It is very slow in terms of communicating with us veterans. Phone calls are endless and you end more confused
About Consejo Counseling & Referral Service
Consejo Counseling & Referral Service is a community based addiction treatment and behavioral health service in Tacoma, Washington. They offer outpatient treatment for adults and youth facing substance use challenges. They even welcome older adults aged 60 and up. Specialized care is available for clients with dual diagnoses. They’re Washington State’s first Latino-based behavioral healthcare organization and are accredited by the Joint Commission.
Their outpatient substance use disorder (SUD) program takes a holistic, culturally sensitive and trauma informed approach. Services include everything from substance use screening to individual, group and family therapy plus case management and aftercare support. They offer these services in both Spanish and English.
When you become a client you’ll work closely with your case manager to create a personalized treatment plan. Expect a mix of individual, group and family therapy in your program. Depending on what works best for you your therapist might use techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing and even eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
Their award-winning youth program not only helps kids with substance use issues but it empowers them to build life skills and confidence. A key part of the youth program is breaking the cycle of violence among Latinx and BIPOC youth. Alongside addiction treatment they support job readiness and education offering mentorship and fun activities like field trips and summer camps.
Consejo on Wheels (COW) is a unique program that brings behavioral health services like SUD treatment right to the community. Launched in August 2023, COW focuses on reaching underserved communities in King County. With their mobile clinic, they raise awareness about behavioral health services while ensuring everyone can access the care they deserve. If COW doesn’t come to your neighborhood and you don’t have transportation to get to treatment then you may be able to take advantage of telehealth services.
Consejo Counseling & Referral Service gets a lot of love for its culturally sensitive support and effective treatment. Many clients feel grateful for the improvements in their lives thanks to the help they receive. A few clients have mentioned some frustrations with staff changes and the hassle of getting their records.
Latest Reviews
My son have seen the same therapist for 2 school years now and we have nothing but positive experience with Consejo! Our therapist Ms. Adrina has been amazing, supportive, respectful and very resourceful. My son had improved his behavior and socials skills. Thank you!
Ok at first I give them a 1 star I was being reviewd by women ! They had no f n clue !As soon as I got a man things picked up ! However still not where I need to be almost a year in my dose is still not powerful enough so I have to take double or even tripple the amount to still barley feel it working !The result a lot of wasted time running out early I mean it sorta sucks ! However my psychiatrist is pretty good actually I like him a lot however it seems like it s taken forever to get me on the right dosage for my Adderall. Hopefully this will change because month supply last a half a month and I don t feel it working. Life is too short to be not feeling the way I m supposed to feel and get my projects accomplished, I guess if you really need it you hardly feel it. Well, I guess that s my case so we get a four star
Was given a referral by my daughters school. After waiting 6+ weeks, I finally called them, and they insisted they NEVER received anything, which I knew to be a lie because I had the copy of the email referral. I was then encouraged to find counseling services elsewhere and when I chose to keep my zoom meeting appointment was left waiting for 30 min inside the zoom before I finally gave up with no response to my multiple emails or questions as to why. They choose to treat you horrible on purpose to lighten their workload instead of just doing their job. I am extremely disappointed as the waste of time is at the expense of my 9 year old daughter.UPDATE: After this happened (the Zoom meeting), I called and left a voice mail explaining the situation that happened and how upset I was, and no one bothered to call me back....again. Absolutely disgusted with the way I have been treated by this place. The sad part is I didn't even get anywhere to really know how this place was, but first impressions are EVERYTHING as they say. 0 stars if I could.
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Other Forms of Payment
Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Financial aid can take many forms. Centers may have grants or scholarships available to clients who meet eligibility requirements. Programs that receive SAMHSA grants may have financial aid available for those who need treatment as well. Grants and scholarships can help you pai for treatment without having to repay.
Sliding scale payments are based on a client's income and family size. The goal is to make treatment affordable to everyone. By taking these factors into account, addiction recovery care providers help ensure that your treatment does not become a financial burden to you or your family, eliminating one barrier to care.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for those 65 and older. It also serves people under 65 with chronic and disabling health challenges. To use Medicare for addiction treatment you need to find a program that accepts Medicare and is in network with your plan. Out of pocket costs and preauthorization requirements vary, so always check with your provider.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Outpatient Outpatient Programs (OP) are for those seeking mental rehab or drug rehab, but who also stay at home every night. The main difference between outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) lies in the amount of hours the patient spends at the facility. Most of the time an outpatient program is designed for someone who has completed an inpatient stay and is looking to continue their growth in recovery. Outpatient is not meant to be the starting point, it is commonly referred to as aftercare.
Intensive Outpatient Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) are for those who want or need a very structured treatment program but who also wish to live at home and continue with certain responsibilities (such as work or school). IOP substance abuse treatment programs vary in duration and intensity, and certain outpatient rehab centers will offer individualized treatment programs.
12-Step 12-step programs are addiction recovery models based on Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). A number of substance abuse programs (including some drug and alcohol rehab centers) use the 12 steps as a basis for treatment. Beginning steps involve admitting powerlessness over the addiction and creating a spiritual basis for recovery. Middle steps including making direct amends to those who've been hurt by the addiction, and the final step is to assist others in addiction recovery in the same way. 12-Step offshoots including Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Cocaine Anonymous (CA), Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA), Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) and Gamblers Anonymous (GA).
Aftercare Support Completing a drug or alcohol rehab program shouldn't spell the end of substance abuse treatment. Aftercare involves making a sustainable plan for recovery, including ongoing support. This can include sober living arrangements like halfway houses, career counseling, and setting a patient up with community programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
Treatments
The goal of treatment for alcoholism is abstinence. Those with poor social support, poor motivation, or psychiatric disorders tend to relapse within a few years of treatment. For these people, success is measured by longer periods of abstinence, reduced use of alcohol, better health, and improved social functioning. Recovery and Maintenance are usually based on 12 step programs and AA meetings.
Effective drug rehab in Washington integrates care for the whole person, offering comprehensive solutions to addiction. Treatment methods address mental, physical, and relational aspects of substance abuse.
Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Rehab and other substance abuse facilities treating those with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder administer psychiatric treatment to address the person's mental health issue in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
A combined mental health and substance abuse rehab has the staff and resources available to handle individuals with both mental health and substance abuse issues. It can be challenging to determine where a specific symptom stems from (a mental health issue or an issue related to substance abuse), so mental health and substance abuse professionals are helpful in detangling symptoms and keeping treatment on track.
Opioid rehabs specialize in supporting those recovering from opioid addiction. They treat those suffering from addiction to illegal opioids like heroin, as well as prescription drugs like oxycodone. These centers typically combine both physical as well as mental and emotional support to help stop addiction. Physical support often includes medical detox and subsequent medical support (including medication), and mental support includes in-depth therapy to address the underlying causes of addiction.
Programs
Adult Program
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
Military Program
Serving in the military is both mentally and physically challenging, and can result in trauma that persists even after combat ends. Military programs are tailored to the specific and often complex needs of active duty personnel, veterans, and military families. Clients often access these programs through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Young Adult Program
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
Clinical Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Creativity is inherently healing, and can help those in recovery express thoughts or feelings they might not otherwise be able to. Creative arts therapy can include music, poetry/writing, painting, sculpting, dance, theater, sandplay, and more. Unlike traditional art, the final product matters far less than the experience of creation and expression itself.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a treatment designed to help people understand and ultimately affect the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT is often used for individuals who struggle with self-harm behaviors, such as self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal thoughts, urges, or attempts. It has been proven clinically effective for those who struggle with out-of-control emotions and mental health illnesses like Borderline Personality Disorder.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation. Consejo encourages family involvement throughout treatment and provides support services for the families of affected youth as well.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Life skills trainings involve all the skills a person must have in order to function successfully in the world. These include time management, career guidance, money management, and effective communication. Truly successful addiction recovery is based on the ability to not only live substance-free, but to thrive. Life skills teaches the practical necessities of functioning in society, which sets clients up for success in life, and therefore sobriety.
Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) is a modality based on strengthening moral reasoning, that can be used in substance abuse treatment. Originally created to help criminal offenders stop committing crimes, it is a structured approach that includes both group and individual counseling, as well as homework exercises. The MRT workbook is structured around 16 steps (units) focusing on 7 treatment issues, including building a healthy, positive identity; developing a higher frustration tolerance; and forming a strong moral belief structure. Participants meet 1-2 times weekly in groups, and can complete all steps of the MRT program in 3-6 months.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a clinical approach to helping people with substance abuse issues and other conditions shift behavior in positive ways. It is more goal-oriented than traditional psychotherapy, as MI counselors directly attempt to get clients to consider making behavioral change (rather than wait for them to come to conclusions themselves). Its primary purpose is to resolve ambivalence and help clients become able to make healthy choices freely.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a way of getting nicotine into the bloodstream without smoking. It uses products that supply low doses of nicotine to help people stop smoking. The goal of therapy is to cut down on cravings for nicotine and ease the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Nutrition therapy, aka medical nutrition therapy (MNT), is a way of treating physical, emotional, and medical conditions through diet. Specific dietary plans are designed by professional nutritionists or registered dietitians, and patients follow them in order to positively affect their physical and mental health.
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.
Amenities
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Private Transportation
Accreditations
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1992 by congress, SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on American's communities.
SAMHSA Listed: Yes
State Licenses are permits issued by government agencies that allow rehab organizations to conduct business legally within a certain geographical area. Typically, the kind of program a rehab facility offers, along with its physical location, determines which licenses are required to operate legally.
State License: Washington
Contact Information
(253) 414-7461 
5915 Orchard Street West
Tacoma, WA 98467
Get Help Now - 206-809-2983
Who Answers?
Who Answers?
Fact checked and written by:
Amy Ramirez-Leal, MA
Edited by:
Courtney Myers, MS
