ABOUT ARBOUR HOSPITAL ─ JAMAICA PLAIN, MA
Part of Arbour Health System, the largest private behavioral health network in Massachusetts, Arbour Hospital is a private psychiatric facility with 136 beds, located in the Jamaica Plains section of greater Boston. The facility offers inpatient adult mental health treatment, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), and intensive outpatient services (IOP) for adults and adolescents struggling with substance abuse disorders, and co-occurring disorders.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Upon intake, patients participate in an initial psychiatric and substance abuse assessment to allow clinicians to determine the most appropriate level of care. Arbour Hospital offers a high-intensity inpatient psychiatric unit, providing attentive care stabilize clients. The program provides clients with 24-hour access to medical care. Medication management is available at multiple levels of treatment to help clients balance their medication usage with other treatment options. Once a client is stabilized, he/she can be transferred to a long-term care program.
The psychiatric inpatient program uses a combination of group therapy sessions and educational classes combined with medical intervention as needed. Unconventional therapy methods are available including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for patients suffering from severe depression. Oversight by a clinician and medical staff as well as a demonstrated need for such therapies is required for their administration.
The child and adolescent program for those 12 to 18 years of age includes crisis evaluation and intervention, inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization, and outpatient services. Clients are assessed and assigned to different treatment programs that fit their individual needs.
Patients with a dual diagnosis or primary substance abuse disorder receive group counseling and education. They also attend on-site 12-step meetings and complete associated “step-work.” Suboxone treatment is available for individuals struggling with opioid addiction.
Arbour Hospital’s PHP provides a full day of scheduled group counseling and education from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. five days per week. PHP services also often provide an aftercare protocol and planning services for individuals recently discharged from the hospital’s inpatient program. Similarly, IOP is offered for psychiatric or dual diagnosis clients who have co-occurring substance disorders.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Arbour Hospital is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and employs a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, addiction therapists, child psychologists, and master’s level mental health counselors. According to Arbour Hospital’s website, the psychiatric staff at the facility maintains an average of 20 years of experience. Mental health nurse practitioners also offer 24-hour nursing care.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Arbour Hospital is a large, private hospital with 136 beds separated into patient-specific units, such as those for adolescents and others for individuals who require stabilization. As a psychiatric facility, Arbour Hospital offers a safe, clinical, and supervised environment, and patients have 24-hour access to medical care. Part of Arbour Hospital, the Quincy Center in nearby Quincy, Mass., is an 18-bed inpatient facility that solely treats adults (18 years of age and older) struggling with co-occurring substance abuse and primary psychiatric issues. No information is given about the condition of these facilities or what amenities are provided. However, all residential operations can be expected to align with those of other hospitals including food and lodging among other things.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
At the time of this writing, Best-rehabs.com has received one review from an alum of Arbour Hospital. The review was mediocre.
The alum gave the facility three out of five stars for its meals and nutrition, leisure and exercise provisions, and the accuracy of the facility’s marketing materials. Four out of five stars were given for the level of staff support, facility cleanliness, and the staff’s level of training and experience.
However, the alum gave the facility only one out of five stars for its exercise opportunities, holistic offerings, visitor policies, individual counseling, and availability. The alum Eddie wrote: “I felt I was locked up just to dry out, I learmed more from other patiants.”
On Google, Arbour Hospital earned 2.4 out of five stars from 21 reviews to date.[1] Negative reviewers complain about staff in-fighting and poor conditions. However, positive reviews discussed treatment effectiveness. In a representative review, alum Scott wrote: “Staff in the lockdown facility was great. Some were douchbags, but for the most part you could tell most had life experiences and could relate to the clients. Got the feeling a few staff were definitely the type that could have been sitting as a client at some point in their lives.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
To date, one loved one has provided feedback to Best-rehabs.com about Arbour Hospital. The review was mixed; ultimately, the loved one indicated that she would definitely not recommend the facility.
Although the loved one, Donna, gave the facility five out of five stars for meals and nutrition, facility cleanliness, and affordability, she gave the facility only one out of five stars for its holistic offerings, counseling options, 12 step focus, and treatment for co-occurring disorders. Loved one Donna wrote: “It was awful. The staff were basically babysitters of very medicated patients.”
FINANCING
Arbour Health System accepts most major insurance plans including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Tricare, and United Behavioral Health.
CONCLUSION
In March 2016, The Boston Globe reported that Arbour Hospital was one of five facilities run by the largest provider of mental health services in Massachusetts targeted in a federal probe by the Department of Justice. The government’s investigation is for possible billing fraud according to a report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Boston Globe also reported that Arbour Hospital is one of four health care facilities where surprise inspections found prevalent care problems. As a result, Massachusetts officials have taken the unusual step of sending an onsite monitor to oversee improvement and report progress to the Massachusetts Commission of Mental Health.
[1]