ABOUT ALEXIAN BROTHERS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOSPITAL — CENTER FOR ADDICTION MEDICINE
Located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, the Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital is a division of the Alexian Brothers Health System, a Roman Catholic general healthcare system that operates four hospitals as well as other centers. This location houses a Center for Addiction Medicine, which is one of the only 57 (8.4%) treatment centers in the state that offers outpatient detox and one of the only 22 (3.3%) to offer inpatient detox.
At a variety of intensities, residential care and outpatient treatment programs are also available. In addition to substance abuse, the center offers treatment for process addictions such as gambling, sex/pornography, shopping addiction, or a dual diagnosis.
If necessary, the center can prescribe buprenorphine, offering both detox protocols and short-term maintenance programs on the medication.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Treatment is founded on the belief that addiction is a progressive medical disorder. Clinical approaches include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based therapy, as well as 12-step participation. Holistic options include Tai Chi, movement therapy, and art therapy.
Inpatient hospital stays are normally short-term measures only, intended for detox and stabilization. However, in April 2017 the hospital opened the Foglia Family Foundation Residential Treatment Center, located 10 miles away in Elk Grove Village, which provides 24-hour monitored residential treatment for adults who are struggling with addiction, OCD, and/or anxiety. Among other modalities, the center will begin using an innovative virtual reality therapy. The length of stay for substance abuse clients is typically three to four weeks.
Outpatient care includes partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), typically lasting two to three weeks, intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), typically lasting four to five weeks, and general outpatient programming for adults, adolescents, seniors, and their families.
According to a brochure published on the facility’s website, the primary treatment modalities in outpatient treatment are education, group and family therapy, medication management, case management, and peer support. Discharge planning begins the day of admission, and the facility emphasizes the importance of family involvement and support.
The facility also offers dedicated programs for those struggling with chronic pain and addiction, millennial clients, impaired professionals, and those struggling with eating disorders, among other demographics. Aftercare options include an array of group therapy meetings.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The center employs psychiatrists, addictionologists, and licensed clinical social workers. There is currently no further information provided by the facility regarding its treatment staff; however, 99.2 percent of substance abuse treatment facilities in the state of Illinois have continuing education requirements for staff. Additionally, the 16 individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave very favorable feedback regarding the staff.
Staff Level of Experience and Training: 4.3/5
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Pictures published on the facility’s website show a cheerful yet clinical facility with shared bedrooms. Individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com repeatedly commented positively on the facility’s cleanliness.
Facility’s Cleanliness and Upkeep: 4.5/5
Leisure, Exercise, and Extracurricular Options: 3.4/5
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Alumni reviews submitted to Best-rehabs.com to date were mixed, skewing positive. Of the 11 alumni Best-rehabs.com asked whether they would recommend the facility, six indicated that they would, two that they would not, and three remained neutral. In addition, the nine alumni polled on the facility’s offerings in a variety of treatment metrics gave them above-average ratings.
Family Participation 4.2/5
Holistic Offerings: 3.3/5
Several alumni described the staff as knowledgeable and caring. Others were individually impressed by the center’s special-needs accessibility, its aftercare program, and its group therapy. One alum wrote in a representative comment, “experienced and caring staff, multi-faceted approach.”
Counseling Options: 3.2/5
Isolated complaints cited an overworked psychiatrist, forceful participation in “things you do not or cannot do comfortably,” and a lack of family involvement. One reviewer also added, “They should not keep the self injurers with the eating disorder people because they both need separate types of therapy,” a comment supported by alum Allison, who wrote: “It seems that they’re treating every patient with exactly the same spiel.”
On Google reviews, where the Behavioral Health Hospital as a whole (rather than the Addiction Center in particular) received an average rating of 2.4 out of five stars, feedback was often negative.[1] Poor customer service and unprofessional staff were frequently cited as general complaints; however, one former client specifically reported, “This program provided me with the knowledge, understanding, and tools to manage the anxiety and OCD that I had experienced nearly all of my life.”
Feedback was critical on Yelp at the time of this writing as well, with a two out of five star average based on 26 reviews.[2] Many comments suggested difficulty making appointments and a slow intake procedure. “Great hospital, provides the best mental health services in the Midwest,” M.K. wrote, but added, “The problem comes into entering the programs,” in a representative review about scheduling difficulties.
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
Of the nine loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com to date, eight would recommend treatment at this facility, and one remained neutral. One loved one listed “Poor communication with family” as a facility weakness; despite this, the seven individuals who evaluated several of the facility’s metrics gave the highest-average ratings to family participation and the visitation policy.
Family Participation: 4.4/5
Connectivity and Visitor Policies: 4.2/5
Reviewers repeatedly praised the caring staff and the facility’s cleanliness. However, two loved ones suggested the facility might be overburdened, citing a lack of one-on-one attention and remarking that there were “too many people to help.” Another anonymous reviewer felt that follow-up was poor and treatment too short, leading their sister to relapse.
FINANCING
According to the facility’s website, the center accepts most health insurances, including Medicare (accepted at just 157 (23.3%) Illinois substance abuse treatment centers), and Medicaid (accepted at 344 (51.1%)) for those up to the age of 20. The 16 reviewers polled by Best-rehabs.com to date awarded positive feedback to the center’s cost.
Affordability: 3.8/5
[1]
[2]