Addiction Treatment Center Receives Exemplary Rating

ALBANY, NY (03/05/2009)(readMedia)-- State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced that the state operated Dick Van Dyke Addiction Treatment Center (ATC) received an exemplary survey rating from the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Services (CARF), only 3 percent of the all CARF surveys have resulted in exemplary rating with no recommendations made.

"New York State leads the nation in providing high quality care to those in need of services for drug, alcohol and gambling addiction," said Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo. "This extraordinary achievement out of the 1,800 accreditations done annually by CARF is testament to the superior standards of care and quality services offered at the Dick Van Dyke ATC, as well as the staff's dedication and commitment to improving the quality of lives of those they serve."

CARF survey resulted in the Dick Van Dyke ATC receiving a three-year accreditation and indicated the ATC's clinical staff members are well-qualified and bring a strong focus on the provision of high quality services and supports. The commitment of personnel, coupled with a strong leadership and management team, supports the consistent service delivery system and the organization's ability to address the needs of persons' served.

Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo added, "The ATC also serves individuals with co-occurring disorders who have multiple needs and their continued efforts to enhance their skills to provide appropriate care speaks to their dedication . I am proud of the pride and compassion that management and staff demonstrate on a daily basis."

The Dick Van Dyke ATC is one of 13 state operated ATCs which are all CARF accreditated. The Van Dyke ATC, located in Willard, N.Y., is a 30-bed inpatient alcohol and drug addiction treatment program providing services to individuals within a 14 county central New York area. The ATC provides intensive, gender specific and tobacco-free chemical dependency rehabilitation programming. They have a medical director who is a certified addiction medication specialist which has helped with the integration of addiction medications in the chemical dependency program. Van Dyke has approximately 380 admissions a year, treating both male and female who are 18 years and older.

David Barnick, Dick Van Dyke ATC Director, spoke about the commitment of his staff to provide individualized, person centered chemical dependency services to an often-times multiple disabled patient population who face many challenging problems to treat. He also noted that he receives a holiday card from an ex-patient who remains 'clean and sober' after 14 years and that staff frequently receive letters from families and patients expressing appreciation for treatment services provided at the ATC.

CARF International is a private, non-for-profit, organization whose mission is to promote the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of persons served. CARF-accredited means the program has passed an in-depth review of its services. It is assurance that the provider meets rigorous CARF guidelines for service and quality -- a qualified endorsement that the provider conforms to nationally and internationally recognized service standards and is focused on delivering the most favorable results for individuals.

Addiction is a chronic disease and individuals need to know that help and hope is available. Individuals can get help by calling the toll-free, 24-hour 7 days a week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY. For more information about OASAS or addiction, please visit http://www.oasas.state.ny.us/.