ABOUT COATESVILLE VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER
Located about an hour west of Philadelphia, the Coatesville Veteran Affairs Medical Center is dedicated to delivering personalized health care to veterans. The main campus provides both outpatient treatment and four residential rehab programs that treat substance use disorders. Each utilizes evidence-based therapies along with 12-step concepts, with separate units specializing in treatment for individuals with PTSD, women, and homeless veterans. Coatesville VA also operates an acute psychiatric unit on-site. The center’s two additional outpatient clinics are located in Spring City and Springfield.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Patients at Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center can receive treatment for chemical dependency and substance abuse in a general residential rehab program, on a PTSD unit, at the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program, or as part of POWER – Power of Women Embracing Recovery. Each has the capacity to provide dual diagnosis treatment for individuals who struggle with co-occurring substance use and other mental health disorders.
Likewise, all residential rehab patients have access to integrated health care while enrolled in a program located at the VA general hospital. The different programs utilize a variety of treatment modalities toward achieving goals distinct to each patient and to any specialized focus the program has. For instance, PTSD patients participate in trauma-oriented eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), along with cognitive processing therapy. The general program prioritizes relapse prevention skill-building. Life skills such as emotion management and communication are emphasized, as well as medical stabilization, in the Domiciliary, with the goal of transitioning patients into ongoing outpatient therapy and independent community living. The women’s program addresses gender-specific concerns.
The VAMC in Coatesville also offers individual, group, and family counseling sessions to address an array of psychological and relational needs.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
There is currently no information provided by the Coatesville VA regarding the substance use treatment team specifically. The hospital employs physicians, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, and social workers; particular licensing for addiction counselors is not reported. However, data collected from four program alumni by Best-rehabs.com indicates very strong satisfaction with the staff’s level of training and experience. The alumni awarded an average rating of 4.75 out of five stars for this metric.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Coatesville’s Veteran Affairs Medical Center is a 396-bed facility located in multi-building complex, which is accessible by public transportation. Substance use and psychiatric care units are located primarily in two buildings and have access to the center’s swimming pool and gym. The VAMC website does not specify the number of beds in each residential treatment program.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Four former patients of Coatesville VAMC’s residential rehab programs for substance use disorders provided overwhelming favorable feedback in response to Best-rehabs.com surveys. All would recommend the program to others, awarding an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars for the overall effectiveness of treatment. Alum R.H. wrote that the time in treatment was not long enough, while agreeing with other alumni that individual counseling was a strength.
Metrics measuring accommodations revealed more mixed opinions. While the average rating for meals and nutrition was 4.5 and for the facility’s cleanliness and upkeep was 4.25, K.D. wrote: “Facility needs updating. Meals could be more nutritional.” Exercise and leisure activities received a 3.5-star rating on average, and all four alumni granted a moderate three stars for policies regarding phone and Internet use.
Receiving the lowest average rating of just 2.25 was a metric measuring holistic therapy offerings; beyond a commitment to providing integrated medical and mental health care, this was not a treatment aspect prioritized on the VA website.
FINANCING
The Department of Veterans Affairs encourages eligible clients to acquire private insurance, which can be applied to the cost of treatment. Coatesville VAMC’s website notes that some services for eligible vets require co-payments.