START: St. Anthony Treatment & Recovery

at SSM Health St. Anthony - Oklahoma City

For Oklahomans suffering with an addiction, START can mean the beginning of a new life. At SSM Health Behavioral Health, we understand the pain and devastation substance addiction can cause, especially when the abuse is paired with other emotional or behavioral concerns. We work alongside patients and their families to pinpoint the root of the problem. Then, we help them find the courage to address them — without the crutch of drugs or alcohol.

We tailor our services to each patient's individual needs; treatment options may include detoxification, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient care, daytime programs, referral services, and family or group therapy. 

Recovery can be your reality. To get started, call 405-272-7272 and an admissions counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions About START

A licensed mental health professional will take your vitals and visit with you about your use history, current withdrawal symptoms, medical history, motivation and psychosocial history. Based on your assessment, your counselor will help you decide on the treatment that’s right for you.

Note: If you have any medical concerns, we may need to get you medically cleared through the emergency room before we can welcome you into the program.

Your assessment will be scheduled for 1 hour, but it could take an additional 1 to 4 hours to complete the insurance pre-certification process, especially for out of state insurance.

The initial assessment is free with a scheduled appointment.

Please note: Patients who visit the emergency room requesting an assessment will be seen and cleared through a medical triage as provided by the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act. If a medical professional sees a patient, then associated charges apply.

We use American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) guidelines.

Your treatment will depend on your unique needs. We’ll help you decide how long you need to stay for inpatient and outpatient care through our continual assessment and evaluation process. We use American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) guidelines, but everyone’s program will be different.

START uses a combination of many different approaches. You’ll receive help from an entire team of devoted professionals: physicians, nurses, psychiatric professionals, addiction counselors, licensed clinicians, recreational therapists and mental health technicians. We’ll teach you how to apply the Twelve Steps as a foundation and guideline for living. Your structured treatment will include group therapy, twelve-step meetings, educational lectures, spiritual care groups and family meetings.

START is licensed by the state of Oklahoma, and SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC).

All START staff members hold licenses or certifications within their professional discipline, such as MDs, RNs, and chemical dependency counselors.

START does not allow narcotic medications. When you come for your assessment, please either bring your medication, or write down the name, dose and prescribing information for each thing you take. If you’re taking any medication prescribed by a physician that is necessary for a medical condition, START will provide what you need.

Your intake counselor will help you assess your current mental health needs, and will decide whether you’re ready to admit to START, or if we need to admit you to a mental health or medical unit first. We often work with people who are dealing with both mental health and addiction issues at the same time.

You will not have a private phone in your room, but we have a patient phone you may use. Your phone time will be limited. You will not have access to email, but postal mail is accepted.

Your physician will supervise your substance detox. They may prescribe you something to keep you comfortable and to treat your withdrawal symptoms. We do not use methadone for detoxification from opiates.

START is a hospital-based treatment program offered on the Midtown campus at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital - Oklahoma City.

Sorry, we cannot offer tours because of our commitment to confidentiality.

A typical day begins at 7:30 am. Breakfast is at 8:10 am, and by 9 am everyone is in a therapy group or lecture. Lunch is at noon, and afternoons are filled with discussions, therapy sessions and sometimes a film or literature study. Dinner is at 5:00 pm, and evenings usually include AA or NA meetings. Lights out is at 11 pm.

You should bring approximately three days' worth of appropriate comfortable clothing and toiletries (alcohol free). We have laundry machines available if you need them. You may also bring books, magazines, journaling pads and pencils/pens.

Please do not bring any weapons, pornography, expensive jewelry, computers, cell phones, pagers, TV’s, CD players, radios, irons, fans, heating pads, heated blankets, vitamins or herbal supplements, musical instruments, perfume, cologne, revealing clothing, tobacco products, including vapes, or excessive cash.

START is specifically designed to treat chemical dependency and therefore voluntary, but for safety reasons it is a locked unit.

Because START is voluntary program, you could technically leave at any time. If you decide to leave before your scheduled completion date, your doctor may mark your discharge as “against medical advice” (AMA). This means that your insurance company can legally refuse to pay any claims you submit for your stay.

During the detoxification process, we do not allow passes. You will need to reschedule any doctor appointments and court appearances for a later date.

Smoking is not permitted on SSM Health campuses.

No. You may make arrangements to pay private through our business office. However since this is a voluntary program, we must receive payment before you will be allowed to begin START.

No. We are privately owned, so we are legally required to charge for all of our services.

It depends. Most insurance plans offer some chemical dependency benefits. You should read your benefit information, but we recommend that you actually call your plan representative directly with specific questions. We can’t determine if your insurance company will pay for your treatment until one of our counselors has completed your initial assessment. After your assessment, your counselor will contact your insurance company to ask. Your insurance company will make their decision based on the information you provide to the counselor. It should be noted that some private insurance companies require admissions be completed during business hours Monday through Friday only.

SSM Health will provide resources to you that will help set you up for success after treatment.

Yes. We offer a continuum of care starting with detoxification to partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. After discharge, we offer an Alumni support group one night per week at no additional cost.

No. Chemical dependency admissions are strictly on a voluntary basis.

Call us at 405-272-7272 for more information about START or request an appointment for an assessment with START today. Recovery is possible.

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