More than 95 percent of Turnbridge alumni with at least 270 days of treatment remain sober for one year. But that’s only part of the story.
Success is something you can feel.
Interpreting outcomes research depends heavily on one’s definition of success. In the field of addiction treatment, one year of sobriety is a predictor for long-term recovery. While sobriety may signal the potential for success, it is not a quality-of-life indicator. We believe that sobriety is a small part of a much bigger picture.
Turnbridge defines success as a person’s ability to self-manage the chronic condition of addiction, to proactively manage physical health and mental wellbeing, to actively engage in a positive and productive lifestyle, to set and achieve meaningful goals, and to restore and develop healthy and supportive relationships. Essentially, we define success for our clients the way we define success for any healthy, happy individual – leading a healthy life of purpose and passion free from limitation.
Being sober and being transformed are fundamentally different. Becoming sober means knowing how to live without misusing. Entering lasting recovery means knowing why to live one’s best life. True success is something you can feel. Success produces a profoundly different outlook on life and its possibilities. It can be felt as a complete change in countenance and the ability to love one’s self and others. It can be seen in actions as recovering individuals blaze a new path to productivity and purpose.
Research Results
In the summer of 2017, Turnbridge completed a rigorous outcome study. The results–encapsulated in the graphic below–support the effectiveness of our three-phased Preparative Care model in helping clients and families find long-term success and satisfaction. The data tell a compelling story about our client’s ability to manage addiction post treatment. More than Ninety-five percent of Turnbridge alumni who completed 270 days of treatment remained sober for one year, and 80 percent were sober for two years. Additionally, only 5 percent of alumni who had 270 days of treatment required additional care after Turnbridge. These facts are a testament to the power of our alumni and the promise of our program. But as previously stated, sobriety tells only a partial story.
This study indicates the power of fundamental self-change at work. More than Ninety-five percent of Turnbridge alumni who had 270 days of treatment report profound behavioral changes. They are now more likely to be employed, more able to cope with stress, in better physical health, having better relationships, and more self-sufficient. Sobriety statistics indicate the potential for successful recovery, but behavioral measures provide evidence of better living.
These results, together with the qualitative feedback we receive daily from alumni, families, and loved ones, tell us that our work is helping people learn to lead better lives. We are deeply heartened by this knowledge. But what these data truly signifies is the incredibly hard work being done by the young women and young men who continue practicing what they have learned at Turnbridge after leaving our care. It is evidence of the sheer power of will demonstrated by extraordinarily strong individuals who have found the determination and courage to make better lives for themselves and those they love.
Download the 2017 Turnbridge Outcome Study infographic as a PDF
Research and Continuous Improvement at Turnbridge
Treatment outcome measures are becoming increasingly important to patients, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and insurance providers. As individuals and as a society, we need and deserve accurate information to help us make informed treatment decisions, understand the success rates of treating medical conditions, and decide which healthcare providers to trust. Outcome measures are the basis of evidence-based treatment–the cornerstone of modern healthcare. At Turnbridge, we believe in measuring for our own growth and in sharing insights and evidence with the field to improve outcomes and spread hope.
Turnbridge practices continuous improvement and has always used outcome measures to inform its practice. We collect extensive data about each of our clients multiple times per day to measure their progress throughout treatment. We also conduct interviews with alumni, referring professionals, and parents. But even the most thorough data collection is only useful when turned into insights and put into practice. The Turnbridge clinical team regularly collaborates to review patient progress data and devise better ways of delivering individualized care. The results of outcome studies and feedback from professional partners, patients, and parents are regularly shared and reviewed.
Studies like the one published here are reasons to celebrate how far we’ve come, but they also tell us how much further we have yet to go in our goal of helping every Turnbridge client achieve our definition of success.