A couple weeks ago I received an e-mail from a person representing a drug and alcohol treatment center out in the rural South. He wanted me to put a link to his program on my website. I thought I’d share part of the request and explain why I would not agree to do that (for anyone who is interested in how I look at such things).

Here is his message:

Hi,

My name is Joe Smith and I represent “Rehab Ranch” (name changed)…

…As a former addict in recovery myself, I know how special and crucial
programs like ours can be to getting sober. I am hoping to reach out to you
and see if you would mind taking a look at our program and if acceptable,
place a link on your page of https://fitzgeraldcounseling.com/helpful-links/
to help us get some exposure.

There can never be too many rehabilitation programs, and as you have
a related page, I thought it could be beneficial on both ends to make
others aware of ours. Thank you so much for the consideration and helping us
help others on their road to recovery!…

So here is why I would not add the link to my page:

In general, my resource links on my website are not for treatment programs because I am a believer that a good assessment is the best first step to making a recommendation. That’s my EAP mindset showing, I’m afraid. My links are mostly for self-help websites and professional associations that have public information and resources available.

If I knew of someone who was looking for a treatment program in that area, I would certainly be happy to include “Rehab Ranch” on a list of possible resources. It looks like a lovely facility, and the staff sound like caring people. But it might not be right for a given person, and I would want a good assessment to precede any referral recommendations.

As a former clinical case manager for an integrated EAP/managed behavioral health organization, I reviewed episodes of treatment with facilities providing substance abuse and mental health treatment all over the country. In general, I would favor programs close to where the patient lives, so that family (and everyday life) can be integrated into the treatment plan and incorporated into the relapse prevention plan.

A program like “Rehab Ranch” would need to be right for everyone before I’d feel comfortable promoting it on my website – and, more importantly, not promoting dozens of other programs that could be equally helpful. I’ll always be an employee assistance person at heart, and believe in the importance of a good assessment before recommending any particular treatment program.

By the way, the name “RehabRanch.com” seems to be available, so if someone doesn’t grab it, I just might!

How Are Things Down on the Ranch? by Fitzgerald Counseling is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.