Q: I'm interested. What do I have to do to get into the program?

A: You need to complete an intake (initial paperwork and a chemical health assessment) with a licensed alcohol and drug counselor which takes about an hour and a half to two hours. Once you do that, you are ready to go.

Q: Do I have to pay for outpatient treatment?

A: Six Dimensions Counseling can be paid for by insurance (we are in-network with Blue Cross, Preferred One, Health Partners, Medica, UCare, Cigna and MHP). If you have a Rule 25 (county funding) for Specialized Treatment Services you may be able to get funding for outpatient treatment if the assessor believes it will be helpful to you. You would need to contact your county assessor and set up a new appointment. You can also self-pay. Payment plans are available, you can opt to pay "per session," or we can identify a different payment schedule; you don't have to pay all at once .

Q: What is treatment like?

A: Generally the feedback I get is that it is fun and relaxing. Sydney Banks once said (and I'm paraphrasing) that taking someone back into the past to help them get healthier is like burning your hand. And to make it better you stick it back in the fire. He was basically pointing out that it doesn't make sense. Our focus is well-being; we point directly to it, no roundabout ways to feeling better. So why wouldn't it be fun?

There are people from all walks of life who attend group. We work with adult men and women dealing with driver's license issues, probation issues, who are on the methadone/suboxone programs as well as people who are simply just looking to stop drug or alcohol use. The drug of choice is irrelevant when the focus is mental well being.

Q: Who runs group?

A: Jonathan Pounder, LADC, ADC-R, Program Director

I run both morning and evening groups. I have been working in the field as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor for five years. I received my Bachelor’s degree in alcohol and drug counseling from Metropolitan State University. I think working with people and helping them have a better life is the greatest job in the world. I couldn't imagine doing anything else!

Joshua Augst, LADC, Counselor

Josh received his bachelors degree from Carleton College and Addictions Studies Certificate from the University Of Minnesota. Josh has a personal knowledge of addiction that motivates him and helps him understand the different roads recovery can take. He runs both morning and evening groups.

Q: When are the groups?

A: Treatment is either one day a week (24-Hour Program), two days a week (48-Hour Program), or three days a week (60-Hour Program)

24-hour program - Thursday either 10am-1pm or 5pm-8pm
48-hour program - Tuesday AND Thursday either 10am-1pm or 5pm 8pm
60-hour program - Tuesdays, Wednesdays, AND Thursdays either 10am-1pm or 5pm-8pm

Q: Who is this Sydney Banks and what does he have to do with drug treatment?

A: There is a growing understanding in the helping fields about Three Principles that change psychology and counseling from theories and guess work to an exact working science. It began over 37 years ago when Sydney Banks, an ordinary man, had a profound spiritual insight. He realized that there were three psycholgocial laws (Mind, Consciousness and Thought) governing all human experience. As he began to share his gift with the world a few psychologist and psychiatrists picked up on the dramatic changes that were happening with people. After some investigation, they too began to be affected by the insights this man had. They began to change how they approached their work by just talking to clients about their own personal insights from listening to Mr. Banks rather than going back into the past or using techniques that often offered little help anyway. Their clients began to change. But what surprised the helping professions was how much these clients were changing.

This new way of working with people was initially called Psychology of Mind and later was changed to Health Realization. There were times in the evolution where practitioners found their way back to techniques and concepts and consequentially the impact on listeners was lessened; but as our understanding has evolved we have come back to pointing people in the direction of these psychological laws or Principles. They are the foundation behind every human expcerience. It is these Three Principles that take us from guesswork and techniques to a working science similar to physics. Our evolution has uncovered what is behind long-lasting change.

These Three Principles explain our emotions, beliefs, concepts, behavior, etc. What Mr. Banks discovered is that that you don’t have to try to fix your behaviors, thoughts or emotions; the principles are showing us what is creating these experiences. While most cognitive approaches are examining the content of our personal thinking, we are looking at the human experience uncontaminated by our personal minds. That without our personal thinking straining our experience, all people access innate mental health and well-being, ease and common sense. From a healthier vantage point, overcoming addiction moves from something that one has to “cope” with day to day to a natural part of life. All of this from a welder with a 9th grade education. Amazing, isn't it?