Creative Care Malibu

Creative Care Malibu Malibu California

Founded in 1989, Creative Care was one of the first residential rehabs to offer treatment for both substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. Today the facility continues to provide high quality dual-diagnosis care in a safe and structured environment. Treatment programs combine 12-step philosophy with a full range of traditional and experiential therapies, along with psychiatric and psychological services designed to uncover the underlying issues that contribute to addiction and can threaten long-term sobriety if left untreated.

ABOUT CREATIVE CARE – MALIBU

Nestled among luxurious homes overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Creative Care in Malibu provides residential substance abuse treatment to adult men and women. The upscale facility, which was founded in 1989, operates two facilities in California with a specific mission to treat co-occurring mental health disorders that often underlie — and perpetuate — addiction. Medically monitored detox services and transitional living are also available.

TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT

Within the first 48 hours, clients go through a clinical assessment and meet with key program staff members. A personalized treatment plan is developed for each client. Staff members meet twice a week to discuss current treatment outcomes for each client and to recommend next steps.

Creative Care incorporates 12-step principles into recovery education. The majority of therapy, however, is focused on individual mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and it utilizes evidence-based methodologies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

Clients meet with both a primary counselor and a consulting psychiatrist up to three times a week. Family therapy can be arranged as needed. Additional services and therapeutic activities include neurofeedback, yoga, on-site equine therapy, art therapy, nutrition therapy, and adventure therapies.

Residential care can last from 30 to 90 days, and at the end of formal treatment, clients have the option to stay in the transitional living program. Clients have the option to continue with the clinical services, such as therapy, but can still work at a job, volunteer, or go to school. Transportation is provided.

For clients that want to go back home, aftercare specialists work with clients to ensure a smooth transition back into their regular lives.

STAFF CREDENTIALS

The treatment team includes psychiatrists, licensed psychologists, therapists, registered nurses, certified addictions treatment counselors, and a dietician.

ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES

Men and women live in separate houses, both of which offer luxury accommodations and scenic ocean views. Clients can further enjoy the views from furnished balconies.

Most clients stay in a furnished room with two beds. While private rooms are available, they’re assigned to clients at the discretion of the program director. Amenities include an in-house chef and an outdoor pool.

WHAT ALUMNI SAY

Best-rehabs.com has received two reviews for Creative Care in Malibu that are mostly positive. Both alumni surveyed by Best-rehabs.com rated the facility five out of five stars for treatment effectiveness and praised the program for its customized treatment and focus on co-occurring disorders.

The facility also received 4.3 out of five stars from 18 reviews on Yelp, including one from Morgan, who wrote: “I have been to several treatment centers and this is by far the best treatment center I’ve been to… The staff is wonderful, not only are they caring but very knowledgeable… I would recommend to any who is looking to get sober that they do so at Creative Care.” Though negative reviewers were the minority, Evanthia gave just one star and wrote: “Worst place ever.”

In stark contrast to Best-rehabs.com and Yelp reviewers, alumni providing feeback to CiteHealth gave the facility 1.7 out of five stars from 13 reviews. Anonymous reviewers described the medical care as “substandard,” the staff as “unprofessional,” and the accommodations as “unkempt.” Many also noticed a marked difference between what was advertised on the rehab’s website and the care they received. Additional ratings appear on the facility’s Facebook page, which it has the ability to manage. From 25 reviewers, the facility has received 4.6 out of five stars.

WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY

One loved one submitted feedback to Best-rehabs.com for Creative Care Malibu at the time of this writing. The review was fairly negative. Loved one Terri, who complained that Creative Care in Malibu kicked her son out in the middle of treatment, wrote to Best-rehabs.com that she would not recommend the facility. There were also two anonymous parents who took to CiteHealth to report that their children were overmedicated.

WHAT STAFF SAY

At the time of this writing, a single staff member has provided feedback about this facility to Best-rehabs.com. Ratings and commentary were mostly negative and came from a staffer who “worked their for a considerable amount of time.” D.C. also mentioned overmedication and said: “Some of these staff members are ex hardcore violent criminals and read and write at a 6th grade level. On the other hand, some are good, caring, experienced and licensed.”

FINANCING

According to Creative Care’s website, most private insurance plans are accepted, including United Healthcare, Humana One, and Aetna.

[1] https://www.yelp.com/biz/creative-care-malibu

[2] http://citehealth.com/rehab-centers/california/cities/malibu/creative-care-inc

[3] https://www.facebook.com/pg/creativecaremalibu/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Services provided by Creative Care Malibu


Service Setting

  • Outpatient
  • Residential
  • Intensive Outpatient

    • Type of Care

  • Detox
  • Substance Abuse Treatment

    • Treatment Approaches

  • Anger Management
  • Brief Intervention
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Contingency Managementmotivational Incentives
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Relapse Prevention
  • Substance Abuse Counseling
  • Trauma-related Counseling
  • 12-step Facilitation

    • Detoxification

  • Alcohol Detoxification
  • Benzodiazepines Detoxification
  • Cocaine Detoxification
  • Opioid Detoxification

    • License/Certification/Accreditation

  • State Substance Abuse Agency
  • Commission On Accreditation Of Rehabilitation Facilities

    • Genders Accepted

  • Male
  • Female

    • Creative Care Malibu Reviews

    ive really enjoyed my stay at creative care, all the staff have truly saved my life. i don't know where i would be today had i not received the opportunity to get the help i needed from this treatment center. i thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the staff as they became part of my family. i'll forever be grateful for creative care and all it has to offer. i look forward to coming to visit during alumni.
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    • The location was amazing. The therapeutic groups were very informative and helpful. Staff at Creative Care were very helpful in guiding me in the direction I needed to go. Conversations with my assigned counselor, clinical director, and therapist were very constructive. This is the place to seek help. Don't let your emotions and feelings make you run. Once you push through those feelings, life can get so much better.
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    • Creative Care is a serene and tranquil place to come get sober and work on yourself. Each morning I woke up to rabbits and deer roaming the property, and every night I went to sleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the ocean. They offer things like yoga twice a week, a private chef, a massage, equine therapy, and much more. But what is truly incredible is the clinical program. When I came to Creative Care, I was broken, scared, and a shell of a person with no real intimacy in my life. I pushed away everyone and hated who I was. I lived my life in fear and numbed my pain with drugs, alcohol, and disordered eating. Because of the amazing clinical program, my individual therapist, process groups, supportive peers, a nutritionist, and the 12 step program, I can say I love myself today. Creative Care has truly changed my life, I'll forever be grateful!
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    • Creative Care has great therapy, great food, and great views. All the staff actually care. They all have great advice and really take the time to listen. My therapist was literally the best therapist I have ever had. I've been to treatment 7 times and my therapist at Creative Care has been the only person to understand and get to the root of why I use. Creative Care is one of the top rehabs I have ever been too.
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    • I am so thankful for Creative Care for not only saving my life, but also helping me believe in myself again and creating a new life that I never thought was possible. 5 years ago I was struggling from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and a pill addiction. I was terrified of the world and my own war that I was living daily in my head. I saw many therapists during that time and no one knew what to do with me. Creative Care never gave up on me. The staff were so patient and loving towards me. From individual therapy and therapeutic groups at the facility, I began to love myself again and trust that I can be in control of my own life. I had assigned staff counselors helping me along my journey and gave me there undivided attention. I am also truly thankful for the family therapy given there. During my addiction i created a lot havoc and thought i destroyed relationships with my family. Creative Care and my therapist there educated my family on addiction and helped bring my family back together! At Creative Care, my therapist suggested that I should go back to school. I never thought I could that! …but I followed direction. Now I have almost 5 years clean and sober and completed my Master’s degree in psychology! None of this would be possible if it wasn’t for Creative Care believing in me and teaching me that life is too short to spend it scared. Thank you for saving my life.
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    • This place has no concern for clients and staff completely out off line when coming to boundaries with clients
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    • Creative Care offers an excellent dual diagnosis recovery program based in Malibu, CA. The facility is amazing with superior views of the Pacific Ocean and amazing views of the sunrise and sunset offering a very tranquil and serine environment. The staff is second to none compared to other facilities and the fact that individual therapy is offered three times a week plus one to three times a week visit with a M.D. for medication management. They offer many vary types of process groups such as trauma, recreational, and in house support group meetings. There are almost daily outings to the beech and on weekends able to see a movie at the theatre or mini golf. They go out of their way during the holidays to make clients feel welcome and not homesick. On Christmas they even give gifts to the clients. The food was excellent too!
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    • My son went to Creative Care and received excellent care. They are truly a dual diagnosis treatment center and their clinical staff have many years of experience in this field. I also use to work there and have seen first hand the work that is being done. That is why after leaving employment there, I trusted them enough to send my son there. As a professional at another treatment center, we often use each other centers to get the clients the best and most effective care. Knowing Creative Care has been open for nearly 30 years is very reassuring and I can recommend it wholeheartedly!
    Having worked as a contract worker at Creative Care I interacted with patients and staff daily. Much the staff were dedicated helping professionals, however there were some staff members who exhibited fearful controlling behavior, including some well-trained professionals, which resulted in poor clinical decisions detrimental to positive experience and outcomes for the patients. There are superior treatment facilities available.
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    • THIS IS THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!! DR. WAS WONDERFUL AND COMPASSIONATE, ALSO STERN. WAS SO HELPFUL ALSO THE STAFF ARE ALWAYS THERE TO HELP. ADDICTION IS NEVER EASY BUT GETTING TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HELPS AND THAT WHAT THIS FACILITY DID. I BELIEVE IT SAVED MY SONS LIFE. HE WAS IN 5 PRIOR PLACES BUT NOTHING STUCK, ALWAYS WENT BACK TO USING. AFTER SPENDING A FULL DAY WITH HIM, HE AKNOWLEDGED THAT CC WAS THE BEST PLACE AND IN HIS HEART IT WAS THE ONE THAT SAVED HIM. ALL I KNOW IS I TAKE EACH DAY AT A TIME , AND NO SO FRIGHTENED TO GET THAT CALL ABOUT MY SON. IN GODS HANDS I LEAVE HIM BUT MY HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO LL AT CREATIVE CARE!!!!!
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    • Creative Care is a facility which suffers from fundamental problems which are, unfortunately not exclusive to them. That said, their practices have many moral and ethical deficiencies. I say this experience having worked their for a considerable amount of time. To begin with, as soon as a new admit comes in, they try to administer the MMPI as quickly as possible in order to get a co-morbid diagnosis. It is well established that giving someone a psychological test of any kind in early stages of recovery (under a year), let alone while still in the midst of a detox is HIGHLY unethical and will likely yield inaccurate results. Yet, with Creative Care, this is their modus operandi. The result is just as one would expect, for women that typically means Borderline Personality Disorder and for men Bipolar at the very least. It is well understood that ANYONE who is coming down from drugs and/or alcohol are going to invariably test with a psychological disturbance of some variety. The question is; why would they or any treatment center do this? The answer is complicated and as much political as it is practical. It means more can be billed to the insurance companies. In defense of this (if there is one) insurance companies have in recent years, gone out of their way to deny payment of services. This IS a major problem and often times, places treatment centers in the position of having to bend the rules in order to stay afloat. Unfortunately, for the client, the result is being stuck with a diagnosis that is questionable to say the least and will likely follow them for the rest of their lives. Its a bad situation all around. While some people might not take issue with this, I certainly do because the client should come first. They claim that their staff are licensed, In terms of their Resident Aide staff, Most are RRW's meaning, a Registered Recovery Worker. Anyone can go onto one of two state approved websites, pay the $50.00 and become a "Registered Recovery Worker." That is NOT a credential, that is a promise to someday get a credential. Please don't be confused by this. Some of these staff members are ex hardcore violent criminals and read and write at a 6th grade level. On the other hand, some are good, caring, experienced and licensed. that being the case, most of the qualified staff don't stay long and usually leave due to the culture of nepotism and gross incompetence. On the other hand, some of the therapists are actually quite good and good work gets done there. Unfortunately, that is the exception and not the rule. The therapists, usually interns (interns make some of the best therapists by the way) are, like all staff there, bound to uphold the culture there, which limits their ability to do the work they might otherwise be able to do. This usually means clients who are over-medicated and sometimes barely able to complete a sentence, let alone get into high quality, effective therapy. They have been sanctioned for shoving too many beds into one of their houses among other issues, again, they are not the treatment center to do this. Their track record of employee treatment is deplorable to say the least. They govern by fear which tends to be counter-productive to creating an environment of high morale and pride. I wont even go any further into that other than to say that this (indirectly) affects the overall treatment of the clients because this culture tends to trickle down. My advice for anyone seeking treatment for a loved one or for yourself is to ask question, do your homework and make sure that a treatment center is not stocked with a bunch of RRW's or RADT's (registered but not licensed) techs, but individuals who are certified. Because of the end of the day, these are the people who interact with clients the most. I hope this review helps.
    “The road map Dr. talks about helps teach us how important it is to trace back to events in our lives that influence the emotional dynamics of addiction. The physical and family history of addiction, along with the emotional influences bring a much needed clarity to why we call addiction a disease and that recovery is made possible with a new awareness of each person’s unique diagnosis. This new awareness will arm the person in recovery about triggers that when known can be met with a plan that will help them reach out to their support team instead of relapsing. We loved the Dr.'s book so much we have been lending it to others who face this disease and seek answers. We wish every treatment program in the world would treat each person like Creative Care! This family is very grateful to have found this level of care as we continue our family recovery! We got our son back!!!!! Thanks to ALL of YOU and our SON!!!” – Parent
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    • Ive been to 7 rehabs and unfortunately, this was definitely one of my worst experiences. My first night there my room was dirty, the shower didnt work (no hot water for 10 minutes) and they had nobody on staff that could give me any medication. I came in high on meth and ended up going to a hospital (in an ambulance, apparently thats their policy). That kind if set the tone for me. The groups were mostly run by techs and there was almost no "addiction recovery knowledge". It would occaisionally be a little hand out and those were alright. One guy ran great groups with a focus on solution and recovery. That was a vast minority, though. My therapist and I worked well together for a few weeks, but as I became increasingly discouraged with their program and dealing with an overwhelming sense that I was wasting my time there, things just took a turn for the worse. I was easily dismissed. Its easy to fly under the radar there as they have what I consider to be way too many clients for their capabilities (it got up as high as 35 clients). Just a meat factory. I saw some people have a spiritual, positive experience and Im glad they did. Im not saying it cant be done. I just think this place makes it extremely difficult to do. And the meetings they take you too are terrible. Its basically just the clients from Creative Care and those meetings have very, very little recivery in the room.
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    I am calling our insurance company to complain as they made my son leave in middle of drug therapy.
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    • The shining beacon of hope that Creative Care has been in my life lies in the premiere quality of the therapy, both individual and group. Too many interns. It gets uncomfortable in the winter and summer (no heat or AC) Remoteness was a weakness. I'm dual diagnosis, both bi-polar and and alcoholic/addict, and I found Creative Care to be a good fit because that is what they specialize in. It is a safe place in which to heal. I've been there twice, both time in crisis and they helped me crawl my way back to the living. The group and individual therapy really is amazing. Extras: Great views, trips to the beach 5 day/week, food is DELISH, horse therapy, beds are comfy!
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    • I really felt that Creative Care understood how to deal with dual diagnosis. Other facilities have claimed that they deal with dual diagnosis clients and have individualized programs, but they do not. Creative Care was able to help me deal with my depression, anxiety, and trauma, as well as my opiate and alcohol addiction. I have been sober for over 7 years now. I owe my life to the amazing work that these people do!