Addiction
Mirmont Treatment Center locations offer individualized treatment and rehabilitation care for those struggling with drug or alcohol addiction.
Valor with Integrity Program for Emergency Responders (VIPER)
First responder treatment program for substance abuse and trauma
Mirmont Treatment Center provides the nationally recognized Valor with Integrity Program for Emergency Responders (VIPER). VIPER delivers safety, confidentiality and cultural competence necessary for first responders. This program targets treatment for local, state and federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, corrections officers and Armed forces veterans.
The Valor with Integrity Program for Emergency Responders (VIPER) is a nationally recognized first responder treatment program for substance abuse and trauma, located in Media, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. Specially geared to the needs of first responders, including local, state and federal law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, corrections officers and Armed Forces veterans, VIPER provides a safe, supportive vehicle for recovery that addresses issues such as:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Crime scene trauma
- Family conflict
- Work-related stress
VIPER is facilitated by a multidisciplinary team with a broad range of experiences both on the job and in the helping profession. Participants are engaged in a group process apart from other Mirmont patients to work on issues specific to first responders.
A clinically integrative approach to first responder treatment
VIPER distinguishes itself though a clinically integrative approach to first responder treatment in which participants benefit from individual and group therapy as well as holistic practices, such as yoga and meditation for PTSD. Our core treatment modalities include:
- Mindfulness practice
- Body-centered therapies including yoga
- Evidence-based treatments such as eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma
- The Gorski Model of relapse prevention
- Family and marital counseling as needed
At Mirmont Treatment Center we have been providing first responder treatment for more than a decade. We have found that creating an environment where first responders are engaged in their clinical work, alongside the rest of the Mirmont patient community, affords all participants the opportunity to learn from each other, gaining deeper insight into each individual’s path to recovery.
Providing specialized first responder treatment for substance abuse and trauma
First responders are typically competent, self-reliant, team-oriented individuals whose job is to protect, serve and help others, often at risk to their own safety. They deal with serious situations in the line of duty—violence, trauma, tragedy and often death—so when they seek treatment, they need a specialized set of interventions to help them not only get sober, but learn how to stay sober while facing the day-to-day stresses of their jobs. And that's what the VIPER program at Mirmont is all about.
Providing intensive outpatient and outpatient treatment for mental health
Mirmont Treatment Center remains dedicated to serving our real-life heroes by expanding treatment services for those struggling with primary mental health disorders.
Our VIPER Frontline Resilience Program offers both a mental health intensive outpatient program and an outpatient program designed to offer support, skills, resources and psychoeducation specific to the workplace trauma encountered by emergency responders in a confidential environment where they can:
- Process the level of stress experienced in their workplace
- Identify job-related triggers affecting their mental health
- Gain insight to the signs and symptoms of underlying trauma
- Identify situations adversely affecting their lives, both on and off the job
- Develop healthy coping skills
- Engage in peer support with other first responders and veterans
Our trauma-informed approach will provide a safe environment to break down the barriers and reduce stigma, allowing space to identify and address the mental health needs of our heroes.