ABOUT BRIDGES OF HOPE
Established in 1986, Bridges of Hope operates five residential recovery facilities in the state of Georgia. The Chauncey center, located 60 miles southeast of Macon, exclusively serves adult men who are in recovery for substance abuse. On its website, Bridges of Hope specifies that it does not provide medical care or professional counseling. Therefore, the center’s programming is not appropriate for individuals who require detox or treatment for co-occurring disorders.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Although Bridges of Hope’s curriculum is based on 12-step principles, the center is not affiliated with a specific religion. The facility’s program is highly structured and consists of daily devotionals, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Big Book study, group meetings, and 12-step groups. When not focused on their recovery work, clients participate in the upkeep of the facility. Residents are expected to complete daily chores, including gardening, maintenance, housekeeping, and woodworking. This “therapeutic work” is intended to teach self-sufficiency and create a sense of camaraderie among clients.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
According to its website, Bridges of Hope does not employ medical or mental health professionals. When asked about the facility’s level of staff support and the staff’s level of training, the single alum polled by Best-rehabs.com submitted ratings of just one out of five stars.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Set on 36 acres of land, Bridges of Hope houses up to 50 men at a time in shared, dormitory-style bedrooms. The center includes a prayer room, a fishing pond, and a greenhouse. The single alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the facility one star for its accommodations and meals, three stars for its exercise options, and four stars for its cleanliness. Only recovery-related reading materials are allowed on-site, and electronics, including cell phones and iPods, are prohibited.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
S.R., the single alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date, offered negative feedback, indicating that he would not recommend the facility. He gave the facility ratings of one or two stars in most of the evaluated categories, including the center’s treatment effectiveness, its holistic offerings, and the overall quality of its individual and group counseling. “It is a waste of time and money. I spent 30 days in a rehab facility with adequate staff and have been sober since. They provide no educational information,” S.R. wrote.
On the facility’s unofficial Facebook page, 15 users, a mix of alumni and loved ones, provided an average rating of 3.4 out of five stars.[1] The handful of individuals who reported negative experiences submitted one-star ratings, citing a lack of effective programming and trained counselors. “They have no counselors on site and offer ZERO education, other than attending AA meetings,” Avery wrote in a representative review. However, multiple reviewers acknowledged the absence of counselors but still credited the facility with changing their lives for the better. “Bridges of Hope doesn’t claim to be a medical facility, it is a program based on the proven principles of AA, which has helped millions of people world wide to gain sobriety,” Patrick wrote.
On Google, one user submitted a rating of one out of five stars, and a second reviewer submitted a five-star review. Neither individual provided any commentary.[2]
FINANCING
Bridges of Hope does not accept insurance, though the cost of programming is subsidized by donations and charitable contributions. Clients are required to pay for the first month of treatment at the time of admission.
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