Recovery Brands, LLC
📍 700 19th St S, Birmingham, AL 35233
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<p><strong>ABOUT BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA VA MEDICAL CENTER SATP</strong></p> <p>The Birmingham VA Medical Center (VAMC) is located on the south side of the city, a few blocks from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The center is a <strong>313-bed acute tertiary care facility;</strong> alongside an emergency room and an array of medical and primary care programs, the center operates a <strong>mental health department</strong> that provides assistance with a range of mental and behavioral health disorders, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and addiction. The facility is among the <a href="https://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/webt/state_data/AL17.pdf" target="_blank">20.2 percent</a> of facilities in Alabama that offer dedicated rehab programming for veterans, and among the state's <a href="https://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/webt/state_data/AL17.pdf" target="_blank">six facilities</a> run by federal agencies.</p> <p><strong>TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT</strong></p> <p>The substance abuse treatment program (SATP) at the Birmingham VAMC offers <strong>outpatient care only.</strong> Treatment begins with psychological and medical assessments, then goes on to use <strong>group therapy, marital and family therapy,</strong> and a modality described as "self-management classes," though further details about this aspect of treatment are not available at present.</p> <p>The Birmingham VAMC is a mental health research center that pledges to offer state-of-the-art treatments. The facility does not, at present, provide any further details of its SATP, though an alum polled by Rehabs.com indicated that the center provided good treatment for <a href="(http://www.recovery.org/topics/dual-diagnosis-recovery/" target="_blank">co-occurring disorders</a>), but disappointing holistic and <a href="http://www.recovery.org/topics/extended-recovery-programs/" target="_blank">aftercare</a> provisions. </p> <p>In addition, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=oTBDcHlfnwUC&pg=PT331&lpg=PT331&dq=what+addiction+treatment+modality+does+the+VA+use&source=bl&ots=FQweBA3YjM&sig=BHFKz2iupqNX1kvEGffVPYXjeaA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjXh5PT-uvWAhUirVQKHWYcDhsQ6AEIWDAJ#v=onepage&q=what%20addiction%20treatment%20modality%20does%20the%20VA%20use&f=false" target="_blank">the Handbook of Military Social Work</a>, notes that across the VA, the most common method of treating addiction is <strong>cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT),</strong> along with education and support. The handbook also notes that VA facilities aim to <strong>assess veterans seeking addiction treatment for any co-occurring disorders, such as PTSD or depression,</strong> and to provide treatment for those disorders along with support in the areas of spirituality, sexual dysfunction, employment, and education. In addition, VAMCs often use the 12-Steps as part of their treatment planning.</p> <p>In addition to addiction, the mental health department is equipped to provide assistance with such disorders as <strong>depression, grief, anxiety, stress, pain,</strong> emotional problems such as anger management, aggression, and self-harm. The facility can also provide vocational support when applicable (positioning it among the <a href="https://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/webt/state_data/AL17.pdf" target="_blank">37.2 percent</a> of rehab facilities in Alabama that offer employment counseling or training for clients).</p> <p><strong>STAFF CREDENTIALS</strong></p> <p>The Birmingham VAMC employs many physicians and nurses. The precise credentials of staff on the SATP are not provided at the time of this writing, however, the single alum polled by Rehabs.com to date gave the facility three out of five stars for its staff's level of training and experience.</p> <p><strong>WHAT ALUMNI SAY</strong></p> <p>The single alum polled by Rehabs.com to date gave mixed feedback, indicating that they would not recommend treatment at the Birmingham VA'S SATP, and writing: "The resources are limited, and the follow-up treatment is nonexistent." However, they added praise for the center's helpful staff and affordable pricing. They gave the facility four stars for its family participation and ability to treat co-occurring disorders, three stars for its counseling options and treatment effectiveness, two stars for its admin and discharge practices, and one star for its holistic offerings.</p> <p>Secondary sites doesn't currently yield any coverage of the SATP in particular. <strong>Feedback on the Birmingham VAMC as a whole is mostly positive, with some recurring complaints.</strong> The center has average ratings of 3.8 out of five stars based on 923 opinions on Facebook (where it can manage its own page) and 3.8 stars based on 163 reviews on Google, as well as two five-star ratings on YellowPages.com.<small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-1"><sup>[1]</sup></a></small> <small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-2"><sup>[2]</sup></a></small> <small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-3"><sup>[3]</sup></a></small></p> <p>A handful of reviewers expressed deep dissatisfaction with the center, often citing <strong>long wait times and rude staff.</strong> However, other reviewers disagreed; among positive reviewers, the <strong>most frequently praised aspect of the medical center was its staff.</strong> "The staff their from Dr's to receptionists have always treated me professional and courteous and I have always had a great experience there. Never had any issues or long waits," Brent wrote in a representative review on Google.</p> <p><strong>FINANCING</strong></p> <p>Some clients may be required to pay a co-pay, depending on their income and the type of treatment they require. The single alum polled by Rehabs.com to date gave the facility five out of five stars for its affordability.</p> <p><small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-1"><sup>[1]</sup></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/BirminghamVAMC/reviews/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/pg/BirminghamVAMC/reviews/?ref=page_internal</a></small><br /> <small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-2"><sup>[2]</sup></a> <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Birmingham%2C+Alabama+VA+Medical+Center+SATP&oq=Birmingham%2C+Alabama+VA+Medical+Center+SATP+&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.852j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#lrd=0x88891bc1e90f6aab:0x2cf7bbfb00098e6a,1,,," target="_blank">GoogleReviews</a></small><br /> <small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-3"><sup>[3]</sup></a> <a href="https://www.yellowpages.com/birmingham-al/mip/birmingham-va-medical-center-u-s-department-of-veterans-affairs-509233904?lid=509233904" target="_blank">https://www.yellowpages.com/birmingham-al/mip/birmingham-va-medical-center-u-s-department-of-veterans-affairs-509233904?lid=509233904</a></small></p>
— Ellie Robins · 2019-02-18 12:42:03 PST
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