As the previous reviewer noted, its really a rooming house (for men now) that requires urines on a weekly basis, but offers no support, classes, or anything like a community. The website claims there are relapse prevention, 1v1 counseling, group counseling, daily meetings, resume building, life building, a yoga room & "days out". I can verify that not a single one of those things are offered or exist.
The clinical director (CD) is in Georgia & was supposed to run virtual group counseling sessions weekly, but this never happened. There was no individual or group support for clients at all. The treadmill is broken. There are free weights, but there is no space amongst the packed furniture to work out i.e. no 'workout studio'. It is a nice house, & most rooms are nice. The clients keep it clean. They did upgrade the internet and clients contributed to make the house's conditions better than most. I especially appreciated being able to have my own bedroom & freedom to have my own TV etc. There are 8 bedrooms for clients & 1 for the house manager (HM). At peak there were 6 clients, after I left 3 remain.
The place claims to place a heavy emphasis on following a 12 step program. Yet the HM doesn't work any recovery program at all, no meetings, sponsor or step work. This is open knowledge to the clients, owners, & CD. Mostly, the HM was completely absent. When he wasn't at work, he'd be in his room with the door closed, or smoking on the back porch. I had a handful of conversations with him. He made all the right comments regarding brotherhood, encouraging each other, being there to pick you up when you've fallen etc. Literally days later he betrayed me in every possible way.
Regarding the CD, it's more accurate to say there isn't one. When he was still in CT, he claimed to have designed and started the IOP program at the APT Foundation, among other prestigious accomplishments in the recovery community. This was demonstrated to be false the next day by a client attending the IOP at the APT Foundation who spoke with APT foundation management. I was told later by other clients and the HM that the CD made ridiculous claims all the time, and they were best ignored. The one interaction we had was his offer to write me a supportive letter. This never happened, despite following up several times. At best the CD is an absent, unsupportive, egomaniac with no knowledge of the individual needs & histories of his clients. At worst he is dangerously delusional.
My main issue is personal but does illustrate favoritism, poor judgement, & unequal application of rules. For example, a client was allowed to use marijuana, & received no consequences he stealing the HM's medication in front of the HM & snorting it. Clients that relapsed, could have a range of consequences from none, forced IOP, forced back into inpatient, or expulsion in 'extreme cases'. Many clients had relapsed numerous times and were allowed extra chances. Consequences seem to be based on the mood of the HM. If he felt he had been lied to or manipulated he was vindictive and cruel. He thought I had abused one of my prescriptions, but I refused to admit to something I didn't do. He even said that if I admitted I had taken a few xanax & regretted it, we could move on with no consequences other than him keeping a closer eye on me.
I was expelled after an instant drug test came back +ve for alcohol & THC (in contradiction to the house tests & totally separate from what had spawned the issue). I would think that any rational authority would wait for reliable results, or conclusive evidence before extreme action. The HM took contradictory results to management immediately. He could have waited a few days for the lab test results, had my room searched for evidence, or engaged with the clients I interacted with most to see if any of this made sense relative to my day to day behavior. Rather than protect me as he had with other clients I think he chose to throw me to the wolves with incomplete, unreliable information b/c he thought I had lied. I do know my doctor explained to both the HM & owners that instant results were notoriously unreliable, they knew lab results confirming the truth would be back within days, and they knew that suddenly removing all support, especially in such a traumatizing way nearly guarantees a tragic result.
I got no apology when the lab results confirmed I was clean & telling the truth. Nor did the owner address my concerns about the HM & CD. I've heard the place is for sale so the owner's may have even less incentive to improve things. It's likely nothing will change, clients will remain at the mercy of a vindictive, absent HM, & delusional CD. The fact that there have been zero successful discharges in the past year tells you everything, if you're considering coming here to further your recovery. read more
