Substance Abuse

Our Iowa City detoxification unit provides a safe and medically-supervised place for individuals to withdraw from drugs or alcohol and stabilize before engaging in a treatment program. This allows for a smooth transition into our treatment community and encourages continued involvement in one’s treatment journey. The length of stay required to detoxify depends upon the individual’s history of use and other medical issues.

Residential care is our most involved and comprehensive level of care and is offered in both Des Moines and Iowa City. The program is designed to provide an intensive and nurturing treatment experience in a 24-hour setting. Patients frequently have questions about other conditions in addition to substance abuse, such as depression or anxiety. Prelude’s clinical staff can assist you in addressing mental health conditions at the same time you are addressing your addiction concerns. Our residential program will provide you with a comprehensive assessment of your treatment needs and goals, and personalized action steps to help you meet those goals.

A stay in our residential unit can range from 20-40 days, depending on your progress toward meeting your treatment goals. Upon completion of residential treatment, you will leave our facility armed with a plan for ongoing services and support to continue pursuit of your personal goals.

Individual sessions are available for private discussions of concerns and evaluating treatment goals and progress. Patients report that sessions with their individual counselors are extremely helpful. Working with your counselor, you will help select the level of intensity best designed to meet your needs. Your outpatient services are continually evaluated to ensure they remain helpful to you, and may be increased or decreased as your situation changes.

Group sessions may provide education on a variety of topics ranging from effective conflict resolution to accurate information about the effects of drugs. Group sessions are very well received by patients as it offers a time for discussion with peers about challenges and successes as each pursues their individual goals. There is always a period of acclimating to groups, after which patients find many opportunities for assisting others while also receiving assistance.

We encourage everyone to remain involved in continuing care services upon completion of primary services. Research suggests that continuing care involvement for two years has a significant impact on ongoing recovery. Prelude continuing care is very individualized, depending on your needs, and can range for one or two meetings a month to regular weekly meetings, and can increase or decrease as your needs change.

Prelude Halfway care offers an opportunity to clients transitioning from residential care who may need additional time to locate employment, housing, save for a rent deposit, etc. before leaving the structured residential setting. Discussion about halfway services can begin with your residential counselor immediately when you begin residential treatment. Clients participating in halfway care typically do so for 30-60 days while continuing their journey towards a healthier life. They do so by participating in counseling’s services and starting to integrate back into the community through work, involvement in education, or actively volunteering.

We offer case management services to qualifying patients who need additional assistance navigating their personal care system, which may include a physician, probation officer, DHS worker, or other persons interested in the patient’s recovery. The case manager helps coordinate expectations and communications between these other interested parties.