Executive Recovery Center

Executive Recovery Center

ABOUT EXECUTIVE RECOVERY CENTER

Located on the coast in Stuart, Fla., Executive Recovery Center, formerly known as the Lukens Institute, offers a partial hospitalization program (PHP) with sober housing for adults struggling with chemical dependency and co-occurring disorders. The facility’s specialized programming is aimed at high-functioning individuals, such as professionals. Medical detoxification is not available on-site, however, the facility partners with local treatment providers that specialize in medical detox services.

TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT

Offering non-traditional programming, Executive Recovery Center is founded on the belief that addiction is not a disease, but rather an outward expression of an internal problem — a “collection of impulses and behaviors” driven by psychological and emotional issues. As such, treatment uses the center’s own curriculum, Core Issue Completion Therapy, to identify and treat underlying issues that may contribute to addictive behavior. These factors may include emotional and psychological problems related to family dynamics, abuse, trauma, grief, abandonment, neglect, parental death, and divorce.

To address and modify their addictive behavior, clients participate in daily intensive one-on-one and group therapy sessions. Treatment typically lasts for one month and does not incorporate the 12-Steps or other peer-led support fellowships.

As a program designed for high-functioning individuals, Executive Recovery Center provides free time in the afternoon for relaxing, exercising, and addressing business matters remotely. Treatment is offered Monday through Saturday, with no clinical services on Sundays.

The facility also offers specialized support for retirees. The Coping with Retirement track addresses isolation, depression, and anxiety. Counseling sessions are designed to help retirees effectively cope with unstructured downtime.

STAFF CREDENTIALS

There currently is no information provided on the facility’s website regarding its treatment staff. However, the 34 individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing provided polarized opinions of the staff. While some praised the effectiveness of the treatment staff, others were overall critical. “The Lukens Institute has the best therapists and psychologists,” alum T.RH. wrote, while alum F.S.C. described staff as “rude, sarcastic and uncaring.”

ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES

Clients who attend the Lukens Institute PHP reside in supervised, supportive housing off-site. A Best-rehabs.com survey indicated that clients’ accommodations included private or shared bedrooms and a fully-equipped kitchen. Although the facility employs a resident chef, clients also can prepare their own meals with food and kitchenware provided by the center. According to the facility’s website, clients have access to a gym and outdoor pool and may bring cell phones and personal computers.

WHAT ALUMNI SAY

The 32 alumni polled by Best-rehabs.com to date offered mixed opinions of Executive Recovery Center. Satisfied former clients tended to praise the facility’s proprietary treatment approach. “I have been to several treatment centers and have never experienced the type of therapy that they do.” Jeremy wrote. Offering a perfect five out of five stars for the facility’s treatment effectiveness, William commented: “Extremely helpful at getting me to focus on my core issues.” Another alum wrote: “Definitely recommend this rehab to anyone who is serious about getting and staying sober.”

Dissatisfied alumni criticized the accommodations, issues of overcrowding, and a perceived financially-driven treatment approach. Although reporting effective therapy sessions, alum C. wrote: “The operations and accommodations ruin the therapy.” Reporting overcrowding, F.S.C. added: “All the Lukens Center cares about is money!” Rating the facility’s counseling options with one out of five stars, alum Jackie also cited overcrowding as a weakness.

WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY

Two loved ones submitted divergent reviews of the Lukens Institute to Best-rehabs.com to date. One, the wife of a client, awarded five out of five stars for treatment effectiveness, one star for accommodations and amenities, and four stars for meals and nutrition. The one-star rating was because “While some of the accommodations are ‘standards of luxury,’ other properties are not.” The other loved one suggested the facility prolonged his wife’s treatment to increase billing charges.

FINANCING

There currently is no information provided on the facility’s website or otherwise regarding its costs; however, Best-rehabs.com survey respondents suggested that the facility accepts private insurance for some of its treatments.

Executive Recovery Center Reviews

One guy there is a waco. Do not go there!!!!
SENT MY WIFE THERE FOR TREATMENT THEY BRAINWASHED HER LEFT ME AND HER GRANDCHILDREN WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN PLUS KEEPING HER THEIR XTRA TIME BECAUSE I HAVE GOOD INSURANCE
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    • This place was wonderful for my rehabilitation. Staff was attentive but firm. I learned a lot of life skills necessary to be successful in my recovery. Definitely recommend this rehab to anyone who is serious about getting and staying sober.
    I was a client November 2014. The treatment I recieved was awesome. All expenses not covered by insurance were to be non billable per ad on the radio. I recieved a Bill April 2016. I am not paying!
    I was a client October 2015. Most of the speakers & one on one therapy was really good. But many scams. On average out of the 10 clients I kept in contact with ended up with a 10 grand out of pocket bill. Class rooms are filthy!
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    • Disorganized, rude, unprofessional. Lots of lies. They are in it to make money and do a good job of that...Case workers are clueless. You will watch the Amy winehouse vifeo 10 plus times. One therapist is like 75 and can't keep a train of thought. Another therapist preaches at you. Carpets are stained with coffee spills. Beds have bed bugs. Cigarette smoke is everywhere. 20 minutes of class 20 minute smoke break.
    The DR has not been with the Lukens Institute since December of 2014. They continue to use his name without him OR his method.
    I was a patient at the Executive Recovery Center from February 24th to March 2nd 2016. I was summarily discharged from the Center because I suffer from Paruresis (an inability to urinate with someone in the room). I requested an accommodation and filed a grievance requesting an accommodation (being searched prior before closing the door or submitting to a blood test, etc.). Here is wording I included in the grievance: “I request an accommodation under the American with Disabilities Act or any other applicable law or regulation to provide an accommodation for my Paruresis (a condition that prevents me from urinating with someone else in the room). This condition keeps me from providing a urine sample under supervision as required by Executive Recovery Center policy.” I was summarily discharged from the Center because I suffer from Paruresis (an inability to urinate with someone in the room). I asked for a written response to my grievance but the Program Manager refused to provide a response except to throw me out of the Treatment Center
    ... the only reason they are there is to make money. They make a lot of promises not one ever kept. Don't even think about it
    They could have saved my life. Instead, they had me leave because of an insurance technicality that was largely bogus. (my therapist) fought with all her might for me. The corporate executives are appalling and destructive.
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    • After attending over 20 rehabilitation facilities, as a patient, I would rank this program as one of the bottom three. The other two are Phoenix House in Rhode Island, and Alina Lodge in New Jersey. Staff is utterly incompetent, management, such as the Program Managers do not know what is going on, and the living accommodations are vastly substandard. It is purely aimed at being a money-making machine. Standard response from staff is either "I don't know", "that is not my job", and "I will get back to you". My opinion is that I came out of there in far worse shape than when I went in. For virtually the same cost as Hazelden/Betty Ford, I would avoid this facility and any of its associated places, like the plague.
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    • I just came home after my stay at lukens. Oct of 2015. Treatment was very good. If you truly go to get better you will. The staff did not put up with trouble makers, some were asked to leave. There was drama but if you choose not to take part in it you will be fine. The weekend outings were good and helped to prepare me for being exposed to triggers and how to deal with them. The house was pretty good. It had its issues but with so many people coming and going what do you expect. The techs are definitely under trained but they try, and if you are having a real problem they go out of their way to help. First rehab and I believed it works! Great trauma therapist and the emdr works....
    My overall experience coming in through Aid in Recovery was a nightmare and a very long flight, hours sitting and waiting for a ride, and eventual sleep deprevation (not alcohol related). I was actually detoxed before I arrived. After finally finding me a place to be a Lukens Wellness Facility, I had issues with what was told me on the phone vs what I was signing. After detox, short and sweet, I was sent to admissions where once again, I was being told to sign more financials that I had already signed and I refused until the insurance manager assured me they would accept only what the insurance paid and I did not have to worry about the deductible. Later, a mistake had been made on my insurance. I was immediately scholar shipped (which I was grateful for but leary). As time went on, I gained a lot of peer knowledge and recognition of where I was at as far as my drinking issues and I was grateful I was no where near the level of what most were expressing. I did groups for other issues that gave me more 'Tools', through some very experienced and knowledgeable group leaders. I had a great Therapist. Medical had many issues, and management had even more issues and the overall communication levels between what the right hand was doing and the left hand, was appalling. I survived it all and in the end was convinced that the only reason I gained the tools I did was because of the hard work of the group leaders, my peers sharing and my desire to learn. The other thing I learned is that the overall program had way too many clients and too little staff to handle those clients and when you 'stood up' for your rights, you were basically discounted and made to feel less than what you were taught. I am a far better person for my experience and will always have those 'tools' given me by those genuine caring staff. They know who they are. If you are looking towards Lukens - do some serious evaluating (if you can).
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    • The Leukens institue should be called Wall Street Rehab. The sincerely only care about billing you and your insurance company. - The food is subpar, and non nutritive garbage. - They accept way too many people. This results in 60 people, all in a 20x30 foot room at about 90 degrees while the attention seeker of the group takes up the entire hour yammering. - The actual individual therapy happens at most 2-3 actual hours a week while you shell out over 3k a day. -The medical side is substandard as well. I am Graduate level medical professional and know this. They are actually considered a medical facility (legally). So why one RN and NP per 100's of clients. -They also will con you into attending when you cant afford it or don't have insurance suggesting they will write off what you cannot pay. Which, is false. -This is a non exaggeration. I had 2 ten minute chiropractic appointments there. They claim it comes as all inclusive and part of the treatment. I got an 800 dollar bill in the mail. Insurance covered 300 of it. Wow. Thank you. - Bottom line. This place is a dump. They prey on a very vulnerable part of the population and outside of a few therapist and techs, have no intention of helping anyone through their issues.
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    • First off, let me say I was a really patient/human cattle at this facility. Do not believe the shills who give this place 5 out of 5 stars. The therapy staff are *mostly* very good, very knowledgeable and very concerned. Some are none of these. If you are somebody who knows nothing about addiction, you will learn a lot. Even people in and out will find something new in this program. The problem is that it is clear this place wants one thing and only one thing: your or your insurance provider's money. This place claims to have been in operation for varying lengths of time (depending on who you ask) but that doesn't matter. EVERYTHING they do smacks of the very first time they've done it. Even a 7-year-old with a learning disability would run this place better after a couple of weeks. The food is marginal, but don't worry, no matter how much, it will all get thrown away to make room for junk in the fridge nobody will eat. As for the techs, they are uneducated. No actual MD was *ever* here during my ow anybody else's stay. Ever. All that said, if you have an abnormally high threshold for pure crud and aggravation, you'll *probably* find the therapists worthwhile. Good luck with that!
    It saddens my heart when I see negative feedback on Lukens Institute! Let me tell you Lukens Institute will save your life! The most loving professional staff with PhD and Masters and years of experience work there for a reason! Because every one of them cares about humanity. Don't let a negative review here deter you from going to the very best treatment center in the world in my books. Don't listen to spoiled people that come or came to this program... Bottom line you just jump into this program and you will be impressed beyond your dreams about becoming sober for life!
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    • While some of the accommodations are"standards of luxury,"other properties are not. Request Riverbend or Condos if you want a pool or waterfront. Or you could be shuffled into this property that has neither. Definitely differences in "standards of luxury." I did not personally attend but my husband is there. I just wanted to clarify the accommodations.
    The Lukens Institute has the best therapists and psychologists. The problem is the poor scheduling, poor housing, and the chef is only at the residences for dinner. The other problem is that they hire young under paid techs to stay with the residents at their homes. There is no medical training, and there is no medical equipment iI.e:thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, band aids, etc..)
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    • Staff is amazing and willing to help in any way they can. The therapists are top notch and get to the core issues that lead to addiction. I am truly thankful that I had the opportunity to go through this program and learn to use the tools that Lukens has provided.
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    • I have found Lukens to be very helpful. The outings on the weekends are a great learning experience. My therapist was simply beyond the best. This is my first rehab and last. I recommend Lukens to anybody weather it's you first or 10th.
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    • I came here and the staff are people I'll remember for a lifetime. I was also able to talk with the techs and staff helping with the house which was nice, as it was an escape from daily therapy. The therapy helped get to my main issues and I'll be forever grateful for that. The food was good, but I would have preferred to be able to buy food at times. The food was good though. Thanks!
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    • Extremely helpful at getting me to focus on my core issues. Many people in recovery suffer from emotional scars. They use drugs or alcohol as a way to treat themselves. I was one of these guys, but I was completely unaware. I always thought I was the smartest guy in the room, but I had no idea what was going on in my heart and mind until the age of 48.
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    • Great place to heal your mind and meet great people that will be positive in your life. The staff was the best! Thank you so much for helping me deal with my every day situations.
    First let me say there is just no other therapy method like Lukens. I have been to several treatment centers and have never experienced the type of therapy that they do. The doctors, nurses, and staff are all great and very respectful as well. I can honestly say I have my life back. My therapists listened to me when I needed them most in life. I'm now 3 months clean and I can't thank this place enough! :) I would recommend anyone to go to Lukens if other centers haven't worked.
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    • The therapy at Lukens is the best I've ever encountered. I have worked on my core issues and core emotions and now have an understanding of why I drank. With this understanding I can better face my problems and can more effectively deal with them, at the same time planning for a better future. Thank you to all the staff — they sincerely want to help. The staff understands our problems and go out of their way to help. They sincerely care about us. The management is fair at best, most time poor. Schedules are changed, then changed, and I felt that the constant changes were detrimental to our recovery and were made solely for the benefit of management. Supplies were often nonexistent. The food quality was mediocre at best. Overall, Lukens Institute is the best rehab around. My thanks.
    Therapy and techs are first rate. Rest of staff leaves a lot to be desired.
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    • The strong support system I made with my roommates was a strength of my experience. However it was overcrowded, under staffed and I had a horrible time.
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    • I am forever grateful for this program. I went in broken and truly believed I was just someone who could never recover. All the staff members showed me compassion, respect and the attention that I had never received from a treatment center in the past. I never felt like I was just another number or a paycheck. My therapist uncovered a lot of issues I had previously just masked with alcohol and pills. Her soft voice and caring personality made it incredibly easy to open up and I am so glad I was placed with her so she could show me the way. Not to mention, the gourmet food dishes were absolutely amazing. Healthy meals and exercise helped lose some weight in the process. I also made some life long friends who I continually keep in touch with for support. If I had a family member or a friend in need of help, I wouldn't recommend anything other than Lukens. It worked for me! I am a proud 8 months sober and I continue to grow everyday! By far the best gift I have given myself and my family! No other treatment center compares to the experience I had here. No one is ever hopeless and I am living proof!
    The Lukens saved my life. It is the best place I have ever been. I have been to several treatment centers in Florida and this by far was one of the best places. All the staff, doctors and everyone were so professional.
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    • My whole experience was a nightmare! Don't believe anything advertised, it is all false! ... Private rooms? FORGET ABOUT IT! The 2 that are provided are only there for the elite, cash paying customers, as you will discover very quickly, it is a business in which the major concern is profit. Not only do the cash client pay half of what the insurance companies are charged,... They are treated like royalty because all the Lukens Center cares about is money! They accept way too many patients and provide very little counseling or care from the so called professionals. And I say "so called" because they don't treat their clients professionally!... Once you are there you are trapped! Most of the counselors, business, medical, and staff employees are rude, sarcastic and uncaring. This makes a person's self-esteem diminish, especially when they are in such a delicate and crucial point of their life. I would never recommend this place to anyone!
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    • This was a disaster. Don't believe a word they say. The operations of this facility is run like a construction site. I made the hardest decision of my life and I felt they took advantage of my need. The therapy was very helpful. The approach the therapists take defiantly is what I needed and I found that aspect very helpful. It ends there, the operations and accommodations ruin the therapy. They are VERY unprofessional....they should be ashamed. ...The owner owns the placement business and the rehab. Simply put, once you are in their system they treat you like a product and play on your state of vulnerability. The detox center, the gardens wellness center was the worst experience of my life. Dirty, filled with 60 clients that smoke 2 packs a day and no ventilation, this place will be shut down... Likens SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN because they have no professional management...They don't have proper medical staff at the living quarters. ...Many of the clients have special medical needs and rely on techs that have very little education, mostly high school and no medical Ed. The owners should be ashamed to run such a poor business...The clinical staff is very good, I feel sorry for them because management runs this like a cattle call. The therapy is great but I wouldn't go back. The worst 30 days of my life. High anxiety, stress and depression...I was treated like a product...I saw many people leave because of the poor business acumen. They went to other facilities. Don't stay here!!!!
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    • ... You can attend group sessions or not, as long as your family pays the $1000/day bill they don't care what you do - look elsewhere. If you are serious about getting treatment, go somewhere else.
    The therapy was great but there was much confusion on schedules, doctors, therapy, no real schedule that you can count on...Aftercare is very difficult to find as the Lukens method is not well recognized. Trying to contact Lukens after you leave is also very difficult. Four calls to Aid in Recovery and I still cannot find a therapist.
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    • This place saved my life and that's an understatement. I honestly thought nothing would work for me and was certain that any treatment I chose would be the same old BS and the same old 12 step conformed way of "treatment". I was wrong and glad to be surprised. They call it core issue completion and it's all of that. The staff is trained to deal with individual issues but to use methods that work to resolve. I don't want to reveal too much due to me not knowing what their marketing strategy is but what I do know is that I can't believe I'm the first to write this review. This lukens method works and I stand by it. I'm not gonna tell my drug story like everybody else does on these forum sites about rehab. Most stories are the same or similar and when it comes down to it nobody cares more about yourself then you should and if u have people who care for u at all then consider yourself lucky and show yourself the way back to life.