American Addiction Centers Review
American Addiction Centers was founded in 2011 when recovery industry players Michael Cartwright and Jerrod Menz merged their companies. Currently, Michael Cartwright serves as the sole CEO. Since its inception, AAC has acquired an array of treatment facilities including Desert Hope in Nevada and The Greenhouse in Texas. A full list of facilities run by AAC—inpatient, outpatient and sober living—can be found on its site.
Accommodations and Food
Meals and housing options vary greatly depending on the rehab. AAC has some locations where residents stay in one house and are transported to nearby central treatment sites and others where treatment and housing is under one roof.
For the most part, clients have roommates and rooms come with en-suite bathrooms. The level of luxury also spans the spectrum: The Greenhouse is converted from a high-end spa and comes complete with a large indoor pool and a Hokkaido tub. Desert Hope resembles a luxury hotel with hardwood floors, floral arrangements and elegant furnishings.
Each AAC facility’s meal planning is intentional and strategic to the type of programming offered. Some facilities have an executive chef, sous chef and a full culinary team of staff on-site to prepare client meals. These facilities include Laguna Treatment Hospital, Greenhouse Treatment Center, River Oaks Treatment Center and Desert Hope Treatment Center.
At other facilities, such as Oxford Treatment Center, clients are encouraged to participate in gardening and other responsibilities as part of holistic treatment programming. The food yielded by client-run gardens is integrated into meal prepping and planning.
At facilities such as Recovery First, Hollywood and Recovery First, Ft. Lauderdale, clients are encouraged to prepare responsible meals amongst themselves with groceries that are bought with weekly stipends. Clients experiment with an array of cuisines while practicing basic life skills such as personal and family budgeting and cooking.
Treatment and Staff
All of AAC’s rehabs models emphasize 12-step and offer dual diagnosis support, though not all the facilities require 12-step participation.
AAC’s luxury programs The Greenhouse and Desert Hope both offer 12-step meetings every week, but stress that these are not mandatory for those staunchly opposed to them. All the above programs are available in 30, 60 and 90 days varieties.
All AAC facilities provide group therapy and one-on-one sessions. It offers CBT, DBT and EMDR at all their locations and also has doctors on site at every facility. On-site detox is standard for AAC.
AAC’s intensive two-day family program occurs on the third weekend of treatment at all locations. From 8 am to 5 pm, family members are welcome to go through all treatment sessions alongside their loved one and the loved one’s clinician. Skype sessions are also an option for those who can’t be there in person. In terms of general outside communication, AAC’s policy is to have the first five-to-seven days be a black-out period. Still, if a release form is signed, clients can receive calls from family members during this time.
Using a sample schedule for Desert Hope (which, according to an AAC coordinator, is reflective of other locations’ daily activities), residents wake up at 6:30 am Monday through Friday. Breakfast is served at 7:30 am and is followed by a general morning group meeting. Morning meditation is at 9 am after which there’s a series of educational and therapeutic group sessions. Some AAC locations also offer yoga and massage (for additional fees).
Phone time and lunch fall between 11:30 am and 1 pm and is followed by more group and individual therapy sessions until 5 pm. Dinner is served at 5:45 pm, and between 6:45 and 8 pm, residents participate in an educational class and a series of recovery meetings. After 8 pm there’s time to go to the gym, take medication and get ready for bed, with lights out at 10 or 11 pm. Clients can sleep in later on the weekends, though breakfast is still served at the same time. The rest of the weekend consists of various educational courses.
In Summary
American Addiction Centers is a reputable name within the recovery community. It offers a wide range of standard and holistic treatment along with comfortable accommodations and plenty of amenities. Flexible lengths of stay, the option to participate in 12-step and a strong family program are some of the many benefits to choosing to begin recovery at one of these facilities.
American Addiction Centers Cost
American Addiction Centers Cost: Varies by location. Desert Hope and The Greenhouse are about $26,000 for 30 days.Reach American Addiction Centers by phone at (888) 300-3332. Find American Addiction Centers on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn
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