Let me start by saying DO NOT COME HERE!! Everything you read on the website about individualized care is a lie. I met with my counselor 1 time individually and 3 times in a small group setting. Further, when I questioned my counselor about this as I was upset, Shannon my counselor, (the clinical Director non the less ) LIED and kept saying we had more meetings than we had- she was counting me knocking on her door and begging for help with certain situations as a scheduled meeting - (5 mins here and there) all the while people were coming in and out of her office, asking questions, she was taking calls, etc. Further, I had a zoom meeting scheduled the day before my departure with my husband to discuss my aftercare plan on a Monday, in which no prep was done for it. I questioned Shannon about this on Friday afternoon and I was told “you can work on that this weekend” (BY MYSELF- with no resources, no computer or phone access)To top it off, my last day there when I had 30 minutes to go until my husband picked me up- she ran out to me and asked me to sign something while I was talking to another counselor outside- I STUPIDLY did and went back to her office and questioned what I signed after the fact. It was a form stating we had 4 private sessions during my stay - that was a Bold faced lie. When I called her out on it, she said she would provide the documentation “when she was done with her meeting on the phone”, knowing I was just about the leave the facility. I immediately went to the administration and made a complaint against her. (I’m sure nothing came of this as this is a common practice at St. Jo’s) I learned that a good friend of mine who left last Friday had the SAME THING HAPPEN with another male counselor - I will not mention names as it’s his story to tell- and he will- stating they meant 5 times during his 23 day stay and he only met with him 2 times. He fortunately caught it and crossed out the times they didn’t meet (He’s a lawyer by profession)
Second, the psychiatrist is only there ONE day a week and you are lucky if you see him. I did , however many others did not and many had to see a psychiatrist by zoom. The Holistic Physical therapist, Dr. Hamlin (sp?) who treats Chronic pain and stress and anxiety is Amazing, however he is only there ONE day a week.
The RA’s who are NOT QUALIFIED (only qualifications is one year sober ) run half of the meetings and many meetings were simply cancelled because they didn’t have anyone to run them.
The place is DIRTY, the food unhealthy and nothing but CARBS, and I’m handicapped (below the knee amputee) and their is no handicap accessibility in the bathrooms (handrails in the tub, etc) or on the grounds in general.
Also, there is NO SECURITY on site.
Many arguments and a physical altercation broke out while there and it’s up to the untrained RA’s to break it up. A young man came who was probably 6’5 and HUGE who was there for Mental Health (probably schizophrenic) as he talked and laughed to himself, who became violent- and they said the only way they could make him leave was if he hurt someone or himself- well he did end up hurting a frail elderly lady by kicking a chair at her and then threatening to kill another resident. So, they did make him leave. And instead of taking him to a more secure mental health facility, they dropped him off at the BUS STATION in State College, Pa.
Finally, my aftercare plan was a literal JOKE! The place they set me up with fell through the day before I left because they didn’t take dual diagnosis- mental health and addiction. So they scrambled to find me other options. I was given 4 names in the Pittsburgh area they assured me took my insurance. All 4 of the places I was given DO NOT TAKE MY INSURANCE. This place and their aftercare team are HORRIBLE!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME or MONEY HERE!!! The only real positives are the nurses are kind and the PT classes are great but only one day a week. Apparently this used to be a much better program but was sold within the last year to a corporation and has gone DRAMATICALLY DOWN HILL!
