Peoria is a wonderful place to live and work, and when it comes to healthcare, it is on the cutting edge for quality care. The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery (IIAR) at Proctor Hospital fits perfectly into this network of healthcare providers.
For nearly 30 years, IIAR has provided addiction services to men and women, adolescents and adults. IIAR treats for all addictions, including drugs, alcohol, food, sex, Internet, shopping/spending, compulsive gambling, video games and chronic pain with addiction. IIAR is a dual diagnosis facility, which allows for mental health and addiction services simultaneously. IIAR treatment staff includes physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, pain specialists, addiction counselors, financial counselors, registered nurses, dietitians and case managers who have all received extensive training and/or certification in all of the addictions they treat.
IIAR is the only facility in central Illinois providing addiction services in a hospital-based setting. Individualized care includes treatment at many levels, including detoxification, extended care, inpatient, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, continuing care and early intervention. Being hospital-based opens up the opportunity to not only provide safe detox for clients, but also to address any other medical issues concurrent to addiction services.
A Holistic Approach
Treating the whole individual is important to recovery. IIAR staff collaborates with other healthcare providers, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, family practitioners and pain specialists, throughout the continuum of care in order to provide the best care for those with chronic pain or other serious mental or physical health issues. It is important to address all areas of addiction to give patients the best opportunity for recovery. IIAR’s comprehensive services also include screening each client for all addictions to rule out other areas that may be affected by addiction unbeknownst to the client.
It was once believed that the only way an addict could get help was if they sincerely wanted the help. This isn’t always true. Many times clients enter into treatment through the care and concern of someone close to the addict. IIAR’s holistic approach sees the importance of family involvement in the process of treatment and recovery from addiction. Once a person engages in treatment, family members are encouraged to attend the weekly family programming in order to provide them with education about the disease of addiction and how to support the client with his or her recovery.
IIAR also offers education and conferences to others who may be concerned, such as an employer, coworker, friend or school. Free informational sessions, either in person or by phone, are available to anyone who is concerned about getting a person help for his or her addiction. As experts in addiction, IIAR understands that it is important to remain accessible to the community of those in need. The addict may only consider entering into treatment for a small window of time. That is why IIAR is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide free assessments and treatment recommendations.
Educating the Community
IIAR is proud to be in a community that places a strong emphasis on education and learning. The IIAR staff is also committed to providing education in the schools, ranging from addiction awareness programs in elementary schools to graduate training. IIAR has a close relationship with local nursing students and their supervisors to provide opportunities for internships and observation as part of their nursing curriculum. Education on addiction is also provided to employers and the community of healthcare providers through annual workshops so they can be more alert to the signs and symptoms of all addictions.
In addition, IIAR makes information available to the community through publications such as their own Paradigm quarterly magazine and is available to answer questions or concerns through Peoria’s news channel 25 WEEK’s “Experts Online.” IIAR is called upon by local, national and international media sources to provide expert opinions on addiction for newspaper articles, magazines and radio and television talk shows such as Time magazine, the Chicago Tribune, NBC’s Today Show, ABC News and NPR.
Journey of Recovery
All addictions are diseases that are chronic, progressive and incurable. But it is a highly treatable disease from which no one has to die. IIAR is honored to be a part of that journey of recovery for so many people.
IIAR began nearly 30 years ago as a unit of Proctor Hospital in Peoria. Its mission remains: “To help the chemically dependent/addicted person achieve two long-term goals: (1) Abstinence from mood-altering chemicals/addictive behaviors and (2) An improved life style.” With these two goals in mind, IIAR’s staff and comprehensive services have reached around the world and remain dedicated to providing education and addiction recovery services to the students, businesses, healthcare providers and those in need right here in our own backyard. iBi
