Nova Counseling Services knows that addiction is a disease that cannot be cured, but can be treated. The residential rehab follows an abstinence-based, 12-Step model and employs a team of qualified and compassionate professionals to help clients recover from drug and alcohol addiction. Treating chemical dependency is a complex and demanding process, but Nova is committed to helping those who suffer build an effective, sustainable and lasting bridge to sobriety.
ABOUT NOVA COUNSELING SERVICES, INC.
Located on the outskirts of Oshkosh, Wis., near Lake Winnebago, Nova Counseling Services, Inc. provides residential treatment, outpatient services, and transitional living for adults seeking recovery from substance abuse. The state-licensed center is not a dual-diagnosis facility though it can provide referrals and recommendations for medical detox.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
According to the center’s website, treatment is based on the principles of the 12-Steps and the disease model of addiction. Clients seeking admission in the 28-day residential treatment program must be examined by a physician either prior to or upon entry and be free of any communicable diseases.
Programming typically combines individual and group counseling with 12-step meetings both on- and off-site. As clients work through the steps, emphasis is placed on the first one: admitting powerlessness over addiction. Recreational therapy is another core component of the treatment curriculum.
Beginning with a 6:45 a.m. wakeup, a typical day in residential treatment offers opportunity for meditation, community meetings, educational lectures, gender-specific groups, chores, and writing assignments. Family sessions assist those interested in learning more about the recovery process.
Following their residential stay, clients in need of additional care may enroll into Terra House, the facility’s sober living program. Another program option is Focus, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) that meets weekday mornings. Once to twice weekly aftercare meetings also take place on an outpatient basis.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Nova Counseling Services’ employs a team of 10 certified substance abuse counselors (CSACs). There is no M.D. on staff.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The residential facility is comfortable, and accommodations are simple. Daily schedules are highly structured, keeping clients engaged from 6:45 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. While the main facility can house as many as 50 men and women at a time, Terra House has room for up to 12 persons.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
Nine of the 11 alumni surveyed by Best-rehabs.com to date provided positive feedback on their personal recovery experiences. They indicated that they’d strongly recommend treatment and that the program was worth the cost. Many also gave the center five stars for the staff’s level of training and experience.
“For me it was the best experience of my life,” wrote alum Jim. “Saved my life.” Stan called the center “one of the best facilities in the Midwest” while Brenda similarly deemed it an “Awesome place!”
Two others, much in contrast, advised prospective clients to seek treatment elsewhere. Calling his experience here “Overall an expensive disappointment,” alum Brian told Best-rehabs.com of staff who were “Cold, impersonal and stern, often to the point of being militant.” And Nik told of staff who acted “like prison guards – miserable” and of counselors who “do not care about patients and spend little to no time with them.” “If you care about recovery, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE,” Nik warned others.
Alumni were also generally dissatisfied with the holistic and exercise options.
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
The seven loved ones surveyed by Best-rehabs.com as of this writing shared more unanimously positive feedback. “Great family involvement and after care,” an anonymous reviewer wrote. “Very effective treatment for my loved one.” Others described the staff as “Amazing” and “well trained,” while Charlie summed the up the place as a “Wonderful facility with very dedicated staff.”
Of those polled on the matter, five loved ones shared an excellent average rating of 4.4 stars out of five when indicating how strongly they’d recommend the center to others. Yet, like alumni, loved ones also gave lower ratings for holistic offerings with average ratings in the category falling just short of three stars.
Though she found that “some of the staff members were incredible,” Julie was troubled by issues of weak communication: “We’d wait days for a return call.”
FINANCING
Treatment costs $200 per day, or $5,600 for a 28-day stay. Nova also accepts private health insurance, but does not offer any sliding scale fees.