How Can I Share Trauma-Related Care Preferences Before Detox Admission?

Write a short care-preference note that names what feels difficult and what would help you participate in intake. You can raise concerns about touch, questioning, privacy, or unfamiliar surroundings without beginning with a detailed account of past trauma. Ask admissions who should review your note and which requests can be confirmed before arrival.

Write about present needs, not your whole history

Put your most important concerns first. Pair each concern with a specific request, using any of these examples that fit your needs:

• Touch: “Unexpected touch is difficult for me. Please explain what you need to do and ask before touching me whenever possible.”
• Explanations: “Before an examination or procedure, please explain why it is needed and what will happen.”
• Privacy: “I would prefer to discuss sensitive information away from other patients and visitors.”
• Room entry: “Please knock and identify yourself before entering whenever possible.”
• Questioning: “One question at a time helps me respond. If I become quiet, please check whether I am having trouble following.”
• Support: “Can my trusted supporter be present for part of intake, with my permission?”

Your note can be as simple as:

“I have trauma-related concerns about unexpected touch and discussing personal information where others can hear. Clear explanations help me participate. I would prefer not to recount past events at intake. Please tell me what information you need for my care and who can review these preferences.”

Keep this note separate from your medical information. Also prepare your current symptoms, recent substance use, and medication information for the assessment. If a question feels intrusive, ask why the information is needed and whether you can discuss it privately.

Find out what is recorded, reviewed, and confirmed

Ask admissions how to submit the note and who can review requests involving clinical care. Do not treat acknowledgment of your note as approval of every request—or a “trauma-informed” label as confirmation of a particular arrangement.

• Documentation: Where will my preferences be recorded, who will have access, and how will the intake team receive them?
• Review: Which requests need a clinician’s decision, and whom should I speak with?
• Confirmation: Which arrangements are confirmed, which remain pending, and when should I follow up?
• Limits and alternatives: What medical or safety needs could limit a request, and what alternative could we discuss?

If you are considering detox options in Miami, identify any unresolved concern that affects your arrival plan before you confirm transportation and arrival arrangements. Keep a copy of your note and the responses you receive.

Use the note during intake

Show your note to the person receiving you and ask to review the most important points. If something becomes distressing, name the immediate difficulty and request a concrete response: “I am having trouble following. Could you explain the next step before we continue?”

If that does not resolve the concern, ask who can review it clinically. If staff say a request cannot be met, ask them to explain why and what alternatives are available. When a supporter helps communicate, specify what you permit them to share and which conversations you want to have privately.

Before arrival, call Summer House Detox Center at (800) 719-1090 and ask: “I have trauma-related concerns about ____. Who can review my care preferences, what can be confirmed before arrival, and how should I raise a concern during intake?”