The IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery Welcome Guide: What to Expect from Intake to Aftercare

What Not to Bring

Rehabilitation is an opportunity to distance yourself from the people, places and ways of thinking that contribute to drug or alcohol use. Because of this, we prohibit patients from bringing certain items to the IAFF Center of Excellence to help them focus on recovery.

Items NOT permitted at our facility include:

Expectations after Arrival

Within the first 24 hours after your arrival, you can expect:

Mandatory Searches

To ensure the safety and sobriety of both new and current patients, each resident must consent to a search of both their person and belongings upon arrival. During this search, staff members will collect any items not permitted during treatment and store them in a safe and secure place to be returned when your stay is complete. Additional random searches may be conducted during your stay.

Screening Process

Upon arrival, you will undergo a nursing intake. This will include an EKG, PPD placement, and blood collection for admission labs. You’ll be asked about your substance use, psychiatric history and social and legal history. We will also discuss insurance coverage at this time.

A pre-admission acceptance is a preliminary determination that indicates you are appropriate for admission to our facility. Based on your presentation upon arrival or during your stay, it may be determined that a different facility may be more appropriate.

Medications & Prescriptions

Please bring in full, non-narcotic prescriptions in their original prescription bottles. Prescription medications from your home pharmacy are only for use until our pharmacy provides the sealed blister pack. The pills must be in a prescription bottle with all original labeling from the pharmacy.

Opened over the counter medications or supplements, or those brought in zip-lock bags, pill boxes or loose pills are not permitted. Prescription bottles with pills other than what is on the label are not permitted. Each pill and quantity will be verified by the nurse for safety. Re-prescribing medications that do not meet these requirements can lead to additional out-of-pocket charges.

All medications will be handed over to the nursing department at the time of admission. Medications must be approved by the IAFF COE providers and will be administered at med pass times or on an as needed basis by the nursing staff.

Stimulants

Prescribed narcotic or controlled substances, including medicinal/licensed marijuana, Adderall, Vyvanse, Conserta, and other prescription stimulants will be destroyed upon admission and will not be returned to the patient. If a stimulant is deemed clinically appropriate, a new prescription may be provided.

Medical Devices

If prescribed, CPAPs must be brought with you; if you snore, over-the-counter nasal breathing strips for snoring are required. Failure to do so will disrupt your treatment and other patients’ treatment experience. If diabetic, diabetes medications and supplies like insulin (if dependent, bring a 60 day supply), test strips, blood sugar supplies, pumps or other devices/monitors must be brought with you. Failure to bring needed insulin supplies will make you ineligible for admission; phones are not allowed, so monitoring must occur on a separate device. Any other necessary medical devices, like canes or oxygen tanks, must also be brought with you. 

Medical Exam

Your health is our first priority when you arrive. You will undergo a medical exam and discuss your goals for treatment soon after you get to the IAFF Center of Excellence.

Cell Phone Use

To ensure your continued recovery, cell phone use will be limited during your stay. You will be allowed use of your cell phone three times per week for 30 minutes during non-programming hours. When not in use, your cell phone will be turned off and secured. There are also landlines that can be used during non-programming hours in each of the living areas.

All smart watches (regardless of brand or capability) will not be allowed while admitted to the IAFF Center of Excellence. All smart watches will be stored and secured in our personal property room until discharge. Watches that are mechanical or digital that just keep time, set alarms, etc. will be allowed. Members may also receive a normal watch on loan during their stay if needed.

The Facility

Located just outside Washington, D.C., in the forest hills of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, our 15-acre facility is designed just for IAFF members, with a basketball court, gym and comfortable residential areas with 64 beds. Our facility was designed with the firehouse in mind, to make treatment as comfortable as possible. You’ll find familiar touches throughout the common areas and residences The IAFF Center of Excellence is the perfect place to turn over a new leaf and begin your recovery. The gorgeous Maryland landscape, combined with our amenities designed just for fire fighters, sets the stage for your healing, self-discovery and acceptance.

Amenities and Therapies

Our amenities are part of what makes the IAFF Center of Excellence so unique. A sample of the amenities and activities that are offered includes*:

• • Exercise gym

• • Swimming pool (seasonal Memorial Day through Labor Day)

• • Basketball court

• • Volleyball court

• • Pickleball

• • Walking trails

• • Rec room with foosball and TV with NFL Sunday Ticket

• • Video games, arcade games

• • Fire pit

• • Cornhole

• • Hammocks

• • Art and music activities

• • Musical instruments
  • Outdoor reading and reflection areas

• • Yoga supplies

• • Equine therapy (PHP and IOP only)

• • EMDR therapy

• • Offsite visits

• • Access to religious needs

• • AA and NA meetings

• • Laundry facility and basic housekeeping (clients are responsible for cleanliness of their personal space)

*Activities may change from time to time or from season to season.  Access to these amenities varies depending on situational medical recommendations and level of care.

Food

Each day, in-house staff members plan, prepare and serve three nutritious meals for all residents. Typically, you will have a few different meals to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with vegetarian and vegan options available. Fruit and drinks are always available, with additional grab-and-go snacks provided regularly. If you have any food allergies, please let us know prior to your arrival so we can appropriately accommodate you.

Meals are to be eaten in the Kitchen, as is customary in the local Firehouses. If clients are in the Medical building and are non-ambulatory, meals will be provided in that unit only. Weekly grocery run for approved meals and snacks when available.

Sleeping Arrangements

Rooms at The IAFF Center of Excellence provide a comfortable place to rest during your recovery. Four to five patients typically occupy each room. Each of these rooms includes one shared bathroom. The number of residents in each room may vary depending on your individual treatment stage and care needs.

A Day in the Life

Your days at the IAFF Center of Excellence will be spent learning to live a life of improved behavioral health, whether it be through recovering from substance use disorder or treating PTSD or other mental health conditions. You’ll find new hobbies, make lasting connections with other fire fighters and rediscover your own personal interests.

As you move through the different levels of care, your daily life will change as you gain new insight and advance through treatment. Depending on the level of care, your day may include group and individual therapy sessions, recreational activities and more.

Smoking Policy

The IAFF Center of Excellence allows residents to take periodic smoke breaks. Keep in mind that patients must smoke in designated areas. The timing and frequency of these breaks will be determined based on situational medical recommendations. If you smoke, you will need to bring enough unopened cigarettes or tobacco products for the anticipated length of your stay. All smoking products must be new in sealed, original containers.

Raz or Geekbar vapes are the only brands accepted at the facility. Vapes cannot be refillable; they must be single-use cartridges, no THC, no caffeine. If clients bring a vape with them, it needs to be brand new, non-refillable, and still sealed in the original package. Approved vape products will be available for purchase once per week. 

Nicotine pouches must be without caffeine or energy ingredients. Pipes are not allowed, but cigars are allowed.

Smoking cessation products may be offered during your treatment.

Please note: patients under the age of 21 will not have the opportunity to purchase tobacco products, vaporizers or e-cigarettes during their stay. Our staff is not able to provide or purchase tobacco products, vaporizers or e-cigarettes for patients under the age of 21.

Types of Therapy

During your stay, you’ll participate in a variety of personalized therapy sessions and support groups. These sessions are designed to help you conquer addiction by recognizing and overcoming triggers, personal scars and past struggles. Your treatment may include:

• • Cognitive behavioral therapy

• • Dialectical behavioral therapy skills group

• • EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) therapy

• • 12-Step and Back to Basics Support groups

• • Individual counseling

• • Group Therapy

• • Cognitive Processing Therapy

• • Grief counseling

• • Sex addiction counseling

• • Stellate ganglion block

• • FLOAT/REST Therapy
  • Alpha stim

Family Support and Outreach

During treatment, it’s important to reconcile with yourself and your family. While some people do better with long-distance family treatment, others may prefer to have visits from parents, spouses or other family members/supports. Because connecting with your past is vital, talk sessions are held once a week with family members, usually by phone. Additional family visits may be granted when deemed clinically appropriate, and clients can decline family contact if they wish.

Off-Site Visits

While your treatment will take place at the IAFF Center of Excellence, there may be off-site opportunities available. Off-site visits are generally available to clients in partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient levels of care. Examples include equine therapy, local attractions and accommodations for various religious needs. With a range of recreation options, including a gym, basketball, volleyball, rec room and more available on-site, there are plenty of activities available to aid in your recovery.

Visitors and Packages

With clinician approval in advance, family members or friends (adults & children 16+ if accompanied by an adult) are welcome to attend the facility at PHP/IOP levels only.

All mail and packages received are searched for contraband. Food, supplements or anything ingestible should not be shipped and will be confiscated. In addition, food deliveries (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Domino’s, etc.) are not accepted at the facility.

The Treatment Process

The IAFF Center of Excellence consists of two treatment programs: the substance abuse program and the mental health program. The substance abuse program is designed to provide treatment for those individuals with a substance use disorder or co-occurring disorder (a substance use disorder and another behavioral health disorder, such as PTSD). The mental health program is intended for those individuals seeking treatment for behavioral health disorders other than substance use disorders.

There are several levels of care within the substance abuse program, ranging from clinically managed residential detox and residential treatment to partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient care. The treatment programs that you participate in will depend on your own personal needs. Care often starts with detox, an intensive process that typically takes between five and seven days. From there, you’ll either move to residential care, partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient care, where you’ll continue treatment before formulating an aftercare plan with your medical team.

The entire treatment process varies in length, but often lasts between 30 and 45 days. After treatment, you’ll return home equipped with the tools and resources you need to continue your recovery at home, work and everywhere in between. Your treatment may include:

• Clinically Managed Detox
• Intensive Inpatient
• Inpatient Residential
• Partial Hospitalization
• Intensive Outpatient
• Aftercare

Medically Assisted Treatment

Depending on what substance is being misused, quitting cold turkey can be dangerous and even life-threatening. That’s why the IAFF Center of Excellence provides medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which combines behavioral therapy and medication to treat substance use disorders. This combination can also be used to treat co-occurring disorders. Our regulated medical detox plan and 24-hour care services are available for those in residential treatment. Individualized clinical care and tapering ensures that you have a healthy and comfortable transition. Before leaving the center, our staff will provide you with a list of local resources and clinics for continuous care as you start your substance-free life.

Alumni Aftercare

During your treatment, you’ll become part of a dynamic family of physicians, treatment specialists and recovering patients, but that camaraderie doesn’t end when you leave the IAFF Center of Excellence®. Our alumni aftercare program keeps you in contact with an IAFF Center of Excellence® research assistant for 18 months after treatment.

Insurance and Your Obligation During Treatment:

Many health insurance plans require that you pay out-of-pocket expenses prior to accessing your health care benefits. These “patient responsibility” expenses may include deductibles, co-pays, a coinsurance percentage and maximum out-of-pocket expenses. Each patient’s individual responsibility varies, depending on a few factors, including:

• Your individual benefits plan
• Length of stay at center
• Type of services received during treatment
• Other services offered at center, but not covered by your insurance provider (lab tests, non-covered prescriptions, etc.)
• Reasonable boarding fees (should you decide to stay with the facility for treatment at outpatient levels of care)

Our financial counselor will review these fees with you within 72 hours of admission, or as soon as you’re medically stable. The deductible is due upon admittance to our center. The co-insurance amount and out-of-pocket balance will be billed and paid for after treatment, once services are complete. On-site financial counselors will again review your financial responsibility during treatment with case managers who can help you navigate FMLA.

Keep in mind that it’s your responsibility to check with your insurance provider prior to admitting at the IAFF Center of Excellence to understand your individual benefits plan. Please also note that your insurance plan may not be a “participating provider” with the IAFF Center of Excellence. You are responsible for all non-covered and out-of-pocket costs related to your treatment during your stay.