ABOUT RIVERPLACE COUNSELING CENTERS
Located in the northern Twin Cities suburb of Anoka, Minnesota, Riverplace Counseling Centers are a family-owned and -operated pair of gender-specific facilities that offer outpatient-based treatment to individuals struggling with substance use. The facilities provide lodging for intensive and extended treatment programs. The website emphasizes cost-efficient treatment as a priority.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
The 130-hour, 28-day intensive treatment programs for men and women offered at Riverplace Counseling Centers involve similar therapeutic modalities and structures. Both programs follow The Matrix Model, which integrates individual and group counseling with education, self-help practices, and drug testing. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held on-site, as well as groups addressing topics such as grief, nutrition, and self-defense.
The facility offers both standard outpatient treatment and a more intensive program. The intensive track consists of 100 hours of treatment over two weeks, including weekends, and the standard outpatient program provides 60 hours over five weeks. Outpatient meetings are offered in the morning and evening to accommodate different schedules.
Aftercare includes group therapy once a week, operated on a 12-week run. Alumni who have completed an outpatient program may also receive counseling to address particular difficulties such as financial and spiritual wellbeing. A weekly “Concerned Persons” group for loved ones is also offered.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
There is currently little information provided by the facility regarding its treatment staff beyond references to career opportunities for licensed chemical dependency counselors and technicians.
However, the three alumni polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing each indicated that staff training and experience were strong, with ratings of four and five stars out of five. One alum described the treatment team as knowledgeable and educated, writing that they “gave you their personal experiences and helped you to find the cause of the problem.”
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The facility prides itself on its “non-institutional” care and setting. Photographs on the Riverplace website reflect this characterization in images of comfortable furnishings, warmly decorated shared living spaces, large yards for outdoor activities, decks with grills, and an open kitchen layout. Residences also include workout equipment on-site. Bedrooms are shared and residents share household chores. Each living facility has one support staff member on-site.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Riverplace received positive reviews from the three alumni surveyed by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing. All indicated that they would recommend the facility to others, giving ratings of five out of five stars for the effectiveness of treatment received. Metrics measuring cleanliness and maintenance of the facility received two ratings of five stars and one of three. One anonymous alum characterized amenities as rundown, while noting the small size of the program as a strength.
Another alum, W.S.M., praised the facility’s gender-specific approach, writing that the “all women environment made it easier to share and be open & honest.”
Reviews on secondary sites were more mixed. On Google reviews, nine reviewers gave the facility an average rating of 2.8 stars. In addition to several five-star reviews, five reviewers submitted one-star ratings with common criticisms including the quality of the facility and the staff.
On the facility’s Facebook page, which the facility may be able to manage, nine reviewers gave the facility an average rating of 3.8. Several reported long-term sobriety and mentioned the staff and tools learned as strengths. One critical former client described a facility with inconsistent structure and standards.
Feedback on CiteHealth was less favorable. Six reviews, one of which was duplicated on Google, gave an average rating of 2.2 out of five stars. Central criticisms focused on accommodations and financial practices. Some characterized the residences as dirty and one particularly noted concerns with limited staff support.
FINANCING
All major commercial insurance and state coverage plans are accepted, according to the facility’s website. Self-pay is also accepted. The two individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com on the affordability gave four and five star ratings.