I was a client there from around October 11th or 12th until December 17th or 18th.
The first issue started before I even arrived. I was promised a nice house near the beach. Instead, they changed plans and moved me into an apartment they claimed was just as good. It was not. It was filthy and had cockroaches. I eventually transferred to one of their houses, which was much better, so I will not dwell on it too much, but it was absolutely false advertising and a terrible way to start treatment when you are already vulnerable.
When I arrived at the office for intake, the caseworker seemed annoyed he had to work on a Saturday. He was not welcoming at all and even offered to sign my name without me reading the paperwork because it would take too long. That was a terrible first impression and made me feel like I was just paperwork and insurance, not a person.
I was placed into their seven day per week PHP program, even though I had just come from another PHP. Seven days per week would make sense if there were an actual structured program, but there was not. There was no consistency, no routine, and no clear plan. They brought in random facilitators because they did not have permanent staff, and it showed.
Lunch breaks were supposed to be from 11.30 to 12.00 but often started earlier and lasted much longer, sometimes over two hours. After that, they frequently did not know what to do with us and just sent us home. Meanwhile, they were billing insurance as if we were receiving full treatment.
There was no real programming most days. Several times we literally watched Wednesday Addams instead of participating in recovery work. That is not treatment.
Weekend outings were poorly planned and inconsistent. One time they took us to a Disney event without telling us ahead of time that we would be searched. I had a bike pump with me and was not allowed inside, so I had to go all the way back to the van while the driver complained about us complaining and said we should be grateful they took us anywhere at all. It was unprofessional and embarrassing.
I got a job during this time, which they initially approved. Later they told me I needed to log into Zoom while working so it would look like I was participating in programming. That made their priorities very clear.
The staff overall were disorganized and unprofessional. Admissions made promises that did not match reality. Politics and controversial topics were openly discussed and argued about, which is completely inappropriate in a recovery setting. Some clients were allowed to shame transgender clients without staff stepping in.
One staff member I personally liked was still very inappropriate and talked openly about her private body parts during group and van rides. She was nice, but clearly not properly trained or supervised.
At the house, accountability was almost nonexistent. Curfews were not enforced. Breathalyzer tests were often done on camera but never reviewed. One girl regularly drank alcohol and faced no consequences because nobody actually checked. The first house manager was relapsing himself for weeks before he was finally fired. A couple was using heroin upstairs and was only caught because clients reported it. Another person regularly brought strangers into the house for sex.
Pets were allowed, but two large dogs were aggressive toward other dogs, and nothing was done about it.
I relapsed while I was there. The boredom, lack of structure, lack of accountability, and my growing depression while being in that environment made recovery harder, not easier. Instead of feeling supported, I felt hopeless, frustrated, and worse mentally than when I arrived.
Many clients spent more time going to the gym next door just to do something productive while the program billed insurance for treatment that was not really happening.
I did not see anyone truly benefit from being there. Most people were frustrated, miserable, and felt taken advantage of.
This experience made me lose trust in treatment programs for a while. Thankfully, I later found a much better program elsewhere.
Admissions is welcome to respond and say I am lying. That is fine. This review is not just for future clients. It is also for Asana themselves. You need to look honestly at your shortcomings and take them seriously if you truly care about helping people. There is a lot that I witnessed there that needs to be addressed.
Clients come first. If they do not, then you will not last as a business, and you should not.
Even if Asana chooses to ignore this, future clients deserve to know what they are walking into so they can make an informed decision.
I hope you improve, because people deserve better.
I wish everyone the best. read more
