ABOUT RIVER CREST HOSPITAL
Located in a quiet, residential neighborhood in San Angelo, Texas, River Crest Hospital provides psychiatric and substance abuse treatment for adults, as well as being one of the only 137 (28.1 percent) treatment centers in the state with services for adolescents.
All clients have access to inpatient care, and adults have additional options for detoxification services (an option at only 42 hospital-based facilities in the state) and outpatient treatment. There’s also a specialized treatment track for military personnel with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related difficulties.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Upon admission, all clients undergo a mental health evaluation to help staff determine the most appropriate course of treatment. Adults requiring medical stabilization due to chemical dependency begin with a brief period in detoxification, which typically lasts three to five days.
While in detox, adults are overseen by a 24-hour nursing staff and benefit from a variety of treatment programming, such as individual, group, and family therapy, medication management as indicated, and educational workshops.
Once stabilized, clients may enter the treatment program best-suited to their needs; either inpatient treatment, the most structured and customized program, or one of the hospital’s two outpatient tracks, the partial hospitalization program (PHP) or intensive outpatient program (IOP).
Inpatient care is short-term, as the focus is to move patients from residential treatment to outpatient care as quickly and safely as possible. During their stay, patients take part in a variety of therapeutic modalities and are prescribed medication as needed.
Graduates of inpatient care often attend PHP and/or IOP tracks as a measure of “step-down care”. While PHP takes place five days a week, consisting primarily of individual and group counseling, IOP is similar in design but scheduled in accordance with a client’s needs and availability.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
According to the hospital’s webpage, the treatment staff includes board-certified psychiatrists, nurse practitioners with experience in behavioral health and family care, and therapists. In Texas, 98 percent of treatment centers have continuing education requirements for staff. To date, the six individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com on the matter appreciated the aptitude of staff.
Staff Experience and Training: 4.2/5
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
River Crest Hospital can accommodate up to 80 clients at a time. Few details regarding the center’s residential quarters are available, but the six individuals polled by Best-rehabs.com as of this writing praised the quality of the facility.
Facility Cleanliness and Upkeep: 4.5/5
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
In general, the five alumni polled by Best-rehabs.com shared mostly positive experiences. Former client T.T. praised the “Great counseling, facility and caring employees,” a sentiment echoed by K.M.G., another alum. “This atmosphere was nice for me. I don’t like a lot of chaos. It was very peaceful. Everyone there was really comforting and helpful,” they wrote.
However, some alum reported a lack of recreational and holistic options. “The facility could have used more recreational activities for recovery, such as meditation, yoga, etc,” an anonymous alum wrote. Two former clients polled on the center’s holistic offerings both gave just two out of five stars, and three out of five stars for exercise activities.
Feedback skewed more negatively on Google, where the center averaged 2.5 out of five stars based on 26 reports to date.[1] Of those who shared written commentary, mostly one-star reviewers, many were less than impressed with their psychiatric treatment experiences. One noted a large number of clerical mistakes, and J.I. felt that “Non of (the staff) seemed like they really cared.” Numerous reports refer to the staff as “rude.”
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
R.F., one of the two loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com, gave four stars for many categories, including exercise options, level of family participation, and treatment effectiveness, noting appreciation for the “close contact” made with family members. However, she felt that medication was overused. “Personally think too much medication is used when not actually sure of the diagnosis…were quick to administer medication to control the patient…some of the medications have severe side effects,” R.F. wrote.
The other anonymous loved one surveyed at the time of this writing gave exclusively four- and five-star ratings for every category, and listed the”variety of programs for many people; nice peaceful setting” as facility strengths.
Loved one reviews submitted elsewhere are limited and mixed. K.T., a Google reviewer, found most of the staff to be “competent and caring.” “They were wonderful for our family (and still are),” she wrote. D.S., the parent of a client, reported their family’s frustrations. “He told them that he heard voices to hurt his family. He was given meds and released…No one has been able to explain to me what’s going on with my son,” D.S. wrote.
WHAT STAFF SAY
While Best-rehabs.com had yet to receive feedback from facility staff at the time of this writing, 13 Indeed users provided a lukewarm rating of 2.8 out of five stars.[2] Several former employees were critical of management and the staff turnover rates, but one representative, satisfied staffer wrote: “River Crest Hospital is a friendly, fast paced environment. We strive to always ensure patient safety and collaboratively work together.”
FINANCING
The hospital’s website instructs clients to bring their insurance cards with them for the check-in process, indicating that some plans are accepted. Four Best-rehabs.com survey respondents to date provided moderately positive feedback regarding the facility’s costs.
Afforability: 3.3/5
[1] GoogleReviews
[2] https://www.indeed.com/cmp/River-Crest-Hospital/reviews