HOFH Elite Care Center Spotlight:Hickory House
By: HOFH
Hickory House, an Elite Care Center with the Hall of Fame Health (HOFH), is a residential, detox, and outpatient treatment program for individuals suffering from addiction and co-occurring disorders. Located just outside of Indianapolis, Indiana in a breathtaking country setting, Hickory House’s compassionate staff is committed to treating the individual with a personalized recovery plan. The private facility serves up to no more than 30 clients at a time allowing for a high level of confidentiality as well as a high staff-to-client ratio to create an environment where people can heal.
“There are lots of different pathways to recovery,” says Sarah Witty, Executive Director at Hickory House Recovery. “Being a small, private program, we are very individualized. Not everyone recovers in the same way.”
“Our programs aren’t cookie-cutter,” adds Scott Wilson, LCSW, LCAC, Clinical Director at Hickory House Recovery. “Addiction is about disconnection so we really focus on connection. We’re invested in the relationships we establish with our residents.”
“We’re all in this together. If we don’t listen to each other, we won’t have the opportunity to reach maximum healing,” says Erin Mooney, Director of Business Development at Hickory House Recovery.
Utilizing evidence-based treatment methods, the team at Hickory House recognizes that each client is a unique individual with their own experiences and needs. Serving both men and women, the journey begins with a client-centered, strength-based model that draws from the latest research in addiction medicine. Once residential treatment is completed, the team focuses on providing each client with an effective relapse prevention and aftercare plan.
“We utilize our community to make sure that we give our residents a strong foundation in recovery that’s accessible even after they leave our facility,” says Wilson. “That starts while they are with us. For example, we check in with each client on a daily basis. We want them to know everyone here so that they feel like they are part of our community. And, even if their therapist isn’t available at a particular moment, there are other people you can access to get support.”
Setting clients up for success in recovery after they complete the residential program, includes creating a supportive environment outside of Hickory House by involving the resident’s loved ones and additional providers in the community.
“One of the important steps in our program is family therapy,” adds Witty. “We want to get everyone on the same page, get them educated on the disease and up-to-date on what the plan is for their loved one in aftercare.”
Innovative and Evidence-Based Treatment Modalities
With high-quality innovative treatment, the empathetic and qualified team offers several treatment modalities. These include:
● Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Also known as CBT, this effective form of treatment helps the client learn how to phase out destructive thought patterns by responding to challenging situations with new, more effective coping skills.
● Dialectical Behavioral Therapy - Often referred to as DBT, this modality draws on elements of CBT and mindfulness meditation to help clients learn how to develop four key skills: distress tolerance, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. With DBT, clients learn how to regulate emotions to help reduce self-destructive behaviors.
● Yoga - Beyond movement, one of the goals of yoga is to help individuals attend to direct experiences and reduce the frequency of intrusive thoughts. For example, a person suffering from co-occurring disorders may feel things are “out of control,” which can bring about heightened anxiety or emotional outburst. Yoga helps individuals regain control over their body and mind and increase levels of the neurotransmitter GABA.
● Nutritional Guidance - Nutrition plays an important role in the way that one’s brain functions by affecting several neurotransmitters including GABA, acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin. The nutrition team led by an executive chef, incorporates foods that have been shown to aid in restoring balance and function of these key neurotransmitters. Proper nutrition has also been shown to play a role in healing the damage to their bodies that substance abuse has caused. To aid in this even further, Hickory House also has an on-site garden.
● Physical Activity - Another important modality in recovery is physical activity. In addition to yoga, the facility offers a gym and a basketball court. Clients are also invited to participate in weekly indoor sand beach volleyball with staff.
In addition to these treatment modalities, Hickory House also offers other forms of therapy including music therapy and art therapy.
“We focus on all dimensions of wellness so we can help the clients put together the pieces to build them back to being whole again,” says Witty.
Collaborating with Hall of Fame Health to Serve Athletes
In joining the HOFH as an Elite Care Center, the team at Hickory House looks forward to serving athletes and their unique needs.
“Athletes deal with unique challenges,” says Wilson. “For example, they have the pressure of being in the public eye and being surrounded by folks who are enablers and want a piece of their pie. They also might have issues that go beyond what they are doing as adults on the sports field.”
One of the goals at Hickory House is to create a private, small, and safe environment where folks can be themselves.
“When someone walks through our doors, they can just be who they are,” continues Witty. “They don’t have to feel the pressure of being this public figure and not necessarily who they are. They can feel comfortable just being themselves.”
“The compassionate team at Hickory House is overwhelmingly dedicated to treating each individual with a customized approach that emphasizes community, relationships, and evidence-based treatment,” says Ryan Cain, President of the behavioral health program for Hall of Fame Health. “We are delighted to welcome them as an Elite Care Center to the Hall of Fame Health and look forward to working together with them.”
“We’re thankful that there is an organization like Hall of Fame Health that caters to athletes because we feel very strongly about fighting the stigma of getting help for addiction and mental health issues,” adds Witty. “We look forward to collaborating with the organization and other facilities across the nation.”
“We have sports everywhere in Indiana so what better opportunity to be a part of an organization that’s helping this area and doing so much more,” says Mooney.
The HOFH Elite Care Centers is a network of elite facilities across the country that specialize in mental health and substance use disorders. Each treatment center is vetted and accredited to provide high-quality, customized care to former players and their families, veterans, and beyond. Financial aid options are available through Fund Recovery, which serves athletes, veterans, their families, and others seeking assistance for mental health or addiction issues.
For more information on Hickory House, please visit https://www.hofhealth.com/elite-care-centers or call the HOFH concierge line at 866-404-HOFH.