We cannot judge our clients for their disease, nor their path to recovery.
ABOUT SAGE PRAIRIE
Sage Prairie prides itself on operating with progressive values and being LGBT-friendly. Located in the southern Twin Cities town of Burnsville, Minn., the facility specializes in individualized outpatient treatment for adults who struggle with addiction and, in particular, with chronic relapse. Medication-assisted therapy is provided for chemical dependency as well as medication management for chronic pain.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
While this facility emphasizes that its treatment programs are highly individualized for each client, its website also points out that cognitive behavioral therapy provides a common foundational approach. Clients can work with staff members to connect with a support system, which may include Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous, a church, or other group, but 12-step concepts are not integrated into Sage Brush programming.
Outpatient treatment consists of a three-hour afternoon or evening session, one to three times a week. Sessions include trauma-sensitive individual and group counseling, recovery coaching, substance use education, and consultation with psychiatrists or clergy as needed. Relapse prevention programming is mindfulness-based.
Additional services include family support groups and drug screening, and some outpatient clients may opt for an executive track.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The treatment team includes a medical doctor board certified in addiction medicine, registered nurses, master’s level therapists, and licensed addiction counselors. The staff-to-client ration is 1:8, according to information provided by the facility to Best-rehabs.com.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Of the four reviews submitted to Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing, three were positive. One alum indicated in survey responses that they would recommend the program and had a strong counselor. However, they provided somewhat weak ratings for the level of staff training and experience and the flexibility of choosing from multiple approaches to counseling. Two other reviewers praised the staff in general and three awarded perfect five-star ratings for the overall effectiveness of treatment.
Secondary review sites yielded overwhelmingly positive feedback. Two Google reviews offered ratings of four and five stars out of five, respectively. One alum described the staff as sincere, dedicated, and professional.[1]
On the facility’s official Facebook review page, which staff members can monitor, seven alumni gave an average rating of 4.9 stars out of five. A few referenced extra efforts by staff members to help them in recovery.[2]
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The single available review from a loved one was posted on Facebook, and was very negative. Amanda, whose friend attended the facility, complained of inconsistencies in staff qualifications and problems with confidentiality. It should be noted that these criticisms are not reflected in the remainder of Sage Prairie’s review coverage and that one alum responded with a comment that the facility had saved his life.
FINANCING
Treatment costs $140/day. Sage Prairie is in-network with Cigna, Medica/Optum/UBH, Health Partners, Preferred One, and UCare, and out-of-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield. Some employee-based plans and state funding are accepted, and a sliding fee scale for uninsured clients is available.
This center also conducts Rule 25 assessments to determine whether an individual may receive public funding for substance abuse treatment.
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