Chandler Valley Hope Review
Chandler Valley Hope is a 55-bed, co-ed inpatient alcohol and drug recovery facility in Chandler, Arizona, a city of about a quarter million in the East Valley of the Phoenix suburbs. The Valley Hope Association has 16 facilities in seven states, but there only other Arizona outpost is an outpatient location in neighboring Tempe.
Accommodations and Food
CVH is in walking distance of the small downtown Chandler area. The campus itself has security with basic accommodations. There’s a small wing set aside for detox where residents have three to four roommates for generally three to five days. After that, each resident shares a bare-bones, dorm-style room with one other person of their own gender—though a plus is that each room gets its own private bathroom. Aside from that, living accommodations are co-ed, with no separate men’s and women’s wings, though there are usually slightly more men than women. The minimum age here is 18, with about a third of the clientele below 25 and a quarter of them over 45.
The facility is also an “open campus,” which can be taken as either a plus or minus. It means that once counselors say so (usually after a week), residents are permitted to leave the grounds for two hours a day while accompanied by another client or a family member. That time is primarily for them to attend outside AA meetings or to shop, especially for snacks and toiletries. Anyone who uses the time to acquire intoxicants will be dismissed from the facility; same goes for anyone found to be romantically involved with another client.
Cell phones and computers are also forbidden, though residents can bring a music player if they choose. The facility has a TV that clients can watch twice a week but the time is generally reserved for sports events or movies. Exercise options are minimal; there’s no gym, though basketball and volleyball courts are available.
Food service isn’t gourmet, but meals are reportedly tasty and healthy enough that the staff often eat them with the clients. Residents are also permitted to bring non-alcoholic drinks and snacks with them, or purchase them in stores while they’re in treatment.
Treatment and Staff
Approximately 60% percent of the staff is in recovery, and thus can show clients the ropes of various local AA groups. Each resident is assigned a personal counselor, a small group counselor and a non-denominational chaplain whose purpose is to help them find a spiritual solution (“a God of their understanding” as AA says, rather than any specific doctrine). The head of the facility is a former pastor who speaks at churches throughout Arizona, but those churches’ denominations seem varied enough that his position at CVH is seemingly not proselytic. The facility has three or four nurses on duty per day, and a doctor visits on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Except for the two hours of free time that might be spent off-campus, Chandler Valley Hope tends to keep their residents busy with lectures, group therapy and interactive activities throughout the day. There are on-site AA meetings six days a week which provide a good opportunity to make friends and get sponsors. The facility also welcomes families of current residents for group meetings and lectures; depending on the client’s relationship with loved ones, these can be emotional experiences.
The alumni group seems relatively active as well, and user reviews report mostly good things.
Extras
CVH reports that about a third of its alumni show up periodically to attend the on-site AA meetings; various reunions and other functions are also available, and special meetings are held on Tuesdays specifically to welcome back these old friends. One Friday a month, alumni are allowed to return for a day to interact with current residents, and get them mentally prepared for life on the outside.
In Summary
Chandler Valley Hope is a no-frills program offering considerable freedoms. An active alumni group and a healthy 12-step philosophy make this place worth exploring.
Chandler Valley Hope Cost: $9,000-$15,000. Reach Chandler Valley Hope by phone at (480) 250-8582. Find Chandler Valley Hope on Facebook
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