SAMHSA Listed: Yes
Contact Information
(360) 619-5925 
1601 East 4th Plain Blvd
Suite #403 Building 17 4th Floor
Vancouver, WA 98661
Get Help Now - 206-988-5463
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Fact checked and written by:
Nikki Wisher, BA
Edited by:
Peter Lee, PhD
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