O’Brien House Review
O’Brien House, named for co-founder Paul S. “Pat” O’Brien, was one of the first substance abuse treatment facilities in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when it opened in 1971. It now provides residential treatment, an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), outpatient programming, and education, veteran, family and preventive services for the community. O’Brien House is known for its self-sufficiency; it often hires graduates of the program to work for them afterwards, specifically with lawn maintenance and janitorial business.
Accommodations and Food
O’Brien House operates out of a recently renovated 60-bed facility, where residents share rooms. Accommodations are simple, but new and clean. Residents have twin beds and share limited storage space with roommates. The property also has a common area with a television and exercise equipment outside.
Clients eat three meals a day, each of which is a full-course meal served cafeteria style. Menus usually consist of warm comfort food like chicken with biscuits or pulled pork with green beans. Several snacks are also served throughout the day.
Treatment
The residential treatment program lasts anywhere from three to six months and approaches treatment with CBT, Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) and spirituality.
Treatment includes individual therapy, group therapy, spirituality groups that acknowledge a Higher Power, 12-step meetings, recreation such as on-site yoga or unsupervised time with on-site exercise equipment, and life skills training that includes career counseling, job placement assistance and money management.
The program has three different phases. Phase one lasts two to three weeks and is basically an adjustment period, when residents get used to the treatment schedule and begin working the 12 steps. During phase two, which lasts six to eight weeks, residents must find and maintain employment, set up a money plan to repay any debts, secure a sponsor and continue attending treatment and moving forward with the 12 steps. During phase three, residents begin developing a long-term housing and relapse prevention plan and must continue attending at least five 12-step meetings per week.
A typical day varies depending on the phase, but during phase one it begins with a 7 am wake-up, followed by morning chores like sweeping and dusting, breakfast, meditation, an AA or NA meeting and group therapy. After lunch, residents continue groups and also attend life skills training. There are usually one or two more meetings after dinner before a couple hours of free time in the late evening. Lights out follows shortly after.
For those who cannot make the time commitment involved with inpatient treatment, O’Brien House offers an IOP, which meets three nights a week for three hours. Clients must be referred. There’s also outpatient treatment for one hour three times a week. Both programs include individual therapy, group therapy, addiction education and 12-step work.
O’Brien House employs a staff of 22 for the residential program, which includes a medical director, a registered nurse, a clinical director with an MSW, three licensed counselors, a recreation coordinator, two cooks, a dietician and various administrative staff. The staff-to-resident ratio is about one-to-three.
O’Brien House has about 10 additional staff for their veterans program, outpatient programs and Strengthening Families program.
Extras
O’Brien House also offers an alumni group for aftercare that has frequent meetings and occasionally hosts recreational events like bowling nights. Post-graduation accommodations are provided in the nearby sober living apartments, where rent is $400 a month. Clients can even return to the dining hall for meals for only $15 a week.
Veterans can take advantage of free veterans services at O’Brien House which include groups on Mondays and Thursdays, case management and creative workshops.
While it does not offer an adolescent treatment program, O’Brien House works with the community to prevent drug and alcohol use among youth. The Strengthening Families Program works with families on talking about addiction and improving family relationships, and the Millennium Kids Club uses fun activities to build character and educate kids ages six to 12 about addiction.
In Summary
As far as affordable treatment centers go, O’Brien House leads the pack. Not only is its treatment one of the most cost-efficient out there, but it also offers an array of resources, employs an educated staff and provides a modern, supportive environment for recovery. O’Brien House is also a solid choice for anyone looking for help finding a job.
O’Brien House Location
446 N 12th St
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
O’Brien House Cost
$200 (30 days). Reach O’Brien House by phone at (225) 344-6345. Find O’Brien House on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google +
Do you have a complaint or review of O’Brien House to add? Use the comments area below to add your O’Brien House 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.
