Community Medical Services – West Allis

At Community Medical Services, we do not believe that medication in and of itself is always the final solution. Medication oftentimes stabilizes one’s brain chemistry so that psycho-social root causes of dependency can be addressed. At CMS, we provide counseling services to our patients to give them the opportunity to talk and share their individual thoughts associated with their substance use dependency and related struggles. The counselor can assist the patient with developing new skills and coping mechanisms in order to handle current and new situations. The counselor can also incorporate substance use education to assist the patient in developing problem solving skills and to help them develop insight and understanding into the root causes of their individual substance use disorder and the accompanying behaviors.

Behavior management within the context of the therapeutic setting emphasizes life skills training relating to boundaries, responsibility, and consequences. Clinicians assist patients in recognizing old patterns and behaviors and learning new life skills. This is utilized through patient-centered counseling, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and behavior management techniques (initiatives and rewards). Community Medical Services offers a wide range of cognitive, behavioral and other substance use dependency-focused therapies reflecting a variety of treatment approaches. These counseling approaches are provided to each patient on an individual basis. Family and group counseling services are offered and provided at individual patient requests or as a result of a recommendation from the treatment team. Educational needs are also assessed and incorporated into provided services.

Community Medical Services utilizes best practices based on Medication Assisted Treatment and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy models. Case Management is also a supportive service offered to enhance treatment compliance and effectiveness. Case Management assists individuals in maintaining or improving their level of functioning and living environment. This includes assisting patients to find resources for basic needs and coordination of care with additional providers, agencies, mental and medical health care providers, vocational, educational and other involved supporters. In addition to coordination of care with other mental/medical health care providers, case management may include routine phone calls, face-to-face coordination, multi-agency intervention, and advocacy support.