ABOUT RIVER CITY RECOVERY CENTER – SACRAMENTO
Founded in 1964, the nonprofit River City Recovery Center offers gender-specific residential treatment for men and women struggling with substance abuse. The facility in Sacramento, Calif., offers residential treatment for adult women only. Medical detox is not available on-site, but referrals can be made to local detox centers.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Treatment is based on the 12-Steps as well as a social model, under which recovery is an experience shared between residents and staff. All staff members are in treatment themselves and can provide more information about their experience. Due to common struggles with depression, anxiety, and trauma, staff supervise 24/7.
The primary components of treatment involve education and counseling. Through education, clients learn the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual effects of addiction. In individual and group counseling sessions, the facility uses elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and clients discuss relapse prevention, anger management, families, and goal setting. Family groups are held during the week and on weekends.
A 2015 article from the Sacramento Bee notes that “Residents stay for 30, 60, or 90 days, depending on what’s needed.” Aftercare consists of continued participation in 12-step programming. River City Recovery Center operates three sober living homes. If needed, successful clients can be transferred to one of these gender-specific homes at the end of treatment.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
According to the facility’s website, all employees are in recovery, and 90 percent graduated from the River City Recovery program. All counselors are licensed by the State of California. There do not appear to be any medical professionals on staff.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
River City Recovery Center in Sacramento is a large early twentieth-century home in the residential neighborhood of Midtown. According to the 2015 Sacramento Bee article mentioned above, this is a 24-bed facility where healthy meals are prepared by a culinary-school graduate. The article also mentions that there is room for 10 women in sober living.
The four individuals (two alumni and two loved ones) polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing gave the facility average ratings of 4.75 out of five stars for the quality of its accommodations and 4.5 out of five stars for the facility’s cleanliness.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Best-rehabs.com has received two reviews from alumni to date. Both gave five-star ratings for its treatment effectiveness and use of the 12-Steps, although they indicated that treatment was not strongly faith-based.
There were some categories for which the alumni offered polarized opinions. One alum, Travis, gave a mere one-star rating for the facility’s holistic options and a two-star rating for the facility’s treatment for co-occurring disorders, but the other reviewer, Tammy, gave five out of five stars for both these categories.
Reviews on secondary sites were generally mixed. Nine ratings on Google averaged 2.3 out of five stars where a one-star reviewer noted that the program was “very unprofessional.” Another wrote: “It sucked so bad you’ll hate yourself before u leave or get kicked out for not doing their stupid rules.” Also commenting on the rules of the facility, Stephanni gave a different perspective in her five-star review: “In the beginning, I was overwhelmed with the rules, but after breaking 35 of them, I changed. I realized that the rules are just here to help me.” She also wrote: “River City Recovery saved my life. The team of counselors that work here are compassionate and patient.”
Additionally, on the facility’s Facebook page, which it can manage, River City Recovery Center earned an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars to date from 15 reviewers, though some feedback is from men who wouldn’t have participated in the women’s program. Alum Megan wrote: “This place hasn’t only changed the way I lived my life, it’s shown me how to appreciate all of the little things that I once took for granted. Its often our perception of the world that seems to be the real issue.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The two loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com gave very positive feedback to River City Recovery Center, both awarding four out of five stars or higher for the program’s treatment effectiveness, accommodations, facility cleanliness, affordability, and available counseling options.
A loved one, who chose to remain anonymous, wrote: “Its an amazing program that has helped my loved one through recovery.” The other reviewer similarly commented that the program helps “get the mind back on track.” However, the same loved one gave two out of five stars for the facility’s administrative and discharge procedures, though they provided no more context for the feedback.
An additional loved one left a rating for one out of five stars on Google for his wife’s experience with the facility, noting rude staff who did not understand her diet restrictions. “They do not understand alcoholism! Do not take your loved one here!” Jerry wrote.
WHAT STAFF SAY
Though Best-rehabs.com has yet to receive feedback from staff members, those who left remarks on Google to date did not recommend the program. Christine gave one out of five stars and wrote: “I worked here for 10 years, staff are uneducated and told what to do by someone who sits on her butt. I wouldn’t send my dog there.” Sabrina added, “Just BAD and I worked there.”
FINANCING
According to the facility’s website, fees are often covered by private insurance or entitlement programs, and reduced rates are available depending on client income.
According to the person who runs the facility, Kurt von Geldern, in an interview for the previously mentioned Sacremento Bee article, “We’re $3,500 a month, so that’s just a little over $100 a day,” and sober living costs $450 per month.