Substance Use and
Co-Occurring Disorders

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Substance Use (DBT-S) Program is a four-week residential program designed to give patients with substance use disorders and substance use disorders with co-occurring mental illness the skills necessary to achieve and maintain sobriety, control the triggers that lead to substance use and regulate emotions.

With Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) as a base, the DBT-S program teaches skills and strategies to lead emotionally healthy and sober lives. Treatment is led by Silver Hill Hospital’s highly trained and compassionate clinicians and staff. The program is for patients with a substance use disorder or substance use disorder with co-occurring mental illness.

DBT is an evidence-based psychotherapy with an educational component designed to teach and build skills for managing intense emotions, navigating social relationships, and making positive behavioral changes. It is effective in treating personality and mood disorders, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD.

DBT-S is an extension of DBT that utilizes the same concepts with a strong focus on addressing substance use disorders. The program includes extensive group and individual therapy, as well as a range of additional therapies and activities. Silver Hill offers tailored treatment plans based on each patient’s unique experience. Silver Hill Hospital has significant expertise in this realm and treats all patients individually, compassionately, and with the best possible treatments to effectively address their challenges. 

Silver Hill simultaneously treats the co-occurring psychiatric conditions that often accompany addiction, making the hospital a leader in substance use treatment in greater Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and beyond. Disorders such as anxiety, depression or bipolar may occur along with, and even be a root cause of, substance misuse. Silver Hill’s clinical staff has the skill, sensitivity, and training to treat these dual conditions together rather than separately. This simultaneous treatment is the most effective approach for dual conditions, and often the least available at other institutions.

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The DBT-S program is intended for patients of all genders 18 years and older with a substance use disorder or substance use disorder with co-occurring mental illness.

The DBT-S program usually follows an inpatient stay, a stabilizing step whereby patients are admitted for detoxification from alcohol, prescription medication or other substances. The goals of inpatient treatment are diagnostic assessment, safe detoxification, symptom reduction and stabilization. Inpatient treatment can last days or weeks, depending on the needs of the patient.

Upon being admitted to Scavetta House, the house dedicated for the DBT-S program, patients receive a thorough psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment plan, including pharmacologic treatment as needed. Treatment at Scavetta builds upon the progression of treatment protocols from the inpatient stay. This includes an updated psychiatric diagnostic evaluation, pharmacologic therapies, individual and group counseling, structured residential environment, and aftercare planning. There is also a family psychoeducational series that involves the family and loved ones of the patient.

The goal of the residential program is to help the patient develop an understanding of their psychological and addictive conditions and learn new behavioral skills to manage their recovery process.

Scavetta House is a 16-bed residence. It is a variable-length program with customized treatment plans for each patient. There is a 28-day minimum stay; many patients opt for a longer treatment period.  A patient’s typical day consists of group therapy, 12-step meetings, DBT-S training, recovery discussion meetings, fitness and recreational activities, and visiting hours. Scavetta House is staffed by trained personnel 24/7.

To learn more about this program, refer a patient for admission, or find out if it is right for you or a loved one, please contact Destiny Sammut, Senior Admissions Counselor, at (203) 801-3126 or Silver Hill Hospital general admissions at 1 (866) 542-4455 or fill out a contact form here.