ABOUT THE WILLIAM J. MCCORD ADOLESCENT TREATMENT FACILITY
Since 1993, the William J. McCord Adolescent Treatment Facility has provided substance abuse and psychiatric treatment services for children, adolescents, and their families in central South Carolina. This is one of the 16 (14 percent) facilities in the state where on-site medical detox services are available. Adolescents needing long-term inpatient treatment are served through the McCord residential program, one of the only 49 (43 percent) state facilities with specifically-tailored programming for this age group.
Outpatient treatment is also offered, including specialized programming for individuals involved in the criminal justice system as well as those in early or pre-addiction stages of substance use. The rehab facility is located on the campus of the Dawn Center in Orangeburg, which provides outpatient programs for adults. Both are operated by the Tri-County Commission.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
This facility’s website places emphasis on the integration of medical care with psychosocial treatment for addiction. Admission to the residential center begins with a physical exam. If necessary, medically supervised detox services are available to help alleviate the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms. Clients ages 13 to 18 typically remain in residential treatment for five to eight weeks, after which they are encouraged to continue with outpatient care.
While in residence, youth receive academic instruction and participate in a variety of evidence-based therapies. Treatment modalities include recreational therapy, introduction to self-help group concepts (such as 12-Step), life skills training, spirituality services, and individual and group counseling. Weekly family therapy sessions address such issues as communication, trust, and boundary setting.
Integrated dual diagnosis treatment for individuals struggling with co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders is also available, which includes psychiatric and psychological evaluation, as well as ongoing medication management. The facility offers similar counseling and case management services on an outpatient basis for children and adolescents ages nine and older.
The Bridge, an intensive program geared toward teens leaving a juvenile detention facility or a residential rehab program, focuses on substance abuse education, vocational counseling, and family reconciliation. According to the McCord website, the program is nationally recognized and provides more one-on-one counseling than a typical outpatient program.
The facility also offers a Collaboration program, which uses a cognitive behavioral therapy-based Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach. The 10- to 12-week program is based in individual counseling, with typically two family sessions, and is offered through the teens’ home or school. Intervention, prevention, family support groups, and a 12-week extended care program are also available as outpatient treatments.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Treatment team members at McCord include a board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, master’s-level social workers, state-certified addiction counselors, and nurses, as well as a recreation therapist. The staff-to-client ratio is 1:3, according to the facility’s website, and 98.2 percent of all substance abuse treatment centers in South Carolina have higher education requirements for staff. The one individual polled by Best-rehabs.com on the staff’s level of experience and training to date provided this aspect of treatment four out of five stars.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The 15-bed residential unit on the Dawn Center campus accommodates eight male and seven female adolescents. Visitation hours are offered once a week and limited to immediate family members. The facility is located close to a local technical college and regional medical center.
While no further details regarding living arrangements or related offerings are available from the facility, Best-rehabs.com has received survey responses from two individuals, both of whom awarded three stars out of five for meals, nutrition, and general accommodations. Additionally, one rated the facility’s cleanliness and upkeep and policies related to Internet and phone use each three stars, but opportunities for exercise and leisure activity just two out of five stars.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Best-rehabs.com has yet to receive any reviews from this facility’s former clients. However, feedback on Google and Facebook reflected mostly positive alumni opinions.
One of four Google reviews, where the center has an average rating of 3.8 out of five stars, was submitted by an alum, who characterized accommodations as poor but “not unbearable,” while the facility as a whole exceeded their expectations “for a state run facility.” This former client rated McCord four stars out of five. Another reviewer gave just one star, with no written comments.
On the facility’s official Facebook page, which staff members can manage, 14 out of 15 reviewers rated the facility five out of five stars for an average rating of 4.9. Written comments were limited, but tended to highlight the caring treatment staff. “They really make you understand your worth,” H.G. wrote in a representative review.
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
In contrast to positive alumni reviews, feedback from family members was critical. The two parents polled by Best-rehabs.com to date shared details of their families’ disappointing experiences. One characterized the treatment as counterproductive and cited strong concerns with the counselor’s lack of attention or assertiveness.
On the other hand, loved one R.M. praised the “Good availability of counsellors,” despite providing only one out of five stars for counseling options and holistic offerings. R.M. gave a neutral rating of three stars for the level of family participation, and ultimately noted that she would not recommend the center to others, adding that the staff “could not deal with fluctuating moods of my daughter” and that treatment was not effective.
Yet V.M., a Google reviewer, awarded the facility five stars, writing simply, “Good place helped my teenage child.”
FINANCING
McCord Adolescent Treatment Facility publishes some of its fees, while also highlighting a commitment to providing treatment regardless of a client’s ability to apply private insurance coverage or self-pay. Costs range from $60 per group counseling session and $96 for individual counseling to $2,000 for some inpatient services. The single individual surveyed on facility costs to date provided two stars for its affordability.