ABOUT ALTERNATIVE BEHAVIORAL CARE
Located in St. Peter’s, Mo., 30 miles west of St. Louis, Alternative Behavioral Care (ABC) offers specialized outpatient treatment for adults and adolescents struggling with chemical dependency and psychiatric disorders. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid and benzodiazepine addictions is a core service, along with a gender-specific women’s program. ABC was among the less than 25 percent of Missouri substance abuse facilities to provide Suboxone detox support and maintenance in 2016.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Along with gender-focused, age-specific, and dual diagnosis treatment, ABC offers substance-specific programming to address addictions to alcohol, prescription narcotics and heroin, as well as sleep aids and benzo-based anxiety medication. Medication is provided for support and relief during withdrawal.
To assist with opioid dependency, ABC utilizes Suboxone, which helps to minimize the discomfort of withdrawal and curb cravings. The medication-assisted treatment is available for up to one year, and the facility offers Suboxone treatment to adolescents aged 16 and older.
All MAT is combined with educational classes and relapse prevention-oriented group therapy; most programs also incorporate one-on-one counseling sessions and a weekly family group. The women’s program treats primary substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders through addressing issues related to hormones and trauma.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Core treatment team members at Alternative Behavioral Care include master’s-level therapists and board-certified psychiatrists, including one specializing in child and adolescent care.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The one former client polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing praised almost all aspects of the facility, offering maximum five-star ratings for treatment effectiveness, holistic offerings, the facility’s cleanliness, and the staff’s level of experience. Their assessment of group counseling at Alternative Behavioral Care was especially high. “If you really want to help, then this is the place for you,” the anonymous alum wrote.
Alumni feedback on secondary review sites was significantly more mixed, but leaning positive. Across Yelp, Google reviews, and Facebook, of 18 former clients of ABC, 61 percent shared positive reviews and 39 percent were critical. Repeated complaints tended to characterize the facility as disorganized, and several alumni and family members asserted that Alternative staff were not understanding and moved clients through processes too quickly out of financial motivation.
On the other hand, a majority of favorable reviews noted that staff members were good listeners and supportive and that treatment was life-saving. In a representative Google review, one alum described the facility as well-run, adding: “The positive attitude presented on a daily basis made it easy for me to make the effort required to accomplish my recovery.” Likewise on Facebook, J.A. wrote of an ABC doctor: “He treats you like a patient, not like a number. He takes the time to listen to your concerns and addresses them with you.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The sole loved one polled by Best-rehabs.com to date supported the positive feedback of alumni. The spouse of a client gave five-star ratings for the facility’s counseling options, family participation, and the treatment staff’s level of training and experience. They also concurred with the polled alum that the facility was clean and well maintained, complementing ABC’s pride in its therapeutic environment featured on the website.
However, family and friends of alumni on secondary review sites were decidedly less pleased with their experiences. Only one of the six reviews submitted by loved ones on Yelp, Google, and Facebook was in favor of Alternative Behavioral Care. Most identified as parents of child patients. Although the one satisfied reviewer reported being impressed with the staff’s effective and respectful control of difficult group sessions, loved ones pointed out disorganization and a lack of staff understanding or helpfulness.
FINANCING
According to the Alternative Behavioral Care website, most major insurance plans are accepted, many of them in-network. The facility also offers to help arrange payment plans for any costs required of the client.
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