ABOUT INSTITUTE OF LIVING
Located in Hartford, Conn., the Institute of Living is a nonprofit psychiatric center that provides a continuum of care for adults, children, adolescents, and seniors struggling with chemical dependency, mental health concerns, co-occurring disorders, and other behavioral challenges. The institute provides inpatient care, partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP). Medical detoxification services are available on-site.
The Institute of Living has been in operation since 1882 and is now a division of Hartford Hospital. The same agency operates Natchaug Hospital, which offers substance abuse and mental health treatment for children and adults.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Before beginning treatment at the Institute of Living, individuals undergo a comprehensive psychiatric and behavioral assessment. Treatment plans draw from an array of modalities, including a psychopharmacological model, which incorporates medication-assisted and talk therapy; a recovery model, which centers the client and their choices; and milieu therapy, which is long-term and based in a community of participants. According to institute’s website, treatment addresses the whole person’s well-being.
Inpatient care for chemical dependency involves a highly-structured schedule of group counseling, educational sessions, and recreational therapy. Medication-assisted therapy, utilizing Suboxone, is available to clients struggling with opioid addiction. Aftercare planning is prioritized throughout inpatient care.
Along with integrated dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring chemical dependency and psychiatric disorders, the facility also offers specialized group therapy to treat compulsive hoarding and eating disorders. Groups are also tailored for specific populations, such as new mothers, LGBT individuals, young adults, and seniors. A track for professionals is offered through both short-term inpatient and intensive outpatient programming.
Intensive outpatient programs typically meet three times a week for six weeks. Drug and alcohol screening is required in most cases.
For child and adolescent clients, the Webb School on-site offers K-12 classroom instruction.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Psychiatrists and psychologists at the Institute of Living have a variety of certifications and areas of interest listed on the facility’s website, including Suboxone and detox. Among the several languages spoken by treatment staff members are Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, and Italian. Additional treatment team members include social workers, recreational therapists, and licensed substance abuse counselors.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Situated on a 35-acre campus, the Institute of Living is comprised of three adult inpatient facilities, an adolescent unit, and a unit designated for seniors. While specific information on the institute’s website regarding the facility’s living arrangements and amenities is limited, seven individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing generally approved of the quality of accommodations. Metrics measuring meals and nutrition, exercise and leisure activities, and the facility’s cleanliness and upkeep each received average ratings of more than 3.7 out of five stars.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The four alumni polled by Best-rehabs.com to date offered an average rating of 3.8 stars for the effectiveness of treatment and four for the staff’s level of training and experience. Three of the four reviewers provided more moderate three-star ratings for the facility’s counseling options. “Very defined treatment plan and competent staff,” one alum commented. Overall, comments revealed a trend toward describing the facility in favorable but moderate terms, such as “adequate” and “decent.”
Holistic therapy options, a stated key value of the institute, received an average rating of 3.3 stars. Dual diagnosis treatment opinions were split between two positive four-star ratings and one of just one star.
One alum expressed concerns over the accommodations of LGBTQ patients. “Patients that were non-heterosexual were not allowed to have a room with a room-mate,” the alum wrote, adding that some patients felt the policy was “embarassing, humiliating, and discrimitory.”
On Google, 30 individuals contributed to an average rating of 2.6 out of five stars. Comments included a mix of complaints about ineffective treatment, over-reliance on medication, and inattentive treatment staff, along with praise for the continuum of treatment available and a few compliments for staff.[1]
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The three loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com submitted overwhelmingly positive opinions of the facility. Two loved ones gave perfect five-star ratings for family participation and the third granted four stars. “I was able to learn a lot about myself, handle things much better,” a loved one wrote. The staff — with ratings of three, four, and five stars for training and experience — was characterized as knowledgeable and caring. One reviewer noted that caseloads and busyness sometimes compromised the quality of care, a sentiment reflected in some Google reviews.
WHAT STAFF SAY
Secondary sources also revealed positive opinions of the facility among former and current employees. On Indeed, eight reviewers gave the facility an average rating of four out of five stars, repeatedly citing dedicated co-workers as a strength. However, one individual reported that the facility was too large and had “lost its mission.”[2]
FINANCING
The Institute of Living accepts private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare. Financial counseling is provided, and assistance is available to eligible patients. The six individuals polled on the matter by Best-rehabs.com rated the facility’s affordability 3.83 stars on average.
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