Fellowship Hall Review
With Southern charm, a dedicated staff and a reputation that speaks for itself, Fellowship Hall is an established North Carolina safe haven for those ready to finally surrender. Credited as the very first Alcohol and Drug Treatment Specialty Hospital to be licensed in the state, Fellowship Hall has treated over 25,000 clients since opening its doors in 1971. Its goal is to provide a positive, peaceful environment for alcoholics and drug addicts alike to recover and heal through a solid foundation in the 12-step system.
Accommodations and Food
Located on 120 acres of beautiful, plush land (subject to North Carolina’s definite and palpable seasonal changes, of course), the interior of the facility is homey and nicely furnished with 77 beds in total—all rooms are semi-private. The campus is adorned with a meditation trail and a picturesque pond complete with a quaint pedestrian-friendly bridge. The meditation trail is sign posted with multiple 12-step idioms throughout and symbolic of Fellowship Hall’s goal to establish serenity amongst patients at all times. To this end, clients are not allowed to bring electronics of any kind, including TVs, recording devices, tablets, cameras, phones or computers. They are also instructed to not bring reading material or inappropriate clothing (revealing or drug-oriented). Linens are provided, as is laundry detergent.
Three meals a day are provided in the dining hall and coffee, soda, juice and tea are available at all times. The food is healthy. This rehab emphasizes the importance of returning to a nutritionally sound diet in sobriety.
Treatment and Staff
On-site detox is offered at Fellowship Hall and can be conducted independent from starting the facility’s inpatient Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) or outpatient programs. Detox lengths range from patient to patient and are supervised by not just a psychiatrist but also an extensive team of other doctors, nurses and psychiatric residents from the nearby and prestigious Duke University. Although a supporter of abstinence-based lifestyles in the long-term, Fellowship Hall does allow the use of certain medications (namely, benzodiazepines for alcohol abusers and buprenorphines for opiate addicts) during detox to ease the extreme withdrawal symptoms potentially encountered in days three to six.
The average length of stay at Fellowship Hall is 30 days but times vary anywhere from three to six weeks. The foundation for the treatment is 12-step work and meetings, continuously supplemented with group and individual therapy, medical evaluations, therapeutic activities (walking the meditation trail) and long-term strategic planning for a sober lifestyle.
A standard day begins with a 6:30 am wakeup call, followed by breakfast and then a daily ritual called the “Eye Opener” at 8:30 am. During this time, clients are given a thought for the day, a rundown of their schedule and time to bid farewell to anyone being discharged. From there, they attend addiction education classes, sobriety in the real world lectures, or meet with their individual counselors (these sessions are at least twice a week). Everyone eats lunch at noon followed by group therapy. After the daily group counseling session, patient coordinators lead an array of recreational activities like exercise classes, group games or walks through the meditation trail. After dinner at 5 pm, those not attending off-site AA or NA meetings are shown an educational film. If attending external meetings, clients must be back on campus by 9:30 pm and official lights out is 11:30. Weekend schedules can vary with more flexibility for guests to enjoy the outdoor space and Sundays are reserved for demonstration meetings in the Fellowship Hall.
Visitors are not allowed during the first week of a client’s stay but after that period, they are allowed to come on Thursdays and Sundays.
The client-to-staff ratio here is seven-to-one and as mentioned previously, the staff, even beyond detox, is complete with physicians, nurses, nutritionists and addiction counselors, often from highly accredited universities in the area. A medical director and counselors, all well versed in recognizing signs of potential relapse, oversee the residents. There is also 24-hour nursing available on-site. The care, compassion and drive of the team at Fellowship Hall are a common thread amongst graduate testimonials.
In Summary
Fellowship Hall does not consider itself a psychiatric unit, rather a chemical dependency treatment center, so it’s worth noting, it does not claim to specialize in dual diagnosis treatment and believe it’s best equipped only to deal with the psychological issues that arise with continued drug and alcohol abuse. If those needs can’t be met in the 12-step program, it usually directs clients elsewhere.
Fellowship Hall Location
5140 Dunstan Rd
Greensboro, NC 27405
Fellowship Hall Cost
$14,500 (30 days). Reach Fellowship Hall by phone at (800) 659-3381. Find Fellowship Hall on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Do you have a complaint or review of Fellowship Hal to add? Use the comments are below to add your Fellowship Hall review.
Sponsored DISCLAIMER: This is a paid advertisement for California Behavioral Health, LLC, a CA licensed substance abuse treatment provider and not a service provided by The Fix. Calls to this number are answered by CBH, free and without obligation to the consumer. No one who answers the call receives a fee based upon the consumer’s choice to enter treatment. For additional info on other treatment providers and options visit www.samhsa.gov.
