What Is a Guest?
GUEST noun
a: a person who is invited to visit or take part in an event
b: a person to whom hospitality is extended by a host
Why Is the Term “Guest” Important?
It is imperative as Royal Life Centers staff that we treat all of our guests equally with the same respect, kindness, and acceptance. To promote open communication and mutual respect during your time in our care, you also can expect the following:
- Our staff welcomes each guest at their own pace as they enter our program. This prevents any unnecessary feelings of anxiety or unease during their admission into treatment.
- Each guest is guided through the initial assessment and biopsychosocial evaluation upon entry to our program. After, you will collaborate with your therapist and case manager to create an individualized treatment plan
- We ensure that each guest understands that every question is welcome and encouraged. If you have any questions or concerns, please come to any staff member directly without apprehension.
- Royal Life Centers staff address guests by their first name or the name of preference. This maintains a level of comfort and cultivates trust.
- We give our guests a comprehensive tour of the grounds that they call home for the entirety of treatment. We also introduce guests to staff and other guests as a way to minimize nerves.
- We initiate conversations, pose thought-provoking questions, and cultivate healthy interactions between our guests to help you find a common bond with your peers.
- We’re here for you around the clock. Staff provides 24/7 support, providing company, comfort, and reassurance throughout treatment.
We work to guarantee that each guest feels secure and always position ourselves in a way that allows us to immediately be at their service if needed. For example, one of the ways our staff members at Royal Life Centers integrate a sense of compassion and sympathy within our programs is by using guest-centric language.
What Is ‘Guest-Centric’ Language?
We understand the importance of words— the things we say have the power to impact the way that others feel. We choose our words carefully because words can be powerful, and we prefer to speak in a language that shows positivity and intention. While words can heal and generate growth, they can also hurt and reduce someone’s motivation.
In fact, a lot of people want to be supportive and understanding of their loved one’s situations. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding substance use disorders is integrated into western society, so most people simply lack a positive example illustrating respectful, and non-judgmental language that helps those in the process of healing or finding help.
Guest-centric language, also known as person-first language (PFL), places the person before the disability, effectively describing what the person has, not what the person is. Our staff acknowledges that the guest-centric treatment of our guests extends beyond the programs and services and into the way that we address and speak to our guests. In fact, Royal Life Centers staff members use person-first language to emphasize each guest’s individuality, equality, and dignity.
How Can Person-First Language Help?
For people with substance use disorders, person-first phrases provide consistent, objective language to avoid stereotypes or labels. Instead of blaming language surrounding addiction, such as “addict,” PFL reframes the statement as “individual with a substance use disorder.”
Since our founding, Royal Life Centers has vowed to treat our guests as individuals. We don’t support any language that can be taken as demeaning. As a major treatment network, we see our responsibility in helping rewrite the standards and common knowledge surrounding addiction. We strive to make addiction education more prominent and accessible to those who need it. We see the first way to start is the way we talk about addiction.
Replacing terms like “addict,” “alcoholic,” “junkie,” and “druggie” with person-first language such as “individual with a SUD” decreases the inherent judgment and blame many Americans associate with addiction. Words shape how we view people and thus how we treat them. To help people with substance use disorders, we must change the way we speak about them and to them. This is why guest-centric language is so important to all of us at Royal Life Centers.
If you’re concerned you or a loved one has a substance use disorder, give us a call to see how we can help. Royal Life Centers treats a range of substance abuse issues safely and effectively. Our team is available 24/7 to answer your questions.
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