The Refuge, A Healing Place

I have worked at The Refuge for 5 years and I love it here! The transformation from the time a client arrives to the time the client leaves is astonishing. We are all a family unit here and truly care about everyone. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them” ~ Maya Angelou 💜 …

Please do not go to this facility. I was there in August 2023 for 15 days. I did not see a therapist one time, and their form of trauma groups consists of people reading letters to perpetrators in front of a group with no feedback from therapists. The treatment facility that recommended me to this place is now being paid by The Refuge in order for them to “get back in good graces” so they can have clients referred there again. There is no individualization of care, and clients, HUMANS, that are in crisis cannot be purchased. They were sure to apologize to another agency and send money for future money, yet they weren't willing to take the time to ensure quality mental health care. Quality of care should change, The Refuge should have followed through with their word that wrongs would have been made right; however, all their clients are is a paycheck. Please do intense research on these facilities before you or your loved ones attend. ***UPDATE: I sent an email to the provided contact below over three weeks ago. I responded with open ended questions that would prompt a response, and left my contact information, including my phone number, so that I could be contacted to resolve this matter. It seems as though their responses to reviews are a one size fits all response just like their program, and their responses to inquiries go unanswered just like their treatment plans with patients.

### AVOID THE REFUGE ### The Refuge can not and will not help you as it exist today and should be investigated for insurance fraud, initial payment fee fraud, and medical neglect. They accept those that voluntarily admit themselves, promising and advertising a "premier residential program" which they can not deliver on due to being under staffed and poorly managed. Once you realize this, they continuously make empty promises about things will change for the better, enticing you to stay so they can keep a bed filled and the insurance payments flowing in. For 23 days in August 2023, my wife received zero individual therapy sessions. The most critical complaint is The Refuge and its medical staff breached their duty of care by withholding two prescribed medications when my wife left. The facility and staff provided no care with regards to the withdrawal effects that could be expected when being cut off from taking these prescriptions, which could have been life threatening. One of these was for treating insomnia and her effects from withdrawal included dizziness that impaired coordination and motor functions, tremors, blurred vision, fatigue, insomnia, heart palpitations, and sweating. The Refuge policy, "if the resident does not sign their form that states they are leaving against medical advice, that the prescribed medications are withheld if it is a controlled substance." This is a self-policing, opinion based, policy and my wife chose to leave because she was not receiving the care promised by the program. She was unable to get the prescription refilled when returning home due pharmacy's policy on filling controlled substance. As one reviewer put it, the place that is suppose to help with trauma actually adds to your trauma. This place has made it very hard for me to trust any facility in the health care system. The Refuge needs to do the right and ethical thing and provide my wife a refund so she can get the help she needs that they were unable to provide. I'll await their standard response, "your feedback is important, blah blah blah". If helping people are important to The Refuge, then give her a refund. The $50k that the insurance paid covers way more than the room and board provided to her during these 23 days.

Do not go here if you need medical help!!!!!!!!!!!! The community, nature and food is the only good part about this place…I could have died from the medical negligence…until they have consistency from there clinical and medical staff find another place..I’m only posting this to protect someone else. I have so much trauma from this place. They need to do better. It’s very sad since it has so much potential. All there good staff left and they are understaffed and the clients are not supported. It’s basically a messed up camp for adults who need help. Only a few people care.

Edie's mom here, I told Edie not to listen to the reviews before she went....that the bad reviews were probably just patients that didn't want to do the work. I was so wrong. Everything in the most recently posted comments is absolutely true. When they told Edie she had to discharge and we couldn't find her a place to go, they actually suggested bringing her to a homeless shelter as a safe discharge. Edie knew she needed to be in residential treatment so didn't want to go back home. The Refuge ended up paying for a sober escort to bring her to the airport knowing she didn't have a plane ticket or a treatment facility set up to go to. You couldn't make this up and it was absolute hell! I will let Edie tell the rest of her story when she's able. As a parent faced with your child needing treatment quickly and having to navigate finding a place - there is no one great resource and it's incredibly difficult. I hope this helps someone from making the same mistake we did.

Avoid …after reading the reviews I ve decided to write my own story, my daughter went into this facility to be treated for trauma. She did not have a issue with drugs or alcohol is a college graduate. We talked for 2 hrs before she went in this facility laughing and discussing the facility how nice it was and happy she was getting the help she needed. She was in their for a month without communication. When she returned she would not talk to us and that has been since 2021. She has been brainwashed into believing stories that have never happened. We are a close knit family that including relatives and are totally shocked and our hearts our broken by her new personality. This is what she wrote us. “I would like to take this time to make you aware of times I felt my healing had been hindered by unwanted communication. Abstain from the following: please refrain from sending me packages. Do not approach me when we cross paths at social situation or visit me without my consent. Lately I want to make it clear to not attempt to contact me through family members. These boundaries are necessary for my movement forward please respect them. This text is not a beginning to a conversation so do not respond.” I can even imagine my daughter saying this. Did anyone ever receive a email like this who visited this facility, we used to talk to her all the time know she avoids us. I believe this place has no accountability for their actions and can tell their patients any thing to get the resolution they want. Heart broken parent.

I have worked at The Refuge for 5 years and I love it here! The transformation from the time a client arrives to the time the client leaves is astonishing. We are all a family unit here and truly care about everyone. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them” ~ Maya Angelou 💜 …