Step Away Treatment Centre Rules & Policies

Admission Criteria | Agreement Contract

Step Away Treatment Centre is a treatment facility designed to deal with various forms of substance abuse and addictions.

We welcome you to our centre and trust that your stay with us will be a beneficial one.  Should you have any questions please feel free to approach our staff, who will be happy to assist you.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

• All residents must be over the age of 18 years.
• Residents must be medically and physically stable.
• Client to be assessed by qualified staff before his/her admission is considered.
• A resident, who has received 3 written warnings, for misbehavior or failure to abide by the terms and conditions will be discharged.
• Step Away Treatment Centre reserves the right to re-admit a dismissed client after a 72 hour period has lapsed) where after the client may re-apply and upon re-assessment be granted admission or to referred to an alternative Institution.

HOUSE RULES

These rules apply to Step Away Treatment Centre The rules are non-negotiable and any violation of these rules will result in your expulsion from the centre.

• No resident may be in possession of any drugs, alcohol or any other mood altering substance, this is deemed as immediate dismissal.
• No resident may consume any drugs, alcohol or any other mood altering substance, such action are grounds for instant dismissal.
• Any criminal behaviour of any kind by a resident is prohibited.
• Residents may not self-prescribe medication (all medical issues are to be referred to the resident nurse) including headache pills of all types
• Any refusal, by a resident, to take any medication prescribed is also a breach of the rules.
• No sexual activity and/or exclusive relationships maybe conducted during the stay at the Centre.
• Residents are to refrain from any behaviour related to any other addictions (example eating disorders, gambling addictions, sex addictions etc.)
• Abusive behaviour of any kind is prohibited(i.e. no threatening, verbal, or physical abuse is allowed)
• All acts of violence are prohibited, including self-mutilation and any other form of violence towards oneself and/or others.
• No contact with any of the centre’s neighbours is permitted.  Residents are to respect the privacy of the neighbours at all times.

ACCOUNTABILITY OF RESIDENTS

• From Monday to Friday all residents are to be out of bed by 07h00 on weekdays and 8h30 on weekends.
• The attendance of all group and individual sessions held at the Centre are mandatory.  If a resident has a valid reason for missing a group or session he/she will be required to request permission from the management before the morning staff meeting.
• All residents are expected to attend all meal times at the Centre unless permission is obtained and reason acceptable.
• A resident may only leave the house if  he/she is supervised by a staff member.
• All residents will respect curfew time of 10h30 pm from Sunday to Thursday and 23H00 on Friday and Saturday night
• The staff of the Centre may request drug testing of a client for any suspicious activity. Random testing will occur.
• Daily requests to be completed by residents and submitted to the Staff nurse before 08h45 to be discussed at Staff meeting each and every morning for approval or amendment by the therapeutic team who discuss / approve requests.
• Residents will be required to adhere to their plans which may only change under exceptional and uncontrollable circumstances.
• Any change must be reported to the appointed counsellor or Centre’s Management.

MONETARY & RELATED ISSUES

• All money, bank cards, credit card and other instruments of payment are to be handed in to the Centre’s Management upon admission.
• Residents may not lend, borrow or exchange money amongst themselves.
• The professional services of residents may not be utilized or employed by other residents.
• Residents are required to be familiar with the contents of the financial agreement.

MEDICAL & RELATED ISSUES

• No prescribed medication, vitamins or medication of any kind may be in the possession of   residents.  All such items must be handed in to the office for safekeeping upon admission
• It is the responsibility of a resident to present themselves at the given times to receive medication.
• The Centre reserves the right to recommend that a client consults with a psychiatrist,   GP or any other professional “excluding the in-house counselling psychologist”. The expenses for these consultations fall outside of the Centre’s treatment fees.

SAFETY & SECURITY

Residents will be required to take every reasonable precaution to ensure the safety of the Centre and its residents. These include:

• Ensuring that the house is locked and all windows are closed before going to bed.
• Ensuring that the duties of the House Leader are fulfilled when you are assigned a task.

GENERAL RULE WHEN LIVING TOGETHER

These are rules which set out how we all live together in the house and govern the standards of acceptable behaviour and hygiene. They are necessary to ensure that the house is safe and comfortable to all clients.

It is important that you confront each other on the state in which the house is left. (This means that if there are messes in one of the rooms try to find out who made it and ask them to clean up). This would assist in your housemate’s therapeutic process and will ensure that the house is kept neat and clean.

Any contravention of these rules will result in specific consequences (for example you may be required to do certain duties or be exempt of certain privileges), and may further result in verbal warnings or written warnings leading to expulsion.

HOUSE LEADER

1. The house leader will be appointed weekly by the Centre’s management.

2. All residents are required to cooperate with the house leader. Should you not cooperate you will be referred to house management.

DINING ROOM

• Kitchen is off limits outside of meal and snack times.
• After making tea, ensure that all teaspoons and cups are placed in the cutlery tray and NOT left lying around.
• Should the rubbish bin be full, remove the full bag and replace the bin bag.
• Residents will keep the dining area clean at all times

LOUNGE AREA

• It is the duty of the last person leaving the lounge at night to tidy up.

BATHROOM

• Ensure that the bath tub is washed after you have taken a bath.
• Make use of towels or mats to ensure that no water is left on the floor after bathing or showering.
• Personal toiletries should not be left in communal bathrooms.
• Ensure that the bathroom is clean and tidy prior to leaving same.

BEDROOMS

• No males are permitted in the female bedrooms and no female are permitted in the male bedrooms.
• No visitors are permitted in bedrooms.
• Ensure that your bed is made prior to leaving the bedroom in the morning.
• Respect your roommates – do not leave your belongings on the floor, do not make a noise while others are attempting to sleep.
• Residents must strip their beds on a Monday morning and leave their linen next to the linen bin to be washed.
• No television after curfew.
• No music may be played loudly or after curfew.
• The Staff of the Centre has the right to inspect bedrooms at any time and may also require residents to open cupboards or personal belongings to show them the contents.

VISITORS

• NO VISITING DURING THE 21-DAY TREATMENT PROGRAM.

​General

• All house chores assigned to a resident are required to be completed.
• Residents are not permitted to put up any pictures or poster on the walls, personal photographs may be displayed on bedside table.
• All residents are required to be fully dressed by the time the morning breakfast sessions start.
• The centre is a non-smoking facility. Residents are only permitted to smoke within the outside designated smoking zone.
• The Centre assumes no responsibility for the safety of resident’s personal property or possessions kept in the safe on the premises.
• The Centre and staff do not accept any liability for any injury or loss incurred by residents during their stay in the house.
• Residents are responsible for the safety of their possessions during their stay at Centre and indemnify the centre against any damage or loss, direct or indirect.
• The Centre reserves the right to change these rules with immediate effect at its sole discretion.

Social ethics

• Honesty- do not purposefully mislead or take advantage of the trust of others.
• Respect – respect yourself and others.
• Courtesy – show support and be courteous towards others.
• Responsibility – actively participate by sharing and confronting issues as they arise with yourself and others.
• Confidentiality/Anonymity – any matters discussed in a group are not to be discussed outside of that group. Matters arising in and around Centre are not to be discussed with anybody who is not currently a resident of the house (this includes anybody in a fellowship, aftercare meetings, family members, spouses, partners of any sponsors as well as anybody else)

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

Fees include the following:

• Individual counseling, group therapy & group lectures
• Recovery based literature (client to keep)
• Administration costs and all stationary
• Nurse & Social Worker access
• Personal laundry on a weekly basis

Fees exclude the following:

• Detoxification medication, medical fees, doctors, dental, chemist, ophthalmology and any expenses deemed necessary by client and Treatment Staff.

Pocket money / Miscellaneous funds:

• Pocket money will be required for snacks & soft drinks if required, cigarettes, personal toiletries, curios from recreational outings and other personal expenses.
• Sufficient money must be available for the client at all times to cover client’s personal expenses. Treatment Centre will not cover bills nor provide cash loans / advances.

Refunds:

• Step Away Treatment Centre reserves the right to apply a NO REFUND Policy. However, pro rata refunds may be made in certain circumstances at the discretion of the Centre’s Management Team.

Personal belongings:

• Identity book, passports, wallets & money and other personal documentation will be keep for safe keeping in the Administration office safe throughout the duration of the clients stay. All other personal belongings are to be kept in the client’s room at their own risk. Cell phones are not permitted.
• Belongings left behind by client after departure will be held for 4 weeks. The property / item must be collected or posted (client’s expense) within those 4 weeks, if not requested or collected the item / items will be donated to charity.

Visitation and Outside Contact:

Clients have the right to maintain contact with and receive visits from their families, friends and other persons (e.g. teachers, employers, legal counsel and religious leaders). A documented, enforceable code of conduct for all visitors to the centre is clearly displayed.

Notes and examples: The right to contact should be balanced with the need for patient/client safety and recovery and the need to maintain a drug-free environment.

Reasonable steps may be taken, however, to ensure that visitors are NOT carriers of psychoactive substances into the centre (e.g. by searching parcels and gifts) and do not violate the documented behavioral rules and expectations of the centre (e.g. high noise levels or abusive behavior).

The centre reserves the right to ask such visitors to leave the centre or, if they are involved in illegal or dangerous activity, to report this and seek assistance from the local police. Contact and visits to patients/clients cannot be denied or used as a form of punishment.

Leave of absence procedure:

Clients will not be permitted out unsupervised within the 21–day programme.

However clients may be given special permission, “leave of absence” away from the programme in the following cases;

• Family bereavement.
• Family emergency (illness).
• Medical emergency.
• Family crisis.
• Other events or situations that may affect the patient in such a manner that their recovery would be compromised if not attended to within the period of rehabilitation and may not be attended to by someone else.
• Legal issues.

The following process must be adhered to: Reason and conditions of application for leave of absence must be presented by the relevant client’s counsellor who he/she has been assigned to. This application is then brought before the Treatment Team and Centre Management.

The decision is based on period needed, circumstances and who will accompany the client throughout the period spent outside of the Treatment Centre The family or next of kin agreeing to be responsible with assisting the client will sign the client out when the client is released and in their care, alternatively the client may be released in his/her own care in agreed conditions and circumstances.

An agreement contract to be drawn up regarding clients departure and return dates of clients

HOUSE RULES:

The following rules must be STRICTLY adhered to while participating in the Step Away Treatment Centre drug-alcohol-treatment-program.

• Attend all sessions, unless otherwise excused.
• Be on time for all scheduled classes, appointments, and groups.
• Participate in all group activities, including support group.
• Adhere to the smoking policy on your premises.
• Not be in the possession of a cell phone...

If I do not follow these rules and expectations, I understand I may be discharged from the Treatment Centre.

• Other reasons I may be discharged from Treatment Centre include:

a. Leaving the program AMA (Against Medical Advice).

b. Leaving for medical or psychiatric hospitalization.

c. Positive drug or alcohol UAs during treatment.

d. Violent/Aggressive behaviour or verbal threats made toward other clients or staff members.

e. Possession of alcohol, drugs or similar paraphernalia on Centre premises.

f. Failure to attend three or more scheduled treatment dates without absences approved by the Treatment Centre staff.

g. Lack of progress in the program.

Maintain “confidentiality” about other clients during treatment.

The program shall establish written rules to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all clients. The consequences for violating program rules shall be defined in writing and shall include clear identification of violations that may result in discharge.

Every client shall be informed verbally and in writing of the program rules and consequences for violating the rules at the time of admission. The facility shall enforce the rules fairly and objectively and shall not implement consequences for the convenience of staff.

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