ABOUT WEEMS COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
Weems Community Mental Health Center, located in Meridian, Miss., is one of eight treatment facilities run by the State of Mississippi. Founded in 1970, the center offers residential care, an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and outpatient care for clients seeking treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders. Specialized programming is also available for DUI offenders and an IOP for adolescents. Detox is not offered on-site.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Throughout treatment, clients receive individual, group, and family counseling. The center also provides education on topics including addiction, relapse prevention, self esteem, and anger management.
According to the facility’s website, residential care lasts 30 days at the Weems LifeCare Recovery Center. For clients who require additional support, there is an extended-care, secondary residential option that lasts up to 60 days. Clients may work during the day while in extended care.
Available to both adults and adolescents, the facility’s intensive outpatient program (IOP) meets three evenings a week for 10 weeks and consists of individual and group counseling sessions. Following treatment, all clients have access to two years’ worth of aftercare services.
Specialized services include a program for those seeking medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction. Medical staff members and case managers oversee the administration of medications to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal.
Specialized treatments and educational opportunities are made available to DUI offenders clients, which comply with common DUI treatment requirements. Case managers help clients complete the program and satisfy their legal requirements. Only 32 facilities in Mississippi offer similar DUI services.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Weems employs a team of licensed therapists, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, specially-trained mental health nurses, and community support specialists. The single alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the facility four out of five stars for the facility’s level of staff support, though the sole loved one polled gave two stars for the staff’s level of experience and training.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The residential program offers 36 beds, placing it on the smaller end of facilities in the U.S.. Residential clients attend two recreational activities most weeks, visitors are welcome on weekend afternoons after the first seven days of treatment. Electronic devices are not permitted on-site.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
At the time of this writing, the one alum polled by Best-rehabs.com was largely satisfied with their experience, giving four out of five stars for the facility’s visitor policies, as well as perfect five-star ratings for the facility’s overall cleanliness and upkeep, the effectiveness of group and individual counseling, and the facility’s ability to resolve conflict. However, the alum gave only one star for the facility’s holistic offerings. “Overall, very good program,” the alum wrote.
On its unofficial Facebook page, the facility received three five out of five-star reviews.[1] In the only written commentary on Facebook, alum George wrote: “THEY GOT GOOD DOCTOR THERE YOU HAVE TO BE PATIENT.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The sole loved one polled by Best-rehabs.com to date offered a largely negative review of the facility, offering two stars for the level of family participation and its affordability, as well as one star for the facility’s ability to treat co-occurring disorders. “Some of the faculty do really make an effort to help some of the patients,” though added, “Outside drugs are still easily available to.patients with very little effort.”
WHAT STAFF SAY
On Indeed, Weems Community Mental Health earned an average of 3.8 out of five stars from six reviews to date.[2] Most of the current and former employees indicated that Weems is a “courteous and professional workplace environment” with “some amazing clients and coworkers to work with.”
FINANCING
Treatment in the residential program costs $3,000 for 30 days. Once that program is completed, clients can pay $1,290 for an additional 30-days of extended treatment. Financial assistance may be available through the Mississippi Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
CONCLUSION
Weems holds a prominent spot in the community’s consciousness since it is a major resource for treatment and education. It recently received more grant money, which is helping it expand its operations.
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