ABOUT LAKEPLACE RETREAT CENTER
For more than 20 years, the family-owned Lakeplace Retreat Center has provided cost-effective residential and outpatient treatment programs for adults in northern Minnesota struggling with substance use. One of 139 residential programs in Minnesota, Lakeplace offers counseling and recreational activities in a non-institutionalized, yet structured environment. Gender-specific programs are offered for men and women, though detox services are not available on site.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
According to the facility’s website, depending on their particular needs, men and women can stay in residential treatment for as little as two weeks or as many as several months. However, clients are held to a minimum stay of seven days. Programming primarily involves individual and group therapy sessions, where resident learn the concepts of “powerless” and “unmanageabilities” as a first step in making positive lifestyle changes. Clients attend mandatory 12-step meetings off-site.
Recognizing the importance of sober fun, Lakeplace offers ample recreational and social opportunities designed to help clients regain their confidence. These include fishing outings, woodworking classes, and trips to town and the local YMCA.
Available as a “step-down” option from residential treatment, the facility’s comprehensive outpatient track consists of 30 hours of weekly counseling over the course of a month, totaling about 120 hours of programming. In addition to counseling, outpatient clients listen to guest speakers who specialize in psychological, spiritual, and vocational topics.
Lakeplace also invites family members to participate in the Concerned Persons Program. Over the course of a weekend-long retreat, loved ones partake in recreational activities, educational programming, and social events. Lodging and meals are provided for families at no additional cost.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
There is currently no information provided by the facility regarding its treatment team, yet the pair of alumni polled by Best-rehabs.com to date referred to the staff as “dedicated and compassionate” and “caring.” The two alumni polled on the staff’s level of experience and training offered four stars and a perfect five out of five star-rating for this aspect of the facility.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The 120-acre campus features separate, gender-specific cabins. The cedar-finished men’s cabin, called the Fellowship Lodge, houses up to 16 men in nine bedrooms with in-floor heating. The spacious living room features a fireplace and views of the lake. Men have the option to prepare their own breakfast and lunch, but can look forward to sharing dinners communally, according to the facility’s website.
The women’s residence, called Riverhouse, is separated into apartments, each of which are shared by four women at a time. It features around-the-clock staff supervision and sits amongst miles of walking and cross-country skiing trails. Located 12 miles from Lakeplace, Riverhouse residents receive daily transportation for programming.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The two alumni polled by Best-rehabs.com to date both held very positive opinions of Lake Place Retreat Center. In addition to applauding the center’s staff, the pair of former clients noted the cabin’s “serene” atmosphere and gave high marks for the level of family participation and the effectiveness of counseling.
Offering perfect five-star rating for the facility’s counseling options and discharge planning, alum M.P. wrote: “Dedicated and compassionate staff, serene environment.” The other anonymous alum gave four-star ratings for the effectiveness of lead counselors and the facility’s ability to resolve conflict. “This place really cares about you and connect with you on a group and personal level everyday…” the alum wrote.
Reviews from secondary sites were equally positive. On the center’s Facebook page, which the facility can manage, 22 individuals gave the facility an average rating of 4.9 out of five stars. On Google, four reviewers all gave the facility perfect five out of five-star ratings. Clients tended to praise the facility’s staff and atmosphere.
“This place has helped me in so many different ways,” Chaz wrote in a representative review on Facebook. “I can not even begin to explain how much of an effect the staff and the environment has helped me with my sobriety.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The sole loved one polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing provided mixed feedback. Although she was pleased with the center’s accommodations and its quality of meals, Sandra felt that her family could have benefited from more regular updates from the staff. “It does not give full care for [the patient],” she wrote. She gave the level of family participation a four-star rating, though offered two stars the amount of staff support.
FINANCING
According to the facility’s website, treatment cost is flexible and depends on individual needs. The facility states that it is “highly cost effective”, and touts “Billable CD Care at No Charge” and a “Limit on Billing for Individual Counseling.” No information is available concerning its insurance policies.