ABOUT ST. CLOUD VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Located in central Minnesota about 70 miles northwest of the Twin Cities, the St. Cloud VA Health Care System provides acute inpatient, residential, and outpatient treatment for veterans struggling with substance use and/or mental health disorders. Specialized programming for women vets is available, along with detoxification services and integrated primary health care. In addition to its main hospital campus, St. Cloud’s VA also operates three community-based outpatient clinics in Alexandria, Brainerd, and Montevideo. The Minneapolis VA Medical Center serves vets in the Twin Cities area.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
The St. Cloud VA medical center employs a recovery model to treat veterans with a range of mental health and substance abuse conditions. Clients who need stabilization are admitted to the facility’s acute psychiatric or detox unit, which is typically followed by longer-term residential or outpatient care. Vets participate in individual and group therapy, case management, and education.
Clients who have received a dual diagnosis of addiction and other mental illnesses receive integrated treatment for their co-occurring disorders. Related programming addresses post-traumatic stress disorder, grief and loss, anger management, and bi-polar disorder, among other topics and conditions. Medication management and family therapy are also provided.
Aftercare services consist of follow-up counseling appointments, support groups, and assistance in coordinating other VA services, including employment and housing.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The St. Cloud VA Health Care System’s website does not specify the mental health and substance abuse treatment staff’s credentials. However, the four individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com to date awarded 4.5 out of five stars for the staff’s level of training and experience. The medical center is led by a physician and a registered nurse.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Addiction and mental health care programs at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center are located in the Community Living Center along with other extended care and rehab programs, according to the facility’s website. There is currently no more detailed information provided by the health care system regarding its living arrangements and related offerings.
Data from three former clients and two loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com, however, revealed strong satisfaction with several aspects of accommodations. Together, the five alumni granted ratings of 4.5 or more on average for metrics measuring the facility’s cleanliness and upkeep and meals and nutrition. Four asked to rate exercise and leisure activities contributed to a 4.8-star average. One reviewer reported that golfing was an available activity.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
All three alumni surveyed by Best-rehabs.com gave the St. Cloud VA Health Care System a maximum five-star rating for the effectiveness of treatment. The alumni also all agreed that dual diagnosis treatment and family participation were highly satisfactory. On the other hand, two of the three indicated that counseling options were limited and all three rated the availability or quality of holistic therapy offerings poorly. Nevertheless, the alumni were highly likely to recommend the program to others and did not identify any weaknesses in their written comments. They generally praised the staff and treatment received.
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The two loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com offered mixed reviews, both rating the effectiveness of treatment just three stars, but indicating that they would recommend the program. The one asked about family participation in the treatment program expressed dissatisfaction, with a two-star rating, but gave counseling options four stars.
The other loved one expressed concerns about their family member rooming with clients who were not as serious about recovery. They also reported that the St. Cloud VA hosted 12-step meetings, although writing that “the quality of them is suspect.”
On Google, 45 individuals — split between alumni and loved ones — contributed to an average rating of 4.2 out of five stars for the general medical center. One frequently repeated sentiment highlighted the staff’s caring, respectful manner. They “Always listen with compassion and empathy,” wrote one loved one in a representative review. On the other hand, a small minority complained about inattentive staff. At least three reviewers characterized the admissions process as timely.
FINANCING
The cost of treatment is not provided on the center’s website, although veterans are encouraged to maintain private insurance as well as pursue eligible VA health care benefits. Three of the four individuals polled on the affordability of treatment in the St. Cloud VA Health Care System awarded five stars, and the fourth chose four.