ABOUT SIERRA TUCSON
On the same site as its behavioral health residential treatment center, Sierra Tucson operates an accredited and licensed hospital. A team of full-time medical professionals and therapists provide dual diagnosis treatment to individuals who struggle with alcohol or drug addiction as well as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. The facility, founded in 1983, prides itself on its highly educated staff and the effects of treatment for clients in its serene setting. An on-site detox unit is available through the hospital services and a chronic pain treatment program is also offered.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
During intake each client receives physical, psychiatric, and psychological evaluations and medical staff arrange for on-site detox and medication management as needed. Every plan of treatment incorporates some form of education, evidence-based therapeutic practices, and mind-body integrated therapy.
The facility provides access to dialectical behavior therapy and to trauma-specific modalities including eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and somatic experiencing. Biofeedback sessions, equine-assisted therapy, and acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, and shiatsu are also offered. Clients may be introduced to both traditional 12-step meetings and the SMART Recovery program.
Family members are encouraged to participate in a four-day program during their loved one’s stay, and continuing care is offered to clients for a year following their treatment.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
According to the facility’s website, the treatment team is comprised of physicians, social workers, counselors, and nurses, all of whom hold M.D., Ph.D., or Master’s degrees. Some staff members are trained in naturopathic medicine.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The rehab center and on-site Desert Flower Hospital are set on 160 acres of Arizona desert with views of the Santa Catalina Mountains and scenic walking trails. Personalized nutrition plans are offered and residents share semi-private rooms, although single rooms may be available in some circumstances. Some clients participate in art and drama therapy as well as using the on-site climbing wall, ropes course, and yoga studio.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Data collected by Best-rehabs.com indicate very strong alumni satisfaction with the facility and in particular with living arrangements, staff, and the offering of diverse holistic therapies. Close to 80 percent of 20 alumni polled would recommend Sierra Tucson. Asked to rate accommodations on a scale of one to five, they provided an average response of 4.55. In written reviews, however, three reported that the setting was not luxurious nor what was presented through marketing. One alum wrote anonymously: “The staff was caring and loving. However, it was not always the cleanest.”
In fact, of five alumni polled on the effectiveness of treatment, all gave four- or five-star ratings but one, and a metric measuring the program’s blend of therapies received a 4.21-star average rating from 19 surveys. However, several alumni described difficulty in accessing or scheduling the offered sessions.
Additional repeated complaints included poor follow-up and aftercare and too many patients, while multiple alumni cited the experience of helpfully addressing problems they hadn’t expected to deal with as a strength.
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
Ten loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com would all recommend the facility, providing nearly universally favorable ratings to each of 15 metrics measured. The program’s affordability received the lowest average rating and accommodations the highest.
WHAT STAFF SAY
All three current or former employees polled recommended Sierra Tucson, but two identified financing and costs as a weakness.
FINANCING
Treatment costs $49,000 per month, or $1,633 per day and clients may be able to apply out-of-network insurance coverage.
A majority of reviewers commented on the facility’s high cost. A little under half of these concluded that the experience was worth its cost, while the rest disagreed, some claiming the facility was too motivated by finances. Representing the former perspective, one alum wrote: “Super place just very expensive… Worth the cost because treatment was successful.”
CONCLUSION
In July 2016, the Arizona Daily Star reported that the facility was fined by the state for deficiencies in its acute psychiatric services. Since 2011, five male patients died while under care at the facility. At the time of the fine, the state found that sufficient improvements had been made to continue the program’s licensing. A statement from the facility included in the Star article emphasized its history of providing “clinical excellence and care” to clients and a commitment to continuous training and reviews.
Sierra Tucson is a member of the Acadia Healthcare network.