Sierra Tucson Helps Individuals in Need of Treatment for Addictions and Behavioral Disorders During Difficult Financial Times

As difficult economic times change the landscape of treatment for addictions and behavioral disorders, Sierra Tucson makes its specialized services and clinical expertise accessible to a growing number of patients and clinical professionals.

Tucson, AZ (PRWEB) August 30, 2010 –

The economic crisis has left many Americans facing high levels of stress, worry, and financial hardship. Although millions of men and women are struggling with addictions, chronic pain, mood disorders, and other mental and behavioral health issues, many are waiting longer to access the treatment they need.

“When people enter treatment, their disorders are often more acute because they’ve waited so long to get help,” said Christi Cessna, Director of Clinical Outreach & Marketing at Sierra Tucson. “Now more than ever patients need a specialized treatment program that is tailored to their particular needs.”

Sierra Tucson is one of the nation’s premier treatment programs for addictions and behavioral disorders. The breadth of services available at Sierra Tucson allows the staff of expert clinicians to truly tailor-make an individual treatment plan for each patient.

“Sierra Tucson is well-known for its comprehensive inpatient treatment programs, but we are also uniquely qualified to meet the needs of individuals who are looking for the best treatment available but who have limited resources,” said Cessna.

Sierra Tucson is able to work with patients to create reasonable and flexible financial arrangements:

•Sierra Tucson provided over $8 million in self-pay and insurance discounts to patients during the past year.
•Sierra Tucson provides courtesy billing for 55 percent of its patients.
•Sierra Tucson accepts an additional 10 percent of patients under contracts or other insurance risk agreements.

In addition, a number of program enhancements are helping to make Sierra Tucson a cost-effective treatment option for more patients. After over 26 years of providing innovative inpatient treatment, Sierra Tucson recently obtained a license for Outpatient Behavioral Health Services and began offering Outpatient Assessment Services in August. With outpatient pricing and a shorter time frame required, many more people can now benefit from Sierra Tucson’s clinical expertise.

In as little as two days, a team of specialists – including psychiatrists, addictionologists, psychologists, nutritionists, fitness specialists, and grief and loss specialists – can assess patients’ symptoms and provide treatment recommendations that are specific to their needs. The menu of Outpatient Assessment Services available at Sierra Tucson includes psychiatric evaluations, specialty physician consultations, brain SPECT imaging, psychological testing, and specialized assessments for eating disorders, fitness, grief/loss/spirituality, nutrition, and trauma, among others.

“Sierra Tucson’s ‘Assessment and Diagnostic Program’ pulls together many professional disciplines to closely evaluate a person’s clinical history in addition to their current medical, emotional, and cognitive state,” said Robert Johnson, D.O., Medical Director at Sierra Tucson. “Not only is it uncommon to find so many resources in one place, but the expertise, cohesiveness, and collaboration by the highly skilled and experienced staff at Sierra Tucson provides exceptional value to patients participating in these complex evaluations.”

Because the financial crisis has led people to seek help in more advanced stages of their disorders, it is critical that physicians and other professionals are accessible throughout the treatment process. Whereas many treatment programs hire medical personnel on a contract basis, Sierra Tucson’s physicians are onsite every day to provide prompt, professional care.

Sierra Tucson recently welcomed two new staff physicians onto the treatment team. James Duffy, M.D., FANPA, FAAHPM, DABMA, is serving as the center’s Chief of Integrative Medicine. He is board-certified in adult psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, integrative medicine, and medical acupuncture, and has completed fellowships in Neuropsychiatry at Brown and Harvard. Prior to joining Sierra Tucson, Dr. Duffy was a Professor of Psychiatry at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas, and President of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center.

James Seymour, M.D., recently joined Sierra Tucson as a staff psychiatrist. He is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Prior to joining Sierra Tucson, Dr. Seymour served as Assistant Medical Director of a holistic inpatient behavioral health and substance abuse program and was an officer with the United States Public Health Service.

As difficult economic times change the landscape of treatment in the U.S., not only do patients need specialized services but clinicians also need specialized training. Sierra Tucson provides educational opportunities for clinicians, including Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT®) training as well as CME-accredited lectures coming this fall and throughout 2011. Topics will include “The Neurobiology of Misbehavior” and “The Role of Neuroimaging in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine,” among others.

“Financial circumstances are making tough situations much more difficult to manage, which makes it even more important for both patients and clinicians to know what their options are,” said Cessna. “Sierra Tucson continually strives to make its specialized services and clinical expertise accessible to a growing number of patients and clinical professionals.”

About Sierra Tucson

Housed on a 160-acre campus in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Sierra Tucson is one of the nation’s premier treatment programs for individuals suffering from addictions, chronic pain, mood disorders, and other mental and behavioral health issues. The Sierra Model®, which recognizes that people exist as mind, body, spirit, and emotions, integrates philosophies and practices from the medical, psychological, family systems, and self-help communities while incorporating 12-Step principles. Integrative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, Qigong, Reiki, Shiatsu, Somatic Experiencing®, yoga, and Zero Balancing enhance the process, resulting in a powerful treatment experience.

Sierra Tucson is a proud member of CRC Health Group, which offers the most comprehensive network of specialized behavioral healthcare services in the nation. With the largest array of personalized treatment options, individuals, families, and professionals can choose the most appropriate setting for their behavioral, addiction, weight management, and therapeutic education needs. CRC Health Group is deeply committed to making its services widely and easily available to those in need, while maintaining a passion for delivering the most advanced treatment available.

For more information, please call (800) 842-4487 or visit Sierra Tucson.

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