ABOUT LOUIS A JOHNSON VA MEDICAL CENTER
Located on a large campus southwest of central Clarksburg in northern West Virginia, the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center provides a broad array of medical and primary care services for veterans, as well as mental and behavioral health departments. Via the latter departments, clients may access inpatient medical detox services, residential care, and outpatient support for substance use disorder.
Services are available for veterans and their family members.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
The primary treatment modalities in use at the Louis A. Johnson Center are individual and group therapy as well as medication management. Family therapy is also available by appointment and the VA’s general information about treatment for substance use disorder indicates that 12-step participation is often recommended.
In addition to treating substance use disorder, the facility provides treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and serious mental illness, as well as a dual diagnosis program known as the Mental Health Rehabilitation and Recovery Treatment Program (MHRRTP), which can support individuals struggling with medical problems, mental health disorders, addiction, and/or homelessness, via inpatient and outpatient care.
The center provides little further information about its treatment specifics, however, the Handbook of Military Social Work, notes that the most common method used to treat addiction at VA facilities in general is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), along with education and support. The handbook also notes that VA facilities aim to assess veterans seeking addiction treatment for any co-occurring disorders, such as PTSD or depression, and to provide treatment for those disorders along with support in the areas of spirituality, sexual dysfunction, employment, and education. This holistic treatment is designed to remove likely causes of relapse.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
There is currently no information provided by the facility regarding its treatment staff, however, the single alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center five out of five stars for its staff’s level of training and experience.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The MHRRTP dual (or multiple) diagnosis program offers 15 beds. There is currently no further information provided by the facility regarding its living arrangements and related offerings, however, the sole alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the facility perfect five-star ratings for its cleanliness, accommodations, meals, and exercise/leisure offerings.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The single alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date would strongly recommend treatment at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center. “Everything is spot on,” J.B. wrote, giving the facility five out of five stars in almost all of the evaluated treatment metrics, including its treatment effectiveness, holistic offerings, family participation, counseling options, and ability to treat co-occurring disorders.
At the time of this writing, secondary review sites yielded no coverage of the medical center’s mental health or addiction provisions in particular, and mostly positive feedback about the medical center as a whole: a 4.2-star average rating based on 20 reviews on Google, and a four-star average rating based on 141 reviews on Facebook, where the facility can manage its own page. In negative commentary, numerous reviewers expressed frustration with the slow pace of help provided. “At this point it is below Poor. How many times do you have to go to the ER for the same problem before something is done?” J.P. wrote in a representative review on Facebook.
However, many reviewers expressed unreserved praise after attending the facility for many years, often describing the staff as compassionate and helpful and the center as efficient. “I have been going to the V.A. in Clarksburgh for 10 plus yrs.. I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t treated with respect and compassion,” C.M. wrote on Facebook in one representative review; “For nearly fifty years Clarksburg VA has been there for me through some trying times… Having traveled the US, there is no question in my mind that the Clarksburg VA facility is a first class medical facility,” W.W. wrote on Google in another.
CONCLUSION
Services are available to all qualifying active duty service members, veterans, and their families. A co-pay may be required for some services. The sole alum polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the facility five out of five stars for its affordability.
In October 2017, it was reported that a manager at the Louis A. Jason Medical Center had manipulated data in order to reduce reported wait times. In an official statement, the VA noted that it had “immediately discontinued the practice, developed a process for clinic approvals, and educated leadership and staff on the requirements contained in agency directives violated in this matter. The agency is currently determining how to recoup lost payments. In addition, the VA counseled the manager responsible for the creation of these improper clinics.”
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