ABOUT CARES (COUNCIL ON ADDICTION RECOVERY SERVICES, INC.)
Founded in 1974, CAReS is a nonprofit agency that offers residential, outpatient, and sober living services at several locations in Olean, Salamanca, and Machias, in western New York State. This particular facility is one of 630 (68.3 percent) in the state that offers dedicated outpatient services for individuals struggling with gambling addiction, as well as being one of 531 (57.6 percent) that accommodates clients struggling with a dual diagnosis.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
The center operates just one full residential facility, for men, where the minimum stay is six months. Each client follows an individualized program that includes long- and short-term goal planning, individual counseling, life-skills training, and self-help meetings, which residents must attend daily.
Also in the network are several sober living facilities, where clients benefit from a supportive environment, supportive staff, and case management service. Outpatient care consists of gender-specific individual and group counseling. In some cases, residents of the sober living facilities may continue receiving treatment through CAReS outpatient programs.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Staff are available 24/7 at the residential facility. CAReS employs medical staff, but does not detail their credentials. In the state of New York, 98.6 percent of all treatment facilities have continuing education requirements for staff. The single individual polled by Best-rehabs.com to date on the level of staff support gave this aspect of the facility a rating of four out of five stars.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Residential facilities include a 16-bed Victorian home for men with a weight room and a large backyard with a basketball hoop; a six-bed transitional living facility for women and their children; and an HUD-subsidized rental program for homeless individuals. The single alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date awarded five stars for their accommodations & amenities, meals and nutrition, cleanliness, and exercise and leisure activities. All locations are tobacco-free, and offer nicotine replacement therapy.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The single alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date would recommend this facility. “I believe that any rehab will only be affective if the person receiving treatment is motivated to put in as much as they are willing to put in,” T.J.P. wrote, indicating that he believed treatment at this facility to be worth the cost.
Secondary review sites yielded mixed feedback at the time of this writing. On its Facebook page, which the facility does have the ability to manage, three reviewer gave a four and two perfect five-star ratings.[1] S.B. praised, “Cares helped me tremendously because i wanted it to! It works if u put the work in.” Yet, she added nervousness about some changes being made to the facility, in hopes that it can stay as effective for others as it was for her.
On Google, contrastingly, two individuals gave one-star ratings, while one reviewer offered a perfect five-star rating.[2] Five-star reviewer J.H. wrote, “It help people with addicted.”
WHAT STAFF SAY
“The staff really were dedicated to the success of the clients. The organization was mismanaged. Policies were unclear, paperwork was INSANE for staff members taking valuable one on one time away from clients, and the facility was VERY understaffed,” an anonymous staffer reported to Best-rehabs.com in a mostly negative review. The reviewer gave the facility three stars for treatment effectiveness.
Secondary sites yielded mixed reports from staff at the time of this writing, with a 2.5-star average rating based on 10 reviews on Glassdoor.[3] Reviewers repeatedly cited a toxic work environment: “Horrible toxic environment starting at the top… Extreme bullying favoritism,” one reviewer wrote in a representative review. However, a few clients also relished the time they spent helping clients, and the reviews repeatedly spoke highly of staff, in spite of allegedly questionable management practices.
FINANCING
The center accepts many private insurance plans, is one of 786 (85.2 percent) facilities in the state that accepts Medicaid, and offers a sliding fee scale based on household income for uninsured clients.
[1] Facebook Reviews
[2] Google Reviews
[3] Glassdoor Reviews