Licensed and Educated Counselors and Staff

Another factor to consider when looking at drug addiction treatment centers is the staff. Substance abuse counselors in Los Angeles who work at a licensed treatment center are required to hold (or be in the process of obtaining) substance abuse certification by the Department of Health Care Set-vices (DHCS)

Often when budget cuts are put into effect, treatment providers are forced to cut down on one-on-one time thus enforcing more group sessions. This jeopardizes the connection between tt-E counselor and the client and makes for a longer and less effective course of treatment. The lower client to counselor ratio, the better.