ABOUT WESTCARE GULFCOAST FLORIDA
WestCare Gulfcoast Florida is a national provider of behavioral, psychiatric, and social services. We specialize in treating low-income individuals and those involved in the criminal justice system who are struggling with chemical dependency, as well as individuals struggling with co-occurring mental health disorders.
WestCare Gulfcoast Florida operates multiple facilities in the region, including long-term residential programs, transitional housing, stabilization services, and outpatient programs for adults, as well as outpatient-based treatment and therapeutic weekend camps for youth. Please note that on-site medical detoxification services are not provided at our facility.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
In general, most admissions to WestCare’s programs are court-ordered. As such, the most appropriate treatment program may be determined by the seriousness of the charge, the courts, and an initial substance abuse assessment. If an individual requires supervision and structure to acquire and maintain sobriety, they may be referred to one of WestCare Gulfcoast Florida’s two long-term residential programs: Emerge, a six-month residential program for men, or Focus and WEMERGE, a co-ed residential program that typically lasts between 12 and 18 months. Both residential programs are located in St. Petersburg, Fla.
During residential treatment, clients participate in a highly-structured schedule of group counseling sessions to identify the underlying contributors to addictive behavior. Residents also attend educational workshops on improving coping skills, modifying criminal thinking, and emotional regulation. In addition, WestCare programs introduce clients to the principles and practices of 12-Step and provide dually diagnosed clients with ongoing medication management.
Along with addressing concerns related to behavioral and mental health, WestCare Gulfcoast Florida also provides a range of services to prepare individuals for independent living. WestCare provides job development training and job placement assistance to promote economic self-sufficiency. During the final phases of residential treatment, clients are required to obtain and maintain full-time employment during the day and attend treatment sessions at night.
In addition to its long-term residential programs, WestCare Gulfcoast Florida also offers a short-term stabilization service for homeless individuals in active addiction called Turning Point. Turning Point provides emergency shelter, then encourages clients to enroll into one of WestCare’s treatment programs, which may be the residential program or its transitional housing program, the Mustard Seed Inn.
WestCare Gulfcoast Florida also operates a 12-week outpatient program for individuals involved in Pinellas County Drug Court. The program involves regular group counseling sessions and drug screenings. WestCare Gulfcoast Florida also operates outpatient-based programs for youth (ages 9 to 18), including a 24-week alternative sentencing program, a gender-specific program for females, and an after-school diversion program for at-risk youth. In addition, WestCare facilitates a therapeutic weekend program for youth aged 9 to 12 who have been affected by chemical dependency.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
WestCare Gulfcoast Florida’s treatment programs are facilitated by a multidisciplinary team comprised of psychiatrists, substance abuse counselors, social workers, case managers, trained mentors, and a support team.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The residential program for men, Emerge, and the co-ed residential program, Focus and WEMERGE, both adhere to a therapeutic community model of recovery, which provides a highly-structured, interactive, and peer-led environment that’s conducive to early recovery. The Mustard Seed Inn can accommodate up to 73 residents in gender-specific living quarters, and residents may reside in the transitional living facility for up to two years.
The three individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing generally approved of their respective facility’s accommodations. Out of five stars, two loved ones gave perfect five-star ratings for their facilities’ cleanliness and upkeep, while one alum offered a four-star rating for this aspect of the facility.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The sole alum polled by Best-rehabs.com approved of some aspects of their facility, but felt their facility could improve in some areas. Although offering a four-star rating for the amount of family involvement, the survey respondent gave two-star ratings for the facility’s discharge planning and its counseling options. “To many people in groups sessions and no one on one time,” the alum wrote. While describing the staff as “friendly,” they gave a moderate three-star rating for the treatment staff’s level of experience and training.
Secondary sources revealed critical alumni opinions of WestCare Gulfcoast Florida’s outpatient program. [1] Out of five stars, the two alumni gave the facility a one-star and two-star rating, citing a high counselor turnover and attitudes among leadership as facility weaknesses.
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The two loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com offered generally positive reviews for the facility. One loved one gave perfect five-star ratings for the facility’s counseling options and the treatment staff’s level of experience and training, citing the facility’s “ability to connect” as its strength. The other loved one gave a perfect five-star rating for the facility’s discharge planning and simply wrote: “Treatment was effective.”
WHAT STAFF SAY
Secondary sources revealed moderate employee opinions of the WestCare organization as a whole. On Glassdoor, 49 reviewers gave an average rating of three out of five stars for the treatment provider. While many reviewers cited coworkers as a strength of the facility, others felt the organization suffered from high turnover rates. “Facility staff are wonderful co-workers. Family like atmosphere,” one representative reviewer wrote.
FINANCING
Typically, WestCare treatment programs are publicly funded, and clients do not incur any charges for treatment services.
[1] http://citehealth.com/rehab-centers/florida/cities/st-petersburg/westcare-florida-inc-davis-bradley-company#reviews
[2] https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/WestCare-Reviews-E247865_P3.htm