ABOUT ALLEGANY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT — BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES
The Allegany County Health Department is a public health partnership that aims to promote physical, behavioral, and environmental health for the residents of Allegany County, Md. Alongside an array of dental and physical health services, the organization offers residential and outpatient services for adults and adolescents struggling with substance abuse and dual diagnosis. According to a 2016 SAMHSA survey, the facility is among the 24 percent of Maryland facilities to provide specialized programming for adolescents.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Allegany views addiction as a progressive disease, and sees abstinence as the primary goal of treatment. The building blocks of treatment are individual, group, and family/couples counseling and alcohol and drug education. The center also offers crisis intervention services, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection education, agency referrals, and gambling counseling.
Residential care for adolescents is provided at the Jackson Unit in the mountains of Western Maryland. The center offers a 60-day program that focuses on issues such as past trauma, co-occurring disorders, and family troubles. Classroom instruction is also incorporated into programming. For adolescents, a daily fitness program and regular recreational activities form an important part of treatment.
Residential care for adults, provided at the Massie Unit, lasts an average of 28 days. Significant others are strongly encouraged to participate in treatment. Aside from the modalities specified above, the center provides aftercare planning, self-concept education, counseling on alternative pain management, and a parenting group, among other specialized offerings.
The outpatient department provides general outpatient treatment and an intensive outpatient program (IOP) as well as continuing care provisions and an overdose response program.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Allegany’s staff of the adult unit includes nurse practitioners, licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselors, consulting psychiatrists, and peer specialists. The Jackson Unit for adolescents employs two state-licensed teachers and three teaching assistants, as well as physicians, a psychiatrist, licensed professional alcohol and drug counselors, and nurses.
The two individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com to date rated the center three and five out of five stars for its staff’s level of training and experience.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Allegany’s adult unit offers a weight-training system, transportation to off-site activities, and both indoor and outdoor recreational activities.
The adolescent unit offers a school program that tailors an educational program for each client, geared toward their strengths and needs. Adolescent clients also have access to a full gym and weight room, plus medical screenings and dental services. The two individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com to date rated the center four and five out of five stars for its cleanliness.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The single alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave positive feedback, rating Allegany a perfect five stars in most of the 15 evaluated treatment metrics, including its treatment effectiveness, family participation, counseling options, and treatment for co-occurring disorders. The reviewer noted that “caring and well being of all clients personal one on one care” were strengths of the facility — but cited overbooking and the difficulty of getting appointments as weaknesses.
To date, secondary sites yielded mixed reviews of Allegany as a department. On Google, four reviewers to date rated it an average 2.8 out of five stars. Alum Stephanie praised the staff, writing: “Great friendly employees. Very helpful business. I have nothing bad to say about this business.” In contrast, however, alum Jordan wrote: “No professionalism. Very overstaffed however value of patients time is non existent.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The single review submitted to Best-rehabs.com to date was mostly positive. The loved one rated Allegany four or five out of five stars in most of the evaluated treatment metrics, including holistic offerings, counseling options, and discharge practices. The facility’s family participation received a lower rating of three stars. The anonymous loved one wrote: “It has great food, from what my family member told me of the facility. it doesn’t have any noticeable weaknesses that I know of.”
WHAT STAFF SAY
At the time of this writing, two employees both rated the Cumberland facility a perfect five stars. One wrote: “Well organized and fun people. Great leadership. A lot of talented and hard working people.”
FINANCING
Allegany accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, and the center also accepts private payments. In certain cases listed on the center’s website, uninsured individuals are accepted.
[1] https://goo.gl/YbVDjI
[2] https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Allegheny-County-Health-Department/reviews?fcountry=US&floc=Cumberland%2C+MD