ABOUT BRISTLECONE FAMILY RESOURCES
Located just to the east of and across the river from downtown Reno, Nev., Bristlecone Family Resources provides residential and outpatient treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. The facility offers social model detoxification and drug court services, as well as one of the few residential gambling addiction treatment programs in the U.S. The 15-year-old program represents the merging of two Reno treatment centers which had been in operation for more than half a century.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Assessment at Bristlecone Family Resources requires an appointment, and admission is prioritized for clients who are pregnant and using drugs by injection. Staff members assist clients at all levels of treatment with referrals and support for accessing community-based resources that may complement, precede, or follow a residential or outpatient treatment program at Bristlecone.
The average residential program is four weeks. Clients participating in intensive outpatient treatment attend nine hours of therapy per week as well as vocational and addiction education classes. Standard outpatient treatment is available during a variety of days and hours and typically involves from one to eight hours individual or group counseling sessions per week. Adult Drug Court is an 18-month program that involves regular drug screening, a full year of treatment, and six months of aftercare.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s 13 Principles of Effective Treatment evidenced-based research guide provides the philosophical foundation for Bristlecone’s approach. The principles address specific obstacles to successful rehabilitation and recovery that clients face, such as healthcare, transportation, childcare, and employment. The center’s referrals help to address these needs, along with life skills training on-site.
Transitional living services are also provided.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The Bristlecone Family Resources website emphasizes employee participation in continuing education, training, and pursuit of advanced degrees.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Bristlecone Family Resources is a tobacco-free facility. While there is currently limited information provided on the facility’s website regarding its living arrangements, data collected by Best-rehabs.com from five former clients and loved ones indicated overall satisfaction. The facility’s cleanliness and upkeep received reviewers’ highest average rating of four out of five stars, while meals and nutrition received a 3.6-star average rating and exercise and leisure offerings an average of 3.2.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Two alumni surveyed by Best-rehabs.com at time of writing offered contrasting opinions on the effectiveness of treatment, the facility’s affordability, and family participation. On the other hand, they agreed on four- and five-star ratings for available options in counseling practices and dual diagnosis treatment capabilities. One identified staff’s “willingness to listen and help” as a strength, white the other alum wrote that they would not recommend the program: “it didn’t really address my core issues.”
The facility’s official Facebook page, which it can manage, had 21 very positive reviews and just two low ratings. Most ratings did not include written comments, but those that did tended to characterize the program as life-saving with lasting effects. One reviewer, however, referenced insufficient training for mental health staff addressing co-occurring disorders.[1]
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The three family members polled by Best-rehabs.com to date all indicated low satisfaction with opportunities for family participation. However, each gave a metric measuring the quality of dual diagnosis treatment four out of five stars. All three also characterized staff as caring and two specifically mentioned the affordability of treatment as a strength.
WHAT STAFF SAY
Trends in five Indeed reviews included references to problems with the facility’s management and descriptions of the opportunity to work with clients as meaningful and fulfilling. “Everyone I worked with were very caring and wonderful people,” one former staff member wrote in a representative review. Another reviewer noted the relapse and repeated treatment of a number of clients, a concern also expressed by one family member.[2]
FINANCING
According to the facility’s website, Bristlecone Family Resources is supported by grants from the federal government and costs are assessed on a sliding fee scale. Some private insurance plans are accepted, but Medicaid does not cover residential treatment. The assessment fee is $100 to $150, and transitional living services cost $155 per week.
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