universal health network and systems, inc

Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc. “The difference is in the details”

3170 N. Chestnut Ave., Ste 105, Fresno, CA 93703-1608 Office 559-252-5150 Fax 559-252-5156

E-mail: [email protected]

Welcome Letter

Dear New Client, Mr. Oliver Ezenwugo and his staff are pleased to welcome you to the Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc. The 4th Dimension Licensed and Certified Detoxification, Residential facility for Alcohol and other Drugs facilities. We run a zero tolerance program for drugs and alcohol. All minimizing colluding, blaming of others and blaming the Criminal Justice System has no place in our residential facilities. During your residency, please come to our classes and workshops on time with an open mind and ready to learn. We intend to provide you with information, resources guides, necessary tools, and techniques you need to stop abuse and rid yourself of cravings and relapse tendencies. The duration of your program will be further determined by your referring agency’s recommendations and the results of our periodic assessments of your progress or lack thereof. The workbooks, drills, homework, your participation during group sessions, and punctuality are very essential because they are a big part of our means to evaluate and report your progress to the referring agencies. We cannot over-emphasize the importance of keeping up with all your contracts, financial obligations, and especially group and resident rules, since these are reasons for referral back to the court and the referring agencies for non-compliance. Again, completion or graduation is not only determined by the number of classes or days completed, but by your progress or lack thereof. If at anytime during your program you have a need to meet with the Executive Program Director for additional follow-up or a one-on-one session at no additional cost, please do not hesitate to call. Sincerely, Oliver Ezenwugo, MA. Counseling Psychology, MFT. Executive Program Director

Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc.

“The difference is in the details” 3170 N. Chestnut Ave., Ste 105, Fresno, CA 93703-1608

Office 559-252-5150 Fax 559-252-5156 E-mail: [email protected]

©2007 Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc. 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What Causes Drug Addiction and Alcoholism? p. 7

Biochemical Aspects of Addiction p. 14

Program Description p. 16

About Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc. p. 22

What Causes Drug Addiction and Alcoholism?

How Does Addiction Start? No one plans or wants to be a drug addict or an alcoholic, but this doesn't stop people from getting addicted. The most commonly asked question is simply-how? How could my son, daughter, father, sister, or brother become a liar, a thief, someone who cannot be trusted? How could this happen? And why won't they stop?

The first thing you must understand about addiction is that alcohol and addictive drugs are basically painkillers. They chemically kill physical or emotional pain and alter the mind's perception of reality. They make people numb. For drugs to be attractive to a person there must first be some underlying unhappiness, sense of hopelessness, or physical pain, especially these days that technology and other trends invariably contribute to our growing pains.

What Is Addiction? Whether a person is genetically or biochemically predisposed to addiction or alcoholism is a controversy that has been debated for years within the scientific community. One school of thought advocates the "disease concept," embracing the notion that addiction is an inherited disease, and that the individual is permanently ill at a genetic level, even for those experiencing long periods of sobriety. Another philosophy argues that addiction is a dual problem consisting of a physical and mental dependency on chemicals, compounded by a pre-existing mental disorder that physicians categorize into diagnoses such as clinical depression, bipolar disorder, etc. It is true that addictive drugs stimulate the brain's pleasure centers causing either a reduction of pain or a heightening of mood.

©2007 Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc.

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What Causes Drug Addiction and Alcoholism?

A third philosophy subscribes to the idea that chemical dependency stems from chemical imbalances in the neurological system. The truth in this theory is that repeated use of addictive drugs results in a physical dependency or tolerance where increased amounts of the drug must be taken to achieve the same results. Tolerance occurs when the person no longer responds to the drug in the way that he/she initially responded. So for example, in the case of heroin or morphine, tolerance develops rapidly to the analgesic (painkilling) effects of the drug. While the development of tolerance is not addiction, many drugs that produce tolerance also have addictive potential.


The fact remains that there is scientific research to support all of these concepts. The question of whether addiction is genetic, behavioral or biochemical does not have an absolute answer. The one distinguishing feature that is present in every theory or philosophy of the causes of, and cures for, addiction is the ability of the drug to dominate the individual's behavior, regardless of whether physical dependence is also produced by the drug or not.

There is a wide variety of treatment methods being used today, their administration being based on whatever school of thought the treatment provider believes in. With a 16% to 20% recovery rate based on statistical analysis of national averages, the message is clear that we have a lot more to learn if we are to

bring the national recovery rate to a more desirable level. There is a fourth school of thought that has proven to be more accurate. It has to do with the life cycle of addiction. This data is universally applicable to addiction no matter which hypothesis is used to explain the phenomenon of drug

dependency for a long time, and or for a lifetime.

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In medical terms, a drug is any substance that when taken into a living organism may modify one or more of its functions. Drugs can provide temporary relief from unhealthy symptoms and/or permanently supply the body with a necessary substance the body can no longer make. Some drugs produce unwanted side affects. Some drugs lead to an unhealthy dependency that has both physiological and behavioral roots.

What Is A Drug?

How Do Drugs Affect The Mind? The mind is our most important tool. With our mind, we solve the problems we face in life. Drugs do several things that harm one's ability to think or to be fully aware of the present surroundings. These effects continue long after the effects of the drug appear to have worn off. Addictive drugs activate the brain's reward systems. The promise of reward is very intense, causing the individual to crave the drug and to focus his/her activities on getting and taking the drug. The ability of addictive drugs to strongly activate brain reward mechanisms and their ability to chemically alter the normal functioning of these systems can produce an addiction. Drugs also reduce a person's level of consciousness, impairing the ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings.

The drug taker is not moving in the same series of events as others. This can be slight, wherein the person is seen to make occasional mistakes, or it can be as serious as total insanity -where the events apparent to him are completely different from those apparent to anyone else. And it can be all grades in between.

It isn't that the drug user does not know What is going on. It is that he perceives something else going on instead of the actual series of events that are happening around him and unfolding in their eyes.


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The life cycle of addiction begins with a problem, discomfort or some form of emotional or physical pain a person is experiencing. They find this very difficult to deal with.

Drug Addiction Follows A Cycle Like This:

We start off with an individual who, like most people in our society, is basically good. This person encounters a problem or discomfort that they do not know how to resolve or cannot confront. This could include problems such as difficulty "fitting in" as a child or teenager, anxiety due to peer pressure or work expectations, identity problems or divorce as an adult. It can also include physical discomfort, such as an injury or chronic pain.

The person experiencing the discomfort has a real problem. He feels his present situation is unendurable, yet sees no good solution to the problem. Everyone has experienced this in his or her life to a greater or lesser degree. The difference between an addict and the non-addict is that the addict chooses drugs or alcohol as a solution to the unwanted problem or discomfort. If and when common sense prevails, we will then realize that drugs or alcohol masks the problem or discomfort, while concurrently damaging our most precious organs. “The day will come when the abuse of prescribed drugs will surpass the abuse of the illegal street drugs in popularity among the youth and this will be the beginning of the end” -Oliver Ezenwugo -


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This person has just used drugs or alcohol. The drugs APPEAR to solve his problem. He feels better. Because he now SEEMS better able to deal with life, the drugs become valuable to him.

Drugs and Problems

The person looks on drugs or alcohol as a cure for unwanted feelings. The painkilling effects of drugs or alcohol become a solution to his discomfort. Inadvertently the drug or alcohol now becomes valuable because it helped him feel better. This release is the main reason a person uses drugs or drinks a second or third time. It is just a matter of time before he becomes fully addicted and loses the ability to control his drug use.

Drug addiction, then, results from excessive or continued use of habit-forming drugs in an attempt to resolve the underlying symptoms of discomfort or unhappiness.

The Addiction Progresses... Analogous to an adolescent child in his first love affair, the use of drugs or alcohol becomes obsessive. The addicted person is trapped. Whatever problem he was initially solving by using drugs or alcohol fades from memory. At this point, all he can think about is getting and using drugs. He loses the ability to control his usage and ignores the horrible consequences of his actions.


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The addict will now attempt to withhold the fact of his drug use from friends and family members. He will begin to suffer the effects of his own dishonesty and guilt. He may become withdrawn and difficult to reason with. He may behave strangely.

How Drugs Affect Behavior

The more he uses drugs and alcohol, the guiltier he will feel, and the more depressed he will become. He will sacrifice his personal integrity, his relationships with friends and family, his job, his savings, and anything else he may have in an attempt to get more drugs. The drugs are now the most important things in his life. His relationships and job performance will go dramatically downhill, domestic violence might be introduced to the relationship as all the financial and drug related problems continue to come up.

Alcohol And Drug Tolerance In addition to the mental stress created by his unethical behavior, the addict's body has also adapted to the presence of the drugs. He will experience an overwhelming obsession with getting and using his drugs, and will do anything to avoid the pain of withdrawing from them. This is when the newly created addict begins to experience drug cravings; the drug has now formed a neuropath way that outmuscles other neuropath ways with which they shared the common brain. This will continue until some serious intervention is introduced and maintained.


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He now seeks drugs both for the reward of the "pleasure" they give him, and also to avoid the mental and physical horrors of withdrawal. Ironically, the addict's ability to get "high" from the alcohol or drug gradually decreases as his body adapts to the presence of foreign chemicals. He must take more and more, not just to get an effect but often just to function at all.

At this point, the addict is stuck in a vicious descending spiral. The drugs he abuses have changed him both physically and mentally. He has crossed an invisible and intangible line. He is now a drug addict or alcoholic.

Drugs and Personality Change There is such a thing as a "drug personality." It is artificial and is created by drugs. Drugs can change the behavior of a person from his original personality to one secretly harboring hostilities and hatreds he does not permit to show on the surface. This establishes a link between drugs and increasing difficulties with crime, production and the modern breakdown of social and industrial culture leading to antisocial behavior and Axis II type of people. The drug personality includes such characteristics as:

• Mood swings • Unreliable. Unable to finish projects. • Unexpressed resentment and

secret hatreds. • Dishonesty. Lies to family,

friends, employers. • Withdraws from those who love

him. Isolates self.

• May appear chronically depressed. • May begin stealing from family

and friends.


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Biochemical Aspects of Addiction

Drugs are broken down in the liver into metabolites (chemical compounds which are closely related to the original substance). Most of these metabolites are eliminated rapidly from the bloodstream, but some can become trapped in the fatty tissues of the body. Although there are various types of tissues that are high in fat content, the one thing they have in common - and the problem that needs to be addressed - is that these drug residues remain for years. Tissues in our bodies that are high in fats are turned over very slowly. When they are turned over, the stored drug metabolites are released into the bloodstream and reactivate the same brain centers just as if the person actually took the drug. The former addict now experiences a drug restimulation (or "flashback") and drug cravings. This is common in the months after an addict quits and can continue to occur for years, even decades and these are the points where relapse is very likely.


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The Cycle of Quitting, Withdrawal, Craving and Relapse When the addict initially attempts to quit, the neuropath way and the cells in the brain that have become used to large amounts of these metabolites are now forced to deal with much decreased amounts. Even as the withdrawal symptoms subside, the brain "demands" that the addict give it more of the drug. This is called drug craving. Craving is an extremely powerful urge and can cause a person to create all kinds of "reasons" they should begin using drugs or drinking again. He is now trapped in an endless cycle of attempting to quit, craving, relapse and fear of withdrawal.

The good news is that eventually, the brain cells will again become used to having lowered drug metabolites, however because deposits of drug or alcohol metabolites release back into the bloodstream from fatty tissues for years, cravings and relapse remain a cause for concern. The presence of metabolites, even in microscopic amounts, can make the brain react as if the addict had actually taken the drug again and can set up cravings and cause relapse even after years of sobriety. Why Can’t Addicts Stop Using Drugs? 1. The mental and physical cravings caused by drug residues still remain in the body. 2. The Biochemical Personality caused by drugs and the lifestyle the person adopts to get them. Left unhandled, these manifestations will haunt a person for years even if they have sobered up. Left untreated, these two factors can trigger a relapse. These unresolved symptoms, whether physical or mental in origin, create an underlying low-level type of stress, which cannot be completely ignored by the addict. The addict can "just say no" a thousand times, but it only takes him saying "yes" one time to start the cycle of addiction again, or mental in origin, create an underlying low-level type of stress which cannot be completely ignored by the addict. The addict can "just say no" a thousand times, but it only takes him saying "yes" one time to start the cycle of addiction again.


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Universal Health Network takes a new approach to a Residential Treatment Plan through the concept of a "manualized drug and alcohol rehabilitation.” This very unique program consists of 8 phases of rehabilitation that when combined with


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UNIVERSAL HEALTH NETWORK AND SYSTEMS, INC® DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT METHOD

Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and our 12teer curriculum, will produce an individual who has achieved full physical detoxification, who has become aware of the root causes of his or her addiction, who has a renewed ability to identify and solve problems, and who can change unwanted conditions for the betterment of his or her life. This unique program also addresses the three main causes of relapse after treatment: physical cravings, lingering depression and guilt from past misconduct connected to drug or alcohol addiction. Drug-Free Withdrawal - The aim of this step of the program is to assist the individual through the difficult period immediately after he or she ceases to take drugs. Universal Health Network is a drug-free program. Upon physician approval, clients are assisted through withdrawal without drugs. Two key elements are utilized to ease the student through this phase; vitamin and mineral supplements if prescribed, and particular techniques that ease the mental and physical discomfort that can accompany the drug withdrawal process. Book 1 Therapeutic Training Routines - Most drug- and alcohol-dependent people tend to withdraw from family, friends and loved ones. They lose their ability to communicate and relate to people around them. Addicts tend to think and focus their attention inward on problems, discomforts or self-perceived emotional disabilities. Simply ceasing the use of drugs or alcohol doesn't correct this situation for the user. In fact, once individuals are taken off the drugs or alcohol they can find it even harder to relate to and communicate with people in their environment than they did when they were using. The first step to successful recovery must include a method to redirect the addict's attention from his or her past drug- or alcohol-related problems and teach them to be comfortable in their present surroundings while at the same time improving their communication skills. The Therapeutic Training Routines are a series of exercises and communication drills that are done in a classroom setting. In our book, addicts learn a series of communication exercises that are drilled or practiced with another person in recovery and supervised by our qualified therapist. These exercises and drills are done until each individual has acquired a renewed ability to face and comfortably communicate with another person with eye to eye to contact. Additionally, these drills help an addict exercise the ability to control his attention span and focus on the here and now, rather then wandering back through drug- or alcohol-related memories, problems or misdeeds.

The first major barrier that one encounters when starting the rehabilitation process is the physical and mental cravings for drugs and alcohol that can overwhelm and completely distract the individual in recovery from the treatment process. Physical and mental cravings for drugs and alcohol are the most common cause for people in recovery leaving treatment before they have completed it.


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Book 2 The New Life Detoxification Program -

There is a biophysical condition that triggers cravings that can occur repeatedly long after a person withdraws and dries out from drugs or alcohol. Any toxin that is ingested in the body undergoes a digestive and filtration process that will eliminate most of the toxic substance but not all of it. That portion of the toxin that remains in the system is converted into a protein-based molecule called a metabolite. Once the body has converted drugs or alcohol to these protein based molecules, some of these molecules will exit the body through sweat and urine. A portion of these metabolites, however, will remain in the body and attach themselves to fatty cells. Fatty cells are also comprised of protein molecules and so are compatible with the drug or alcohol metabolites. These metabolites or small portions of the drug build up in the fatty tissues of the body and remain there for years. A simple demonstration of how this works is simply pouring the active ingredient of a drug like marijuana, or THC, into a container of oil or fatty material and shaking the container. The THC will combine with the oil or fat because they are chemically similar. This is as apposed to pouring this same THC mixture into a container of water, in which case the THC would not combine with the water and would in actual fact ultimately float to the top of the container in separating itself from the water. This is because these two substances are chemically dissimilar. Those drug metabolites that remain in the body can be released or mobilized back into the system by simple exercise or physical exertion, which will cause the body to use fat cells for energy, thus breaking the cell apart and releasing the stored metabolites. As these drug metabolites circulate through the body some will enter the brain and re-affect the individual. Metabolites are like fingerprints in that each metabolite contains a minute amount of the original toxin that the body digested and filtered through the liver and kidneys. A cocaine metabolite has a traceable amount of cocaine in it. A heroin metabolite has a traceable amount of heroin in it, and an alcohol metabolite has a traceable amount of alcohol in it. Each is different and identifiable from the other. It is the drug metabolites that are exiting the body through the urine that are identified when a drug screen is performed that can provide a read out on what types of drugs an individual has taken. The drug metabolites that remain in the body act as a physical level reminder of drugs or alcohol taken in the past that can also stimulate memories or feelings related to past drug or alcohol use. This is the origin and physical mechanics of drug and alcohol cravings.


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The New Life Detoxification Program addresses this physical aspect of addiction. The program consists of a combination of light aerobic exercise, sweating in a dry heat sauna and a specific vitamin regimen. A full medical approval to do the program by a licensed medical doctor may be required before a person can begin this portion of the program.

Elements of the Detoxification Program Moderate aerobic exercise:This increases circulation, which ensures quick distribution of the niacin throughout the body and carries mobilized toxins to the excretory routes. Running is preferred, but this can be changed if medically indicated. Sweat is a primary elimination route for toxins, frequent showers, adequate ventilation, and good fluids intake enhances this process. The New Life Detoxification program is designed to assist the addict's body in breaking down and eliminating the stored drug and alcohol metabolites. The daily program runs for about 5 hours a day and can take from between 2 to 6 weeks to complete the entire process. The program length differs from individual to individual. Body weight, extent of drug taking history and medical history influence the length of this program and will vary from person to person. Once the physical cravings for drugs or alcohol have been addressed through this process the individual is ready to proceed with the next step of the program. Drug and alcohol usage tend to make one mentally dull and impair a person's ability to read, study and comprehend information. Therefore, the next step of treatment is to rehabilitate the addict's ability to comprehend and apply information they are studying. Book 3 Learning Improvement Course - This is a course delivered in a classroom setting with a trained Universal Health Network supervisor. This course gives the student the ability to acquire and retain knowledge by recognizing and overcoming the barriers to study and comprehension. These study principles are tools that they can use for the rest of their lives when studying any subject, and are used by the person through the remainder of the their program. Book 4 - Communication and Perception Course - Drug and alcohol abuse affects an individual's ability to focus on goals and objectives long enough to accomplish them. Addiction also greatly impairs the person's ability to communicate effectively and to use communication as a tool to identify and solve problems in the environment. Without focus and the ability to relate to the environment, addicts lose their self-control. This, then, is followed by a lowering of self-esteem and a lethargic state of mind. As a result, they tend to live in the past and to some degree disconnect mentally from the present, or remain incongruent.

The Communication and Perception Course consists of two segments. The first is another series of communication exercises and drills that further improves a person's ability to confront tough situations and increases their understanding of communication and ability to communicate. The individual learns to use communication to help improve the abilities of others in this segment. Once the individual has learned this ability, he uses these skills with another addict to guide him or her through a series of exercises. These exercises increase a person's awareness of his or her present-time surroundings, while at the same time increasing self-control and focus. The end result of these exercises is an increased ability to set goals and a renewed sense of responsibility, which increases the person's ability to set and achieve goals. The foundation of competence is feeling what the other person is not saying by their body language.


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Both sections of the Communication and Perception Course are done in a course room setting under the direct supervision of our Network staff member trained in these procedures. The supervisor oversees the delivery of the exercises and is there to correct, as needed each session so the processes are properly completed. By delivering the exercises in this section of the program to each other, addicts in recovery are helping each other improve their lives as they are working on improving their own. Addicts are generally self-centered and focused primarily on themselves, ignoring others in their lives. Helping another addict to begin to regain control of his or her life begins to break this pattern of behavior and instills a higher level of responsibility in the individual. With a heightened awareness of the person's present time environment and life, a renewed ability to remain focused long enough to start and complete actions and an increased level of personal responsibility, the addict in recovery is now able to clearly and rationally look into his or her life and begin to identify the positive and negative influences and relationships that exist there. They then move on to the Ups and Downs in Life Course. Book 5 Ups and Downs in Life Course - Part of the life style that develops during the addiction process is the tendency on the part of the addict to develop some anti-social behavior. These individuals are, in most cases, basically good to start with. Because of the misconduct associated with drug and alcohol addiction, however, they begin to develop negative attitudes towards people they know and love and to some degree become aggressive towards the authority figures in their lives. As these negative attitudes develop, addicts will pull away from the "good honest people" in their lives. They begin instead to associate with negative people who are usually those in favor of, or in agreement with, the life style of drug or alcohol addiction. Once addicts sober up and begin to get back in touch with reality, it is important that they be able to identify social and anti-social characteristics in people and be able to differentiate between people who will support their sobriety and people who want to drag them back into the life of addiction.

The Ups and Downs in Life Course is a life-skills training course that is delivered in a classroom environment by a staff member trained in the Network technology that teaches an individual how to identify social and anti-social characteristics in people. Once they learn these characteristics, they will have a workable system to identify and develop positive relationships with people who will be supportive of their continued recovery and know what type of people and relationships will jeopardize their sobriety and quality of life. Other skills will include Anger Management, Victim’s mentality issues, Batterer’s Intervention, Parenting Skills, Domestic Violence, etc.


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Book 6 Personal Values and Integrity Course - Unethical behavior and repeated misconduct go hand in hand with an addicted life style. Addicts become trapped in committing transgressions against people in their lives and against society at large. They get into the vicious circle of committing transgressions in an attempt to hide or continue their drug or alcohol use. This then puts them in situations where further transgressions are committed in an attempt to solve the problems that the earlier transgressions have created. As this cycle continues, these individuals begin to draw away from the people in their lives who love and care about them, and may become antagonistic toward them. They hurt the people they love most and, as a consequence, they become ridden with guilt. This, in turn, makes them so uncomfortable they will use more drugs or drink in an attempt to cover up or medicate away these negative feelings. The Personal Values and Integrity Course is delivered in a classroom setting under the supervision of a trained staff member. This course teaches addicts a system that will help them alleviate the guilt that is associated with their drug or alcohol related misconduct. Once the student understands this system, they then participate in a procedure whereby the individual's misdeeds are inventoried one at a time in a highly confidential and specific manner. This procedure helps the addicts identify transgression when they occurred, where they happened, who was involved with them at the time and the harm, which resulted because of the misdeed. Through this confessional procedure, addicts experience a tremendous relief. They also become aware of the damage they are responsible for in their environment that they need to repair. This opens the door for the individual to be able to start the process of repairing these negative conditions. Once this process is completed, the individual's integrity is restored, along with the understanding that true happiness can only be achieved through living an ethical life style.

Book 7 Changing Conditions in Life Course - As addicts confront their past misdeeds and the damage these actions have created in the various areas of their lives are realized, they are now ready to begin to repair broken relationships and other detrimental situations that exist because of their addiction. This course is delivered in a course room setting and is supervised by a person trained in the Network program technology. In this course, the person is taught that there are separate areas of one's life that together make up the whole of an individual's existence, (one's self, one's relationship with family, one's job, living in the material world, one's personal spiritual beliefs, etc.) This course also teaches simple formulas that can be applied to any situation in life, which, if correctly followed, will help the person, preserve those things that are going well for them in life or repair those areas that are damaged. It is through this course that individuals develop their own individual plan of what actions need to be taken after discharge to ensure that they can live a sober and ethical life style.


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At this stage of rehabilitation, individuals going through the program have made significant progress towards repairing the mental and physical effects of addiction, and have begun the process of repairing the damage that addiction has created in their lives. They also have developed a plan of action that will ensure a clean and responsible life style. They are now at a point where they have to evaluate and develop some stable rules of conduct for responsible living. Book 8 The Way To Happiness® Course - This is the final segment of the Universal Health and Systems’ treatment program. The course is delivered in a classroom setting and supervised by a person trained in our Network program technology. This course teaches individuals 21 separate precepts that cover a commonsense moral code of conduct that, when followed, will help them become productive and contributing members of society by living an ethical life style. At this point the entire Network curriculum of rehabilitation line-up is complete. There is a final review step which consists of counseling that helps each graduate of the program design an individual plan of action that addresses the situations that may still exist in the person's home environment. In addition, goals are set in the areas of family, work, relationships and any other situations unique to the individual along with a specific plan of actions that will be taken to achieve these goals. When individuals complete the entire Network program, they have a written plan of action, with a copy kept on file at the Network center. Each graduate of the program is contacted after they are released, and the progress on each individual plan is assessed. Additionally if graduates run into problems that are distracting them from their plan, a Network staff member will help them to resolve this or to improve the plan so that progress in accomplishing these set goals is achieved.

Drug and alcohol addiction is one of the greatest societal problems of recent times. Addicts harm themselves and the world in general through crime, lost productivity, domestic violence, abuse in all definitions, neglect and error made while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, drunk driving, etc. The toll that addiction takes on everyone is staggering. Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc. has the tools and answer to these problems as well as true data about drugs and their effect on the brain, the addicts and those around them,


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Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc. have been serving the community since the year 2002. Our success rate versus recidivism rate at program completion has been tracked at 78% after many studies and follow-up with our graduates and through other data-driven findings and documentation.

We are an In-Network Provider Participant (PPO) with most insurance companies, although every insurance plan is different, in general terms, many insurance companies will pay for part of the network provided the policy is not the HMO plan.

the tools are here, the choice is yours. Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc. “The 4th dimensions” Is a State of California Licensed and Certified Co-ed, Detoxification and Residential facility located in the Greater North East part of Fresno,@ 625-627 E. Keats Ave. Fresno, Ca. 93710 On an outpatient capacity, Universal Health Network provides Substance Abuse, Parenting and Domestic Violence – Victim’s Group Classes, Batterer’s Treatment and Anger Management Classes. We currently carried the contracts of: • California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Parole and Community

Services Division Fresno #3 – 6, 222 G Street, Fresno, CA 93706 • Fresno County Adult Probation – BIP & DV Cases Department, 8th Floor/1100 Van

Ness Avenue, Fresno, CA 93721 • Department of Children and Family Services, 2001 Fresno Street – 3rd Floor,

Fresno, CA 93721 • Fresno County Probation Department and Community Services Division, 890 South

Tenth Street, Fresno, CA 93702 • Central Valley Regional Center, 4615 N. Marty Ave., Fresno, CA 93722


Universal Health Network has a drug treatment program that is unique in several ways. Most treatment centers use a combination of 12-step recovery and group therapy in an effort to handle addiction. While some people respond to this type of treatment, many do not. The Network drug treatment program addresses three (3) areas that are not intensively treated in most other traditional programs. These areas include but not limited to:

1.) Physical detoxification- Long-term use of addictive drugs can cause an accumulation of drug residues and metabolites in the body. These residues can remain in the body for years, causing drug and alcohol cravings and drug-induced depression. Universal Health uses the intensive method of detoxification to remove these residues, resulting in an individual who is free of the harmful physical effects of mind-alerting drugs. 2.) Life Skills- Many people do not realize that some of the most common abilities and skills which they use everyday are not instinctual, but are learned. These are all areas in which drug addicts and alcoholics have been found to be deficient. These are not instinctive abilities. They require training and practice to perfect. Our program gives heavy emphasis to life-skills training. Some of the areas addressed are communication skills, study skills and applying ethical principles in everyday life. The result is an individual more comfortable with his life and less likely to be overwhelmed by it. The practice of these skills is extremely therapeutic in and of themselves. 3.) Other therapeutic procedures- there are a number of therapeutic procedures unique to the Network program. These therapies are designed to free a person from the guilt, remorse and regret of past actions, and to restore the self-control that is inevitably sacrificed when a person becomes addicted to drugs. All clients must present with a Medical necessity before treatment can resume, therefore they must meet Axis 1 requirements of the DSM IV at minimum. Universal Health Network and systems, Inc. conducts a background check and fingerprints all of their staff as basic requirements. We provide in-house Supervised Visitation, and in-house individual Therapy. All services are provided in the languages listed below:

English Spanish Punjabi Hmong Laos


The National Board of Addiction Examiners as Certified Chemical Dependency Counselors accredits our primary counselors. Universal Health Network also provides 24-hour nursing coverage to its clients. In addition, a large percentage of the staff is college graduates in the discipline of Behavioral Science, which makes for a much greater awareness and understanding of the problems of addiction.

The Network program is usually completed in 3-6 months though the program can take longer for some people. Each client is different and each case is treated on an individual basis. Duration is not only determined by the number of sessions completed, but by individual progress or lack thereof. We treat people from all walks of life, from all over the world. Ages range from 18-65. There are usually about 50% female and 50% male clients in treatment. Cost differs according to what therapies are delivered. In general terms, the costs are moderately prices at $2,500 per month. Drug addiction knows no boundaries; the effects and reactions are the same on the brain regardless of our background, culture, and nationality of origin, gender or language of choice, so we might differ dialectically, yet share a common voice when it comes to addiction. Our facility consists of trained staff to Recognize and Confront their own bias and prejudices in several areas; including the importance to assess, utilize, and respond to an individual’s culture and communication style and how the challenges are experiences within the culture. Staff is also trained to include and collaborate with the family and community in the Treatment, Wellness, and Recovery process to utilize the Culture and Social strength embedded in them. Our staff ranges from multiple Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural background so the consumer benefits from their expertise, and we work for and with the consumer to achieve their goals. It is the nature of this process that is the essence of the helping relationship practiced regularly at Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc.

“The difference is in the details”

Items to bring to Universal Health Network and Systems, Inc.

1. Workout clothes: t-shirts, shorts, tennis-shoes (for aerobic exercise)

2. Personal spending money ($200 should last you 90 days) 3. Extra pillow (optional) 4. Personal reading materials 5. Towels and washcloths (2 sets each) 6. Casual clothes: shorts, dresses, sweat-shirts

7. Female private hygiene products If you have any questions, please feel free to call us @ 559-252-5150


universal health network and systems, inc

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