The Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center Meharry Medical College is staffed by a diverse team of psychiatrists, registered nurses, licensed alcohol and drug addiction counselors, master social workers, case managers and other professionals who work to tailor evidence-based and culturally sensitive treatment programs to meet the individual needs of each patient. Of particular note is the specialized Rainbow Program is designed to meet the needs of substance-using pregnant and post-partum women.
ABOUT LLOYD C. ELAM MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
Located in Nashville, Tenn., the Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center is part of the Meharry Medical College, a century-old institution celebrated for being the first medical school in the South for African Americans. Today, the established treatment facility provides evidence-based, culturally sensitive addiction treatment that stresses an emotional grounding and the life skills required to lead a sober, productive lifestyle.
This is also one of Tennessee’s 116 (51.1 percent) treatment facilities with specifically-tailored programming for individuals with co-occurring mental health disorders, and one of 35 (15.4 percent) programs in the state for pregnant or postpartum women.
Offering one of the only 45 (19.8 percent) on-site Suboxone clinics in the state, this center provides outpatient treatment for opioid addiction, combining medication with group and/or individual therapy.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Per its website, the Elam Mental Health Center offers detoxification, 28-day residential care, and up to eight weeks of intensive outpatient program (IOP) and standard outpatient treatment options to treat substance abuse and co-occurring mental health conditions.
There are also special programs geared towards adolescents and pregnant and postpartum women, all featuring individual, group, and family therapy.
For teens between the ages of 13 and 18, the Adolescent Day Treatment (ADT) program is a state-funded, 35-day after-school program focused on addiction education. As an outpatient program, sessions run weekdays from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The facility’s Rainbow Program, designed exclusively for expectant and new mothers struggling with addiction, offers a full range of supportive and educational services across both residential and outpatient settings. These may include help with food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, family and couples counseling, parenting training, family planning services, child care, mental health services, medication management, and referrals to other social services.
Aftercare and community referrals are also available for those who complete a recovery program.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Elam’s staff includes board-certified psychiatrists, physicians, registered nurses, trained addiction counselors, case managers, master’s level social workers, and other highly trained, experienced substance abuse professionals. In fact, in Tennessee, 99.1 percent of all substance abuse treatment facilities have higher education requirements for staff. The sole alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date provided a five out of five-star rating for the level of staff support.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
There is currently no information provided by the facility regarding its living arrangements and related offerings, though the single alum surveyed by Best-rehabs.com to date provided three out of five stars for the center’s accommodations and amenities, meals and nutrition, and leisure activities.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The facility has received mixed reviews from alumni to date. In the sole review submitted to Best-rehabs.com, former client M.A. gave the facility top marks for staff support, adding: “They had a detox center and really good counselors.” Lower ratings of three stars were given for the center’s holistic offerings and its visitation policy, though this former client left no negative written commentary.
On Citehealth, where the center received a low average rating of 2.8 out of five stars from 10 individuals to date, alumni did praise the center’s affordability.[1] One alum noted that it “overall serves a great need for those that are uninsured,” and another echoed the sentiment, posting, “Elam Center saved my life. I have tried many times to get my life back on track at the cost of many thousands of dollars. Finally I (succeeded) with the help of a place that didn’t cost me a penny.
Nevertheless, several reviewers on Citehealth were unhappy with their interactions with the staff, as one summed up their experience here as “very disappointing,” adding, “Its sad when you go somewhere for help and the staff is too wrapped up in all their own high school drama with each other to pay attention to clients.
FINANCING
The Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center accepts Medicare, (accepted at 42.3 percent of all treatment centers in the state) Medicaid, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, amongst other insurance plans, and self-pay. For those who qualify, the facility also offers financial assistance to help with treatment costs.
[1] http://citehealth.com/rehab-centers/tennessee/cities/nashville/meharry-medical-college#reviews