ABOUT ELLEN O’BRIEN GAISER CENTER
Ellen O’Brien Gaiser — who managed this facility from 1979 until her passing in 1994 — was a staunch advocate for the rights of individuals grappling with addiction. Today, the Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center in Butler, Pa., remains committed to providing intensive and highly residential and outpatient (OP) treatment to individuals struggling with chemical dependency. The center recently inaugurated a women’s center offering gender-specific treatment for women. Medical detoxification services are not available on-site.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
The Gaiser Center adheres to a disease model of addiction and utilizes recovery fellowships based on the 12 Steps. The duration of residential treatment varies depending on the client but generally lasts between 14 to 90 days and is divided into short- and long-term options.
Short-term care, referred to as “Level 3B”, includes individual and group therapy, psycho-educational lectures, wellness groups, relapse prevention planning, and counseling for infectious diseases. Typically, this level of care lasts between 14 and 21 days, after which clients are expected to attend an accredited outpatient program or halfway house.
In contrast, long-term treatment, known as “Level 3C,” caters to individuals with severe social, financial, occupational, and educational shortcomings that require intensive individual and group therapy. These clients focus on improving social skills and reintegrating into society. The Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center also provides in-house psychiatric monitoring for co-occurring disorders, medication management, and medical services.
In addition to residential services, the center offers outpatient care at a nearby facility. Regular outpatient treatment focuses on relapse prevention and consists of weekly sessions lasting one and a half hours. The eight-week intensive outpatient program (IOP) requires clients to attend three-hour group therapy sessions three times per week. Testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is also provided.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The Gaiser Center employs certified advanced alcohol and drug addiction counselors, social workers, a licensed professional nurse, a certified registered nurse practitioner, and clinical alcohol and drug counselors. The medical director holds an MD and MPH degree.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Based on photographs featured on the Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center’s website, the residential facility appears to be comfortable and simply decorated. Clients enjoy a shared kitchen and living room with a television or the outside patio and garden. Laundry and recreational facilities are also available.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The one alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the Gaiser Center positive ratings. Alum Judy rated the Gaiser Center five stars for its exercise and leisure provisions, holistic treatment offerings, cleanliness, and level of staff support. She rated the center three stars in exercise options, connectivity, and visitor policy. In her comments, she wrote: “I’m grateful to have had 3 months sober/clean.”
On Google, four alumni to date rated the center an average of 4.8 out of five stars, with three giving it a perfect five stars and one awarding four stars. These reviews suggest positive feedback. The three reviewers who left comments praised the staff as compassionate. Alum Joelle wrote in a representative review: “All of the staff at IOP are caring and easy to get along with. I’ve learned a lot here. They’ve helped me to know myself better and understand my addiction better, which has helped me with handling it in a much better way.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
One loved one polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the Gaiser Center positive ratings, similar to the alumni reviews. The anonymous loved one rated the center five stars in connectivity, family participation, staff’s level of experience, and cleanliness, while rating it three stars for holistic treatment offerings. They praised the center for its “great one on one counseling and spiritual guidance” and suggested the center offered aftercare.
FINANCING
There is currently no information provided on the Gaiser Center’s website regarding its costs, but according to CiteHealth, the center accepts Medicaid and private insurance.