ABOUT RAPHA MINISTRIES, INC.
Founded in 1997 and based in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Alabama, Rapha Ministries, Inc. runs the Rapha Treatment Center, one of the 81 (59.6 percent) private, non-profit substance abuse facilities in the state. Christian in its mission, this center provides long-term, faith-based residential treatment for men who are at least 19 years of age, who are struggling with addiction, unhealthy relationships, codependency, anger, and loneliness. The center does not offer medical detox.
Priority treatment is given to IV drug users and HIV+ individuals, an ancillary service that is part of 107 (78.7 percent) Alabama treatment facilities.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Treatment is strongly rooted in Christian principles and is based on the 12-Steps. The length of stay depends on the individual client’s needs, but the first phase of treatment, “crisis,” tends to last 49 days; the second, less intensive phase, lasts roughly four months. Most residents stay between six months and a year.
Residents are kept busy with programming from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. A typical day includes chores, 12- step work, and one hour’s worth of devotional practices. There are also daily classes in life and coping skills such as financial management and relapse prevention. Local referrals are provided for adult education (including GED preparation), vocational rehabilitation, and treating co-occurring disorders,
STAFF CREDENTIALS
According to its website, Rapha’s team includes three full-time employees, two part-time employees, and 10 volunteers. The staff includes a licensed clinical social worker, two master’s level counselors, and a chaplain. The facility does not employ any medical staff, but clinicians and other staff members have first aid, CPR, and crisis intervention training. The two individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the center a two-star rating and a five-star rating for its staff’s level of training and experience.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The facility sleeps a maximum of 54 men in basic shared rooms, quite a high capacity given that the median number of individuals in a non-hospital, residential treatment facility at a given time is 32 clients.
The 10-acre campus is comprised of simple cabins on the banks of a lake and a creek, and there is also a chapel on-site. The two individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com to date disagreed about the quality of the center’s accommodations and amenities. One gave the facility two-, three-, and three-star ratings for its cleanliness, accommodations, and meals, respectively, and the other gave five-, four-, and five-star ratings in the same categories.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Best-rehabs.com has not yet received any reviews directly from alumni of this facility, but secondary review sites yielded mostly positive feedback. On the facility’s Facebook page, which it has the ability to monitor, a 3.7-star average rating was produced by 12 users to date.[1] The positive comments all make note of the caring staff; however, the negative comments all revolve around problems with money. “I believe they are more interested in collecting the insurance money than the well being of the addict,” M.A. posted in a representative negative review.
The sole review on YellowPages.com to date was highly negative, offering the facility just one star overall.[2] “All in all, a very bad experience and probably did hurt my sobriety more than help,” C.S. wrote, after describing an array of nefarious practices.
Numerous other alumni on Google, however, regarded the facility in glowing terms, and the seven reviewers generated a 4.4- out of five-star average rating.[3] Many former clients felt that the program had helped to turn their lives around, often when they had run out of hope. “I went to rehab after rehab and couldn’t stay sober. Rapha made the difference for me. I think their ‘no nonsense’ approach to recovery made the difference. I needed discipline and personal accountability in my life – Rapha is where I learned that,” B.H. wrote in a representative review.
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
Of the two reviews from loved ones submitted to Best-rehabs.com to date, one was mostly positive and one was mostly negative. Both reviewers agreed that the center’s holistic offerings were poor, giving this category a one-star and a two-star rating. When surveyed on facility weaknesses, one loved one listed, “not a lot of extra activies to do,” and the other simply stated, “Not effective.” Additionally, both loved ones gave gave lukewarm feedback regarding the center’s exercise and leisure provisions, giving them a two-star rating and a three-star rating.
Otherwise, the satisfied reviewer awarded five out of five stars to most categories, including counseling options, admissions & discharge procedures, and whether or not treatment was worth the cost. Feeling that the program’s “Christian” foundation was a facility strength, this loved one added, “my son received treatment there and they really care about the patient, family and their needs.” Contrastingly, the other loved one gave the same categories of counseling options, admissions & discharge procedures, and whether or not treatment was worth the cost all ratings of just one or two stars.
FINANCING
Treatment costs vary according to the client’s needs and length of stay, but according to a Rapha brochure, one day of treatment can begin at $25. The two reviewers polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the center four and five out of five stars for its affordability.
[1] https://www.facebook.com/pg/Rapha-Ministries-352809224775086/reviews/
[2] https://www.yellowpages.com/attalla-al/mip/rapha-christian-home-6287740?lid=6287740
[3] GoogleReviews