Highland Rivers Health Review
Highland Rivers Health provides addiction treatment in several Georgia communities. These include Carterville (an adult Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and outpatient counseling), Rome (adult IOP, outpatient and TANF housing for women), Cedartown (adult IOP), Jasper (transitional services for men) and Dalton (adult IOP). Detox is available through three crisis stabilization units in Rome, Dalton and Cedartown. Highland Rivers was founded in early 2002 after the consolidation of the Georgia Highlands Center and Three Rivers Behavioral Health Services. Dual diagnosis support is available for those with co-occurring disorders.
Accommodations and Food
The Rome facility provides 48 total beds for women who are pregnant, postpartum and with children. Single women with no children share rooms, which each have two beds, dressers and a wardrobe, while women with children stay in larger family rooms. Residents are encouraged to bring personal items with them to make the lodgings feel like home. The men’s transitional facility in Jasper can accommodate up to 20 residents. These rooms are also shared with two beds, dressers and a wardrobe.
Residents of these facilities may not bring their cell phones or personal electronics but can make personal calls from a facility phone to family members after programming has ended for the day. Residents are allowed to watch TV during their limited free time, once the day’s programming has ended. While cable isn’t available, the facility does have DVDs and local channels clients can watch. Donated exercise equipment is also available for the men and women to use.
Nutritionists at both locations create healthy, good-tasting menus and staff cooks prepare all meals. All dishes contain a protein, fiber, vegetables and fresh fruits and snacks are available throughout the day as well. Residents can enjoy moderate amounts of sugar and caffeine.
Treatment and Staff
Clinicians at Highland Rivers use a variety of treatment methods including CBT, EMDR and Motivational Interviewing (MI). Seeking Safety and Stages of Change models are also used in group and individual therapy. Group sizes vary from 10 to 30 at a time.
A typical day in residential care begins at 6 am, with medication and breakfast. Women with children take their children to the daycare operated by Highland Rivers, located on-site next to women’s TANF housing. Daily group programming runs from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, with lunch from 12 to 1 pm.
At 2:30 pm, clients attend their 12-step study followed by exercise and individual therapy at 3:30 pm. Residents take care of their daily chores at 4 pm before dinner at 5 pm. Six days a week, residents attend off-site AA meetings at 7 pm (with the exception of an on-site meeting on Wednesdays). Lights out is at 11 pm.
Clients are allowed to spend time with family members on Family Education Night, which consists of a half hour of family education and a half hour of visitation. Residents can also visit with family on Sunday for two hours.
IOP at all Highland Rivers facilities is structured in three phases, each two months long for a total of six months in the program.
Phase one requires new clients to attend four weekly sessions, each one a five-hour block of group therapy with breaks in between sessions. They also attend one 12-step meeting weekly during this phase. In phase two, IOP attendance drops to three times a week, though 12-step meetings go up to twice a week.
As clients move into phase three, they attend only two weekly IOP meetings as well as three AA meetings. Individual therapy is provided on an as-needed basis. For all phases, participants are required to show proof of attendance at 12-step meetings with signed sheets and random drug testing is conducted throughout the program.
Dalton, Cedartown and Cartersville each employ two clinicians to work with IOP clients. The location in Jasper employs three staff members for the same purpose. The Rome facility has two clinicians to work with male IOP clients and three for female IOP. Staff at all locations hold CADC, CAC and LPC certifications. Highland Rivers also employs a medical doctor who specializes in addiction and a psychiatrist with whom clients can meet for mental health issues.
Extras
Yoga is provided to residential clients, who can also participate in extracurricular outings, such as walks or hikes in nearby nature areas. All of Highland Rivers’ facilities offer mental health counseling and aftercare is available as well, with alumni attending group meetings for two hours a week, mostly to discuss relapse prevention.
In Summary
The substance abuse treatment offered by Highland Rivers is basic, but the organization is a huge asset for those in Georgia due to their wide range of services and many locations. Through 12-step meetings and therapy, clients learn how to confront addiction and live balanced lives.
Highland Rivers Health Location
1401 Applewood Dr, Ste 5
Dalton, GA 30720
Highland Rivers Health Cost
Free (state-funded). Reach Highland Rivers Health at (706) 270-5000. Find Highland Rivers Health on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
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