The Alta Mira Difference

See Ben Eiland describe the Alta Mira promise.

Alta Mira means high vista or higher view. It captures where we set our sights as a team and the results our clients achieve—a new outlook on their lives and the ability to extend their successes far into the future. There are a number of areas where we believe our program stands out including the following.

Brain Healthy Treatment. In April of 2011, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) redefined addiction as “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” It was the first time a leading organization of addiction physicians had declared what research had suggested for years, that addiction was a brain disease. ASAM also stated for the first time that the disease of addiction has biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. It follows then, that in order to effectively treat addiction, we need to address the bio-psycho-social-spiritual implications. At Alta Mira, we have created an innovative and unique curriculum that revolves around these four core areas. Every morning, we incorporate a 75 minute lecture on a topic that focuses on the theme of the day (Monday is Neurobiology, Tuesday is Psychology, Wednesday is Social, Thursday is Spiritual, Friday is Integration and Saturday is Application). Every afternoon, there is a 75 minute experiential workshop that further expands on the daily theme.
A Higher Level of Clinical Care. Our goal at Alta Mira is to provide the highest level clinical and medical care within a residential dual diagnosis treatment setting. Here are five areas where we set a higher standard:
- Unparalleled access to individual care. Our clients’ problems aren’t 9–5 and neither is our program. We provide counseling seven days a week with masters level or credentialed counselors, and every client is assigned a licensed masters or doctoral level primary therapist. All clients receive a minimum of three private, in-depth therapy sessions every week, because in our experience, one-on-one sessions are critical in identifying the core issues driving an addiction and in influencing successful outcomes.
- Customized treatment planning. Every client at Alta Mira undergoes an extensive assessment and evaluation period where our multidisciplinary team of clinicians and medical staff work together to determine core recovery issues and arrive at an accurate diagnosis for any co-occurring psychological or psychiatric disorders. Once the core issues have been identified, we develop a customized treatment plan with clinical and medical milestones to be achieved throughout the course of treatment.
- Treatment plans for co-occurring disorders. In our view, if there is an underlying psychiatric or psychological disorder with a client, it is important to treat the mental health diagnosis alongside the addiction. At Alta Mira, clients with dual diagnosis will receive comprehensive treatment for both problems simultaneously.
- Proprietary Clinical Model. We have developed a unique clinical model that is codified in our workbook, The Alta Mira Way, which moves clients through various stages of recovery including stabilization, awareness, integration, preparation, aftercare support and relapse prevention.
Extensive psychological testing for every client. We believe most addictions stem from some underlying psychological issue. In order to provide the best treatment, therefore, it is important to have a strong understanding of each client’s psychology. We achieve this through an extensive battery of cognitive and neuropsychological tests including: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV), Rorschach Inkblot Test, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Beck Depression and Anxiety Invetories, Strong Interest Inventory, and Post Traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS) to name a few. When indicated, we may also conduct a SPECT brain scan in order to identify inactive areas of the brain and determine if there has been prior trauma to the brain.
Highly credentialed professional team. With 6 full-time and 4 part time doctorate level clinical staff members, Alta Mira offers a rare level of professional experience, skill, care and containment for a 30 bed facility. All of our primary therapists are licensed. The credentials and licensure that Alta Mira brings to its treatment programs are wide-ranging. In addition to the significant clinical credentials, Alta Mira offers 24 hour nursing for our clients, a rarity for residential treatment. Our Medical team is anchored by our Chief of Addiction Medicine, Dr. David Smith, who has over 45 years of experience in addiction medicine and is a Past President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).
A lifetime relationship with Alta Mira. We offer the most comprehensive, no-cost aftercare of any center of our kind, because whether our clients are with us for 30 days, 60 days, or longer, we make a commitment to support them for a lifetime. Our lifetime continuing care includes a weekly two hour Alumni process group facilitated by one of our primary therapists, a bi-monthly family alumni process group facilitated by an Alta Mira Counselor, and two-day “tune-up” sessions every three months where clients can return to the program, meet with their therapist, review their relapse prevention plan and participate fully in program activities.

Hear CEO William Morrison discuss lifetime continuing care at Alta Mira.

Core Services

Individual Therapy. We offer clients a minimum of three individual therapy sessions every week. These intensive sessions drive the healing process and expedite a full, lasting recovery. Our staff of licensed therapists, all of whom possess a master’s degree or higher, is accessible seven days a week.
Process Groups. At Alta Mira, we’ve seen firsthand what countless clinical studies have proven: group therapy helps individuals recover hope, solve problems and grow. We provide a safe forum for clients to share their experiences and find inspiration by watching their peers overcome similar problems.
Family Program. We understand how crucial it is to have the client’s loved ones be able to contribute and participate in the recovery process, and we work very hard to balance the client’s right to privacy and confidentiality with the clinical value of developing a true sober support system.
Holistic Services. Alta Mira offers a variety of services that promote health and healing for the body, mind and soul, including: massage; acupuncture; personal training; yoga and tai chi; spiritual counseling; art and equine-assisted therapy; Native American sweat lodge ceremonies; and cooking for recovery classes; to name a few.
The Alta Mira Way Client Workbook. We have developed a unique clinical model that is codified in our client workbook, The Alta Mira Way, that walks clients through Four Stages of recovery. Before leaving, each Alta Mira client will complete the written and experiential exercises detailed in the work book and be able to refer back to their Stage Work after leaving Alta Mira.
Lifetime Continuing Care. Each client at Alta Mira will leave with a comprehensive discharge and relapse prevention plan as well as access to lifetime aftercare services. Included in the price of our programs are two-day revisits, or treatment “tune-ups,” for life following the successful conclusion of treatment.