ABOUT STEPPING STONES TREATMENT CENTER
Located in Joliet, Ill. about 40 miles southwest of Chicago, Stepping Stones Treatment Center is a private nonprofit organization that provides residential, outpatient, and recovery support treatment programs for men and women struggling with substance abuse. Detox services are not available on-site.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
All clients must undergo a comprehensive assessment and be medically and psychologically stable prior to admission. There is often a waitlist, however the center runs free interim groups for clients waiting for an assessment or admission. Priority space is reserved for pregnant women and IV drug users.
Stepping Stones offers residential treatment at two levels of intensity and length: intensive and extended. The intensive residential program typically lasts between 14 to 21 days. There are also standard and intensive outpatient program (IOP) options, made up of eight hours and nine or more hours of treatment, respectively, each week.
Residential treatment consists of individual and group therapy, as well as self-help/recovery support groups like 12-step meetings. Those in the extended care track are expected to complete daily chores and tasks and support themselves financially with a steady job. Family involvement is encouraged, as families are invited for support groups and on-site educational sessions.
There are also gender-specific recovery homes, designed to help men and women readjust to their new sober lifestyles following residential treatment, as well as a variety of on-going support services for alumni, including peer-led recovery groups and recovery check-in calls.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
According to its website, the treatment team consists of professional addiction counselors and medical, psychiatric, psychological, and dietary consultants.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Residents in the recovery home stay in a shared room with bathroom. Pay phones are available at designated times, but cell phones are not permitted. Dietary requests can be accommodated upon request and smoking is permitted in designated areas.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Four alumni surveyed by Best-rehabs.com to date shared generally positive feedback on their Stepping Stones experiences. On average, the four gave ratings of 4.25 and 4.0 out of five stars, respectively, for family participation and the staff’s level of training and experience. An anonymous alum claimed that “Most case managers and employees were educated and helpful,” while Christine described the staff as “compassionate, friendly, caring and knowledgeable.” All four found treatment affordable.
Despite these high ratings, these alumni shared lower ratings of 1.33 and 1.75 stars, respectively, for the holistic offerings and counseling options. Alumni also complained of a lack of extracurricular activities (“except tv”) and classes, and of other clients who were “not serious about getting sober.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The two loved ones surveyed by Best-rehabs.com gave the program three- and four-star ratings for treatment effectiveness, as well as four- and five-star ratings for the program’s affordability, meals, treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders, and policies concerning connectivity outside of the facility.
“The facility is well organized and has lots of counseling opportunities for the patients,” one anonymous reviewer wrote, even though they felt that treatment itself was ineffective for their loved one. The other told Best-rehabs.com that the facility was “close to home” and that it had “a caring staff, and good programs,” but doctors whose communication skills could be improved. Like alumni, the two reviewers also each left one star for the holistic options.
WHAT STAFF SAY
In their Best-rehabs.com survey, a staff member gave four stars for the staff’s level of training and experience, but only two stars for the facility’s counseling options. They also told of “high counselor burnout,” of staff who were “not supported by the agency,” and that staff didn’t even “make enough money to support themselves.” “They also lack amenities,” they added.
FINANCING
According to Stepping Stones’ website, no clients are denied services due to an inability to pay. The center accepts Medicaid and most major insurance plans.