ABOUT THE WAY UP REHABILITATION
Located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Gainesville, Ga., The Way Up Rehabilitation is a long-term residential treatment facility for adult men struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. The rehab provides care for individuals of all backgrounds, including those who have been court-ordered to attend treatment. All clients must be able to work a full-time job while in treatment.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
The inpatient treatment program lasts a minimum of 13 months, making The Way Up one of only 54 (17.2 percent) of long-term residential treatment facilities in Georgia. The Way Up’s program is rooted in 12-step principles and utilizes a work-therapy treatment model.
Clients progress through three phases of highly structured treatment, each with increasing levels of responsibility and independence. Phase I is a transition stage, in which clients get acquainted with the facility and find a job. Clients are also required to get sponsors and start working through the 12-step process. During Phase II, residents assist those in Phase I, and Phase III is designed to ease residents back into the community.
Throughout the process, residents receive individual counseling and group counseling, which utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), attend AA/NA meetings, and maintain full-time employment. After program graduation, clients can continue care through comprehensive aftercare services.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The small, on-site staff is comprised of two licensed clinical social workers, each with over 20 years in recovery.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Containing 56 beds, the facility can accommodate more clients than the national median of 18 clients in residential, non-OTP treatment facilities. Clients stay in shared sleeping quarters and have access to indoor common areas, a number of outdoor spaces for group meetings, and an outdoor volleyball court.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Of the nine alumni polled by Best-rehabs.com as of this date, the majority (seven) had only positive feedback, while one was negative and another neutral overall .
In particular, many alumni praised the program for its structured schedule and ability to teach discipline. “The Way Up instilled discipline and structure in my life where I was lacking,” M.S. wrote in a representative review. Several former clients credited the facility with saving their lives, and all but one reviewer awarded the rehab five-star ratings for its treatment effectiveness.
A minority of reviewers, however, cited concerns about the treatment program. Alum Mike, for example, cited a poor staff-to-client ratio, overcrowding, and small rooms as facility weaknesses. Another reviewer, Lou, echoed this sentiment, suggesting clients should expect to “have no personal space.”
On Google, eight reviewers left polarized feedback, as seven reviewers gave the facility an average rating of 2.7 out of five stars. Echoing alumni surveyed by Best-rehabs.com, three reviewers on Google praised The Way Up, each giving the facility a perfect five out of five star rating. “I learned good habits, work ethic, and how to live clean,” an anonymous Google alum wrote in a representative review. However, four other alumni, rated the facility only one star with criticisms including the job search process, staff, and overcrowded accommodations.
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
Though no loved ones have been surveyed by Best-rehabs.com as of this date, the single loved one to write a review on Google, Karen, left a perfect five-star rating. She wrote: “This is the best place my son has tried other places but never done any good this place is strict but it has changed his life.”
FINANCING
Fees start at $924 a month. According to The Way Up’s website, requirements for admission include a $600 entry fee and the first weeks rent, which is $220.