Bellevue Treatment Centers

Bellevue, Washington, is home to around 122,363 people. USA Today voted it the second best place to live in this country in 2014. It is a city with low unemployment rates, with very few people living below the poverty line. However, there is an issue with drug and alcohol abuse in the city. That said, Bellevue is making significant efforts to combat this problem.

Statistics on Substance Abuse in Bellevue, WA

In order to understand how to address the problem with dependency and addiction, Bellevue officials wanted to know the actual extent of the problem. They found that:

• The number of people known to have a substance abuse problem has stabilized.
• 2.8% of those aged over 12 are known to abuse psychotherapeutic drugs. This figure has also stabilized.
• 8% of the population aged over the 12 admit to having used an illicit substance in the past month.
• The most abused substances in Bellevue are cannabis, cocaine (powder and crack), heroin, hallucinogenic drugs, inhalants, and prescription medication used in a non-medical way.

The Bellevue Solution

Bellevue has taken a three pronged approach to combating its substance abuse problem. The first element in this is prevention. A lot of resources have been invested in creating partnerships and coalitions between various stakeholders, including the community and community organizations, law enforcement, health professionals, educators, and more. The goal is to ensure that people are aware of the dangers of substance abuse and that they are provided with healthy alternatives. There is also a strong focus on making sure parents express disapproval of substance abuse to their children, which has been proven to lower the risk of them being initiated to them.

The second element is intervention. People who have developed an addiction or dependency need to be identified so that help can be provided to them. As such, various interventionists have been hired by public health officials and treatment facilities to help individuals who have a loved one with a substance abuse disorder. At the same time, law enforcement professionals have been trained in conducting on-the-spot interventions, including first responders in health clinics. Additionally, the King County Drug Court has been launched where nonviolent offenders are given the opportunity to seek treatment instead of having to go to prison.

The last element is treatment. There are many different detox and rehab facilities available in Bellevue. Many of these treatment centers are private, luxury, and executive facilities, as the city is considered to be very affluent. However, the city authorities aim to remove financial barriers to access to treatment, which is why there are now a number of state-sponsored options and many private facilities have agreed to develop payment plans for those who cannot have access to such treatment elsewhere. Detox and rehab facilities are also strongly signposted through various community initiatives, so that people know where to go. These facilities include both residential and outpatient centers, so that people can find the assistance that is suitable for their individual needs. Additionally, strong aftercare has been made available.