Willingway

Willingway

ABOUT WILLINGWAY IN STATESBORO, GA

Willingway, located in Statesboro, Georgia, offers residential, outpatient, and detoxification treatment to individuals struggling with substance abuse. The facility has been in operation for over 45 years and has treated more than 20,000 clients. Willingway is situated on an 11-acre wooded campus outside of Savannah, Georgia.

TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT

The admissions process begins with a phone interview in which facility staff gathers information about the client’s medical history, family, and insurance. The phone interview is followed by a phone orientation, financial consultation, and travel arrangements to the facility.

The facility’s treatment program follows evidence-based treatment methods and also uses the 12-Step method. The short-term inpatient program at Willingway lasts for an average of two to four weeks, and the inpatient program lasts for an average of four to six weeks. The extended care program usually lasts between 90 days and 18 months. Willingway also provides a sober living environment for clients who have completed other programs. Clients in the sober living home must have outside jobs to live there and may stay from 90 days to 18 months.

Throughout treatment, clients benefit from individual and group therapy as well as recreational therapy, family counseling, 12-step meetings, and educational programming. Families are included in the treatment program through a five-day intensive treatment experience at the end of their loved one’s stay. The five-day family program invites participants to take part in meditation, twelve-step meetings, lectures, recreational therapy, group meetings, and counseling sessions. Finally, Willingway offers Continuing Care Community Groups to alumni and local community members in 14 cities throughout Georgia, Florida, and North and South Carolina.

STAFF CREDENTIALS

The treatment team at Willingway includes a medical doctor, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, a registered nurse, certified addiction counselors, a certified therapeutic recreation specialist, and certified clinical counselors.

ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES

Willingway offers private rooms and bathrooms to male and female clients on an 11-acre campus. Bedrooms feature double beds, storage space, a desk, and individual cooling/heating systems for temperature control. Clients have access to a 24-hour snack bar, coffee stations, an indoor pool, and a fitness room. Clients at Willingway are not allowed the use of electronic devices such as phones, computers, or tablets.

WHAT ALUMNI SAY

The 11 alumni polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of writing gave positive reviews of the facility, with ten stating that they would recommend the facility to others. The anonymous clients gave the facility an average rating of 4.4 out of five stars for staff experience, 3.8 stars for exercise and leisure, 3.8 stars for affordability, 2.5 stars for counseling options, and 2.4 stars for holistic offerings.

When asked about strengths of the facility, alumni commented that the staff were caring, the food was good, and they enjoyed the family and alumni programming. One alum wrote, “I have been to many rehabs. This is the one that worked for me. 12 steps program is very thorough. You leave there with a comfortable feeling that you can continue in the outside world.”

When asked to comment on facility weaknesses, several reviewers said they were disappointed by the individual counseling they received, and others wished the facility allowed phone or Internet access.

WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY

The 14 friends and family members polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the facility mostly positive ratings. The anonymous loved ones gave the facility an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars for staff experience, 4.8 stars for cleanliness, 4.8 stars for family participation, and 3.8 stars for counseling options. One anonymous reviewer wrote: “This facility is one of the best for alcohol addiction treatment. It allows attendance to local AA so aftercare works. It involves the family. I highly recommend it.”

Several loved ones felt that the cost of treatment at Willingway was expensive. Regardless, this doesn’t appear to have impacted their reviews too radically, as one loved one wrote: “While very costly the care and compassion is overwhelming.”

FINANCING

The exact cost of treatment at the facility is not published. The Willingway website states that the price of treatment varies based on the client’s medical condition, physician’s recommendations for treatment, and the length of stay. However, the facility accepts insurance.

Willingway Reviews

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  • Significant disparities in quality of treatment patient received based on which counselor and if the patient admitted has dual diagnoses or only substance abuse. Admission and Discharge staff, Main counseling services are not individualized to meet needs and situations. Information is outdated and frequently is the opinion of the patient�s specific counselor and not evidence-based. Significant disparities in qualities of care depending on which counselor a patient happens to get, whether or not the patient happens to be be dual diagnoses.
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  • Tough strict program. Strengths:Friends. Weakness:Too many to list.
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  • This program saved my daughter's life. The people are very caring and do an excellent job. Their primary focus is the well being of their clients and it shows in everything they do. I was very impressed with Willingway.
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  • I went in to willingway on my own and was promptly treated with dis respect by the doctors and some of the management. Most of the nurses were sweet and caring and i do appreciate being around them. But as expensive as the place is, its got mold everywhere andnit has roaches also.. my counseler i was assigned was great when you agree with him, but the first time i told him or another staff memeber i was having thoughts about checking out i was immediately scolded and told i was being selfish. In my opinion they were being selfish. You have no immediate access to contact family besides letters that could take a week to be delivered and a week to receive due to the fact they will only pick it up once a week. But what i really didnt like is when i told them i was thinking about checking out their response was go ahead and be stupid and selfish we will just see you back soon. I do not appreciate one minute of being there after i was told that... If this tells anybody anything i was more comfortable in jail for a week than i was in willingway.
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  • I went there to get off Xanax (which I'd been on for 6 years-prescribed ), because my son was addicted to heroin and Xanax and I did not want any drugs around my son. I wanted to stop taking it immediately, but was told I had to be detoxed professionally, so I went to Willingway. .. it was horrible. I did not know that was going to happen. I was allowed no phone calls from my family. It was a total mind game. Thankfully, my husband came and got me. I was so depressed.... On a positive note, my son went to rehab, was medically detoxed and completed rehab. He's been clean 18 months (no suboxen or methodone). His rehab did not take people off antidepressants.
    Do not put your loved one at this horrible place.
    Parents Beware. Prior to making my decision as to which facility my son would attend I was inundated with encouraging phone calls . After selecting Willingway ,I submitted a checkand my son was asked to leave just hours before the check was scheduled to post to my account. I called and left messages for the staff member from admissions and another staff member , my sons counselor never paid me the courtesy, compassion or respect of a return call.
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  • One on one counseling, friendly atmosphere, counselors well trained, personable, excellent food. If you listen,follow the programs and get a sponsor you will succeed.
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  • Relatively small -- personalized treatment and service -- Southern food (if you like that type) -- attractive campus Focuses more on alcohol addiction than on other types of addictions -- those with multiple addictions sometimes get diagnosed and treated by outside providers Willingway is open to retreating difficult cases, especially of alcohol addiction.
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  • Compassion and understanding. Great effort and help where needed no mater what conditions
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  • Meetings, group sessions, one on one help. Expensive place. This facility is one of the best for alcohol addiction treatment. It allows attendance to local AA so after care works. It involves the family. I highly recommend it.
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  • Great location and people. I did not receive treatment from the center, but my aunt did. She'd become a heavy alcoholic after her divorce with my uncle, and it had gotten bad. We finally got her to go to Willingway and she has been sober for almost a year now.
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  • 7yrs later and I'm still haunted by this place. My stay at WW was arguably one of the most traumatic of my life. My family and myself were manipulated and lied to from the moment I walked in the door. I was assured a 'comfortable' detox which was anything but. Not even tylenol is allowed in this place. Completely cold turkey... I've never felt so alone in my life-not even when I was using. My 'counselor' was extremely manipulative. Lying to my family and leading them to believe my treatment was great and I was being treated well. During my 90 day stay, I met w her probably 3 times. And that was for step work 'homework'. There is no counseling. There is no individual treatment. My letters were opened. All day I watched 30yr old videos and did mindless elementary activities. They had a 30 day cycle so I repeated the same videos and same activities over and over. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas went by and I wasn't even allowed a call to my family on Christmas. If anyone actually got clean and stayed clean from this place I'd find it to be a minor miracle. I've been clean for nearly 5yrs now but it's in no thanks to this place. 12 step programs are not for everyone. Their approach is ALL wrong and very outdated. I left feeling very beaten down. This place is a money pit. You are paying for NOTHING other than good accomdations and decent meals...and that won't keep anyone clean/sober. I know my family was outraged and felt guilty when the truth came to light on visiting days. I've been to other facilities before finding what worked for me...I urge you to look elsewhere. No one deserves to have their mind and emotions toyed with like they do here...or their hard earned money wasted...
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  • Willingway is a very expensive treatment center for the privledged . The detox program is excellent but the recovery program needs some fine tuning .. The program does not treat each patient as an individual and builds its program on guilt and shame .it needs to get updated on I new approaches to wellness . It's has a very dated philosophy . Many of the rules and restrictions are not for the wellbeing of each patient .. Could no recommend this place .,
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  • My dad's been sober for eight years after being released from here. I have nothing but gratitude.
    Bad Place .. This facility belongs on 60 minutes. Hardly no long term sobriety. The staff is mainly people who have been through Willingway. The counselors have been through the unit. The Doctors are sub par at best. mainly watched 20 year old films. I will say its a perfect business model. This place is money - based period. I you have a loved one with an addiction problem, PLEASE do not send them to Willingway !
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    Willing Way was a joke for my loved one. We warned the staff how manipulative she can be- very smart and knows the "right" answers to get by. We were very upfront with her counselor that the letter she had received and what they were telling us she was saying indicated no change in her thought process- which fueled her addiction. They treated us like they knew better since they were addiction counselors, even though they had only known her less than a week or two. They wouldn't help recommend longer inpatient treatment because they had already decided she would say no before she was even asked. After reading others' reviews and our experiences with them, I believe it's because she would never agree to go to THEIR long term treatment and they wouldn't make anymore money from her, so why push her. They were worried she would leave early and they'd lose their money since you don't pay for time you are not there. We spent a lot of money to put my loved one in Willing Way based on the recommendation of a respected professional interventionist. We didn't do much research on Willing Way or their treatment program because we trusted this individual. I think he meant well, but I wish we would have done more research and sent my loved one somewhere evidence based and dual diagnosis-Willing Way is neither. Her counselor did not call us once a week like we were told she was supposed too and was argumentative at times. The few times we ever did talk to anyone we got the song and dance about how well she was doing, all while getting letters indicating otherwise. Very frustrated and deflated now that we have spent all of the money we have, only to watch what everyone who knows her knows will be certain relapse. Such a disappointment to family and those who love her.
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  • Best people, best treatment program, proven results.
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  • Excellent week long in house family program involving individual and group counseling
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  • My wife was a patient at Willingway-Statesboro. She went in on the premise of voluntarily getting off of prescription pain medication due to a surgical procedure. She never abused her meds and only took them as prescribed. She went through the first week of treatment and I was told by the staff that she was free of the medication but needed to stay for additional treatment as she was still going through the psychological withdrawal of the medication. What I didn't know was that my wife was put into their 12-Step program where she was subjected to terrible treatment by the staff and I was being given misinformation to manipulate me into keeping my wife in their program. I was only allowed to talk with her after they told me what I should expect as a result of the treatment and that was only after she threatened to leave. During her time there, I received several letters from my wife asking for help and described the treatment and conditions she was being exposed to. Reading this, I contacted her counselor and told her of her letters. I was assured that my concerns would be addressed. What I found out later was that anytime I called with my concerns, my wife was punished by the staff by taking away her privileges. This I confirmed by talking with other patients when I was allowed to visit during family week. It took all of 3 hours to determine that I was being lied to and I took her home. As a result of her mistreatment our marriage is strained, my wife feels that I betrayed her trust by her staying in the program past the initial detox. She suffers from nightmares and depression. Even though she's been home for several months, she still feels trapped from the treatment she received. This is the last place I would bring a loved one to recover. I found that many of the staff and counselors have no certification but are former patients. They've alienated my wife who no longer trusts me. It's painful to me to have my wife feel that way after going through a program that lied to her so they could keep her longer when she clearly didn't need additional time there. Although I can't confirm this, based on conversation with other people I met there it seems as though your length of stay is directly related to your financial and insurability limits.
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  • An overall great facility.
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  • I have been to many rehabs. This is the one that worked for me. 12 steps program is very thorough. You leave there with a comfortable feeling that you can continue in the outside world Nice calm atmosphere Communication is raw. They bring you completely offline. Back to your core abilities. No phone/computer Etc. You have to write letters.
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  • When I check in my brother, I was very excited because this facility had a lot more to offer than others. The people are kind, it is clean and has many benefits such as the amenities and surroundings. The only downfall was the amount of staff.
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  • This facility prefers to have the family involved and this is a very good idea. We know what is going on and how to accept it. Very well maintained and people from all over come to this facility. It is a very good rehab!!
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  • I like their treatment philosophy. It's NOT about holistic medicine, exercise, or dieting. It's about getting the addict to focus on the REAL problem (addiction) and their role in the their own recovery. First and foremost, self-care and maturity are fostered over pharmaceutical fixes. Patients are expected to learn responsibility in order to handle the problems that drove them to addiction in the past.
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  • Overall the my experience at Willing Way has lead to me feeling that I have overcome my alcohol addiction - I was a bit disappointed by the individual counseling I received but the group sessions and general gatherings proved to be very beneficial. The staff were always friendly and helpful. The food service was fantastic but the physical aspect of recovery was lacking (probably for a good cause - but evident to me).
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  • This place was / is first class, definitely worth the cost.
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  • Of all the people I went to Willingway Hospital with... 0% stayed sober through the next year. 0%. I was keeping track of over 20 people I was in that rehab with and NONE of them stayed sober. One of them was a famous playwright who was Al Pacino's roommate at one time. He died from alcoholism 3 months after being discharged. You pay $26,000 a year for 5 AA meetings a day and a nice hotel room. Literally. You get a counselor who acts as your sponsor, and your program is to do the first 3 steps of AA. That's it. In fact none of the people working there were there a year later. No one even knew anyone I worked with. DO NOT ATTEND THIS REHAB. AA is free. That's all they offer. You can get that anywhere without the constraint of being stuck in a facility for 30 days.
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  • Professional, compassionate, supportive treatment. Staff is very well qualified and credentials are excellent. Years of experience unsurpassed. Nationally identified within the field as one of the top treatment centers in the U.S. Being able to compare to another facility in the Southeast, I can say that the center is above and beyond the "standard" practices in the field. Very nice private suites with private bath, includes a very well appointed room with comfortable double bed, dresser and writing area. Housekeeping is very detailed. Linens changed cleaned and pressed daily. Personal clothing laundry picked up daily. Food is excellent. All of the extra details allowed me to focus on my recovery and break out of my denial. Once the denial was shattered, the real work began. Groups and individual sessions were on target for those of us willing to work and do what was needed to start a new life. Top to bottom, Willing Way is the place to go for treatment if you are really ready to get off the merry-go-round of addiction!
    I spent 5 weeks with these wackos. ... The group sessions are sub par. I stayed sober for 5 weeks after I left the place.
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  • ...These people stole my soul and I was unable to leave my room for a year b/c of the fear they instilled in me.... I was depressed, wanted to die and they kicked me out on the streets. My story is not unusual. They do it to everyone. Look how many insurance companies will cover them? There is a reason for that.
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  • Operational for decades, have had several clients benefit from treatment at Willingway Hospital.Many of the couselors are in long-term recovery and understand addiction's triggers and set-backs. However they are not as open to some medications as I think they should be.
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  • The staff is past patients and they understand your condition in a compassionate way. They make sure you do not suffer during detox and they teach coping and life altering skills that course correct your life. 4 day extensive and life changing family counseling offered as well.
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  • Briefly, this program seems to focus on beating people down (take away all meds, stop psych drugs cold turkey,..., no contact with family or friends other than snail mail, no visits for a month, private rooms, so no roommate to talk with, very limited offerings on weekends, etc. I realized that their primary concern was making money, not truly helping people.
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  • It was awesome to be educated on the disease of addiction as well as given tools on how to stay sober. I was given an opportunity to concentrate on learning how to stay sober...no interference from people or work
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  • You can't put a price on sobriety
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  • This facility focuses on the disease of addiction and is a complete abstinence program of ALL drugs and meds. They focus on the client's needs. The counselors are in recovery themselves and that made me feel like they understood what I was going through.
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  • This facility is first class and a very strong program and I recommend this facility to anyone who suffers rom a alcohol abuse . They don't mess around with the people that they treat!
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  • While very costly the care and compassion is overwhelming for the patient and family. Offers a lot of family and patient support.
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  • They helped out my partner and did an amazing job. I think Willingway is an amazing rehab center, they don't drug you up to get you off of other substances. They have nursing staff to assist with your detox and don't provide you any kind of medication - they do it the right way! Allowed family members to come visit and get counseling with the patient
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  • Our son has been clean for 2+ years. I went for his last 5 days of treatment for Family week and was able to attend all group sessions and meet with his counselor!
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  • I spent over 50,000 dollars at this facility...I am in debt, so they can continue to run a fear based cultish like facility.