ABOUT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S FAULKNER HOSPITAL – ADDICTION RECOVERY PROGRAM
The Addiction Recovery Program at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital in Boston, Ma., offers a comprehensive range of clinical services for adults struggling with substance abuse and mental health concerns. Treatment options include outpatient services, medically monitored detox services, a day treatment program, and a dual-diagnosis program. The Addiction Recovery Program is part of the hospital’s psychiatry department and is the sole addiction treatment program in the entire Brigham Health network.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
According to the facility’s website, all clients receive a comprehensive assessment upon admission. All treatment programming is evidence-based. If necessary, buprenorphine or Vivitrol may be used for opioid and alcohol to ease withdrawal during the medical monitored detoxification process.
According to a 2016 SAMHSA survey, only 0.8 percent of opioid treatment programs in the United States use buprenorphine while only 6.9 percent use Vivitrol. According to the same study, only 33.5 percent of treatment facilities in Massachusetts use either or both of these treatments.
After initial detox, clients may be referred to the hospital’s partial hospitalization program (PHP). A 10-day program, PHP includes counseling sessions utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), as well as mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation training.
Programming also includes addiction education and an introduction to 12-step and SMART Recovery meetings, hypnotherapy, meditation, exercise, and spiritual approaches.
Clients who may not require stabilization or supervision to obtain and sustain sobriety may be referred to the facility’s outpatient program, which consists of two weeks of evening group therapy sessions. Additionally, the hospital uses Suboxone, a mixture of buprenorphine and naloxone to provide outpatient-based opioid addiction treatment.
The hospital also offers an outpatient continuing care program and an evening dual-diagnosis program.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The Addiction Recovery Program’s treatment team includes doctors and nurse practitioners, licensed clinical social workers, and advanced-practice addiction counselors. Both individuals surveyed by Best-rehabs.com to date gave perfect five-star ratings to all categories evaluated related to staff support, training, and experience.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Though the hospital’s website does not provide any information on the addiction recovery program’s accommodations and amenities, both individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave high marks to nearly all relevant categories evaluated, including meals and nutrition as well as the facility’s cleanliness
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WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The two alumni surveyed by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing provided positive feedback and both indicated they would recommend the treatment center to others. One anonymous alum gave five out of five stars for most metrics evaluated, including treatment of co-occurring disorders, counseling options, and the staff’s level of training and experience.
The other alum indicated treatment was worth the cost and also gave high ratings to most metrics evaluated, though they offered several caveats. “It was a good program, but leaned a little to heavily on 12-step reference material. I would prefer to see more science-based and proven strategies used,” the anonymous reviewer wrote.
The one area in which the two alumni significantly disagreed was on the program’s holistic options; one reviewer gave a five-star rating while the other a one-star rating.
Reviews from alumni on secondary review sites were mixed. However, reviews were not specific to the hospital’s addiction recovery program. On Faulkner Hospital’s Facebook page, which hospital staff can manage, over 300 reviewers gave the hospital very high average rating 4.7 of out of five stars.[1] On Google, responses from over 50 alumni were mixed but skewed positive with an average rating of 3.8 stars.[2]
Over 50 reviewers on Yelp offered mixed reviews as well which skewed negative.[3] Positive reviewers on all three sites tended to emphasize the cleanliness of the facility as well as the support they received from staff. Negative reviews tended to focus on poor treatment.
FINANCING
According to the facility’s website, most commercial insurance plans are accepted. The single individual surveyed on the program’s affordability gave a five-star rating.
[1] https://www.facebook.com/pg/faulknerhospital/reviews/?ref=page_internal
[2] GoogleReviews
[3] https://www.yelp.com/biz/brigham-and-womens-faulkner-hospital-jamaica-plain