Alsana is a national treatment center with a number of locations across the country. This page is for their California locations. (For reviews of their Missouri locations, please click here. For reviews of their Birmingham location, please click here. For general Alsana discussion and Virtual IOP/PHP, please click here.)
Alsana Treatment Centers offer many levels of care across their locations. These including residential treatment, PHP (day treatment), IOP (Intensive Outpatient), transitional living/supported living, and virtual treatment. Every location treat adults of all genders aged 18+. They no longer treat adolescents. Some locations also treat Type-1 Diabetes in eating disorders. Most, if not all, locations can accommodate ethical veganism.
Note: Alsana used to be called Castlewood.
Any current reviews of Alsana’s California locations? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
Note: Each of Alsana’s programs in California goes by different nicknames, and they are often used interchangeably with the general geographic location:
- Monterey = Monarch Cove & Clara. Residential treatment (RTC), day treatment (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) for adults of all genders.
- Santa Barbara = Amare. Residential treatment, day treatment, and intensive outpatient for adults of all genders.
- Thousand Oaks = Flora. Residential treatment for all genders.
- Westlake Village = Terra & Luna. Residential treatment, day treatment, and Intensive Outpatient for adults of all genders. Including treatment for ED-DMT1 (Diabulimia) clients, or clients with Type 1 Diabetes.
• When were you there? March 2025-Present
• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? RTC at Flora, Thousand Oaks
• If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes – the house does have stairs to get in the front door, but there are bedrooms on the main floor.
• How many patients are there on average? 6
• What genders does it treat? All genders
• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? Yes
• How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? Therapist 2x per week (3x if you do a family session), dietitian 2x a week, medical doctor and psychiatrist once a week, one nursing assessment a week, and daily vitals done by nurses.
• What is the staff-to-patient ratio? 1:6 There is usually one DC or one therapist present, occasionally there will be two.
• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? Compassion Focused Therapy
Describe the average day:
• What were meals like? We just lost our chef, however, there should be a new one starting next week. There are three meals and three snacks a day. Before and after meals, there is always a check-in and check-out where we talk about struggles and if anything came up during the meal
• What sorts of food were available or served? Breakfast is on a weekly rotation and is as follows:
Monday – Oatmeal, dried fruit, nuts, yogurt
Tuesday – English muffin with butter and jelly or honey, sausage, and fruit
Wednesday – Bagel with peanut butter or cream cheese and nuts, yogurt, fruit
Thursday – Cereal, yogurt or milk, fruit, nuts
Friday – Granola, yogurt, fruit, nuts
Saturday – Waffles with butter and syrup, fruit, sausage
Sunday – Muffin, butter or nuts, fruit, yogurt
Lunch and dinner are prepared everyday by the chef and are on a four week rotation. Menus are filled out at the beginning of the week where you can choose the meal or a sub meal, which is peanut butter and jelly or turkey/tofurkey sandwich.
• Did they supplement? How did that system work? The supplement they typically use is Boost Plus, however they are accommodating for people who prefer to supplement with Boost Breeze or nuts. Supplementation is encouraged, however they only ask that you sit with it and do what you can.
• What is the policy of not complying with meals? You are required to sit with supplemement for any part of a meal or snack that you didn’t complete. You are encouraged to drink it, but there is no consequence for not. They might just keep you on restorative rest for longer if you are not completing, which meals you can’t participrme in yoga or movement groups.
• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? Yes, they accomodate both vegetarian and vegan.
• What privileges are allowed? You are allowed two caffinated beverages a day, at breakfast and AM snack. Phones are from 7:00-10:00 every nights. And then as mentioned above, when people move from restorative rest to gentle movement, you are able to participate in yoga and movement groups. There are also outings every Saturday.
• Does it work on a level system? There are just observation levels. When you come in, you are on 24 hour observation, from there you move down to two hours after meals and one hour after snacks, then one hour after meals and thirty minutes after snacks, and then you are eventually off observation.
How do you earn privileges? Following rules, following meal plan, doing assignments, participating in group.
• What sort of groups do they have? Body Compassion, movement, nutrition education, compassion based therapy, core and ed assignments – which is reading the assignments therapists an dietitians have given you, gender, sexuality, and intersectionality, menu planning, etc.
• What was your favorite group? Core
• If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? no, not really. They are able to provide some support for trauma, however this is not a trauma center and the main focus is eating disorders. They will sometimes refer people out to a trauma center.
• What did you like the most? The community, It is a small group at Thousand Oaks and we have all become very close with each other and the staff.
• What did you like the least?
There is a fast turnover rate. In my first week here, we lost the dietitian and chef. They were quick to replace them those and made accomidations for the meantime.
• Would you recommend this program? Yes, I would recommend this program, however you have to be really motivated for recovery. SInce there isn’t much of a consequence to not following your meal plan or completing supplement, you have to find the motivation within yourself to do it.
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed? You start on restoraitive rest and then move to gentle movement, where you are allowed to participate in yoga and movement groups.
• What did people do on weekends? There is an outing on Saturday afternoons. The rest of the weekend follows a similar structure to the weekdays. There is a therapist here on both Saturdays and Sundays that run groups
• Do you get to know your weight? No
• If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? You don’t get to know your weight, so it is hard to say. Also it depends on how much of your meal plan you complete.
• What was the average length of stay? Average would be about 8 weeks in residential before stepping down to PHP.
• What was the average age range? Most people are in their twenties however there can be a wide age range.
• How do visits/phone calls work? You can make phone calls after dinner when you get your phone. Visits are allowed on the weekend, they just have to be pre-approved by your therapsit.
• What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? You get your phone, laptop, etc from 7:00-10:00. You can have your kindle with you at all times.
• For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes? Yes
• What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? They encourage stepping down to their PHP and eventually IOP program in Westlake Village, however they will support clients stepping down to a different PHP or going straight to outpatient.
• Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? If you fill out a financial aid request, they will sometimes pay for your flight to get there.
On the two breakfast days with sausage, is that the only choice? I hate sausage and would never eat it, not for an ED reason, just strongly dislike it. How do they handle that?
You can choose a submeal for breakfasts too – I think the submeal is a bagel. When I was at Alsana I always subbed the breakfast sausage days.
Thank you. So you could do this for both sausage days for your entire time in treatment? Did they get rid of the three dislikes?
Yes, I think you are allowed two or three submeals or even more depending on which level you are on. The submeal for breakfast is a bagel with peanut butter or cream cheese + nuts & yogurt or milk. They didn’t have three dislikes when I was there but worked with meal substitutions. For lunch/dinner that would be a PB&J sandwich or Turkey and cheese sandwich + cookie + fruit. At the start of the week you get the weekly menu and can choose which meals you would like to replace with a submeal.
Is it required you have nuts? Like I don’t like nuts at all… can they swap it?
Yes, you get five sub meals a week at flora, you can only have one a day though. But they would let you use two of them on sausage days. And at flora, they honor three genuine dislikes, for example I drink soy milk instead of regular. They are pretty accommodating with that.
Do they offer soy or dairy free milk?
you could do soy milk when I was at santa barbara in 2021, they also had ripple for someone with both dairy and soy allergies. idk about now, but assume it’s similar
Thank you so much for your review!! I might be admitting here soon, would you mind answering a couple questions? This whole process is so overwhelming 🙁
absolutely! any specific questions?
Which location is this?
Hi all,
I attended the residential Monterey location in May-July of last year (2024). I don’t have the energy to do a full review and see that there was one posted about 6 months ago anyway, but I wanted to share a bit about my experience. I found the compassionate care model to be nice in theory, but really problematic. The staff were lovely and warm and kind, but there was very little push to challenge ED behaviors. The goal is for clients to develop their own sense of internal motivation, and I wholeheartedly agree with the value in that. But I would argue that a treatment center not intervening to stop dangerous behaviors isn’t exactly compassionate. I honestly got much worse throughout my time there and wish that I had chosen somewhere that could hold boundaries better. I didn’t see a single patient step down to PHP who was completing their meal plan. Meal completion and supplements were treated as optional, table behaviors were never redirected, etc. My parents came to visit me one weekend, and we literally couldn’t find a place to sit outside where there wasn’t a client doing laps around the house every 5 seconds. Be prepared to be surrounded by people constantly engaging in eating disorder behaviors (to be expected at any treatment center, but this was by far the most lax/triggering place I’ve been). At this point in my journey, I was hoping to find some relief from the torment of my eating disorder, but I did not feel contained at all. I was in a shaky place medically and far from meal compliant but was allowed to join in on the daily walks. One of the clients had told the DCs that we hadn’t gone for a walk earlier in the day, so we ended up going on two. I ended up fainting and being sent to the ER with a gnarly ambulance bill to pay for after. I don’t mean to absolve myself of responsibility here, as I know I was the one choosing to engage in behaviors, and I was the one who walked outside with everyone. I came back to the house after the ER visit, and the incident wasn’t even addressed by my treatment team in the days that followed. I felt strangely unsafe/ as though I might as well have just been in outpatient.
In my opinion, even though they have 12 beds available, they shouldn’t be accepting that many clients. It was hard to find a place to sit in the common areas, and they seemed understaffed. It was really difficult to get support unless you were someone openly crying in group, storming off from the table, or looked like you were about to drop dead (in that case, they might finally have a conversation with you about inpatient).
I’d recommend Alsana if you want to go somewhere that’s going to offer you a cozy space to exist in your eating disorder and not be pressured to gain any weight/eat more than you’re comfortable with, or if you’re coming in with a lot of motivation already. If you want to get better but have ambivalence and know that you need some firmness to start to make changes, I’d pick somewhere else. Options in California are very limited right now– especially if you aren’t female-identifying, which makes things tough 🙁
Also might be important to note that my experience could have been impacted by simply being in a milieu that was really struggling/not making progress. My therapist had mentioned that it had been the case for quite a while. I’ve heard that people have had a positive/better experience at the Westlake location.
FULL RECENT REVIEW 6.30.24 – Monterey (Liberatas)
note I did leverage another posters responses where I felt they adequately described my experience as I am filling this out via my phone. If there are other questions I will do my best to respond
• When were you there? June 2024-Current
• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? RTC liberatas (Monterey)
• If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes – 1 rooms is on the first floor
• How many patients are there on average? 12 is the max, currently capping at 10 due to short staff and the house being “under construction” due to water damage on the first floor ceilings in two of the main rooms
• What genders does it treat? All genders
• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? Yes
• How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? Medical doctor and psychiatrist 1X/week virtually , Therapist 3X/week (including a family session or 2x no family), dietician 2X week (total of 1hr), nursing assessment weekly
• What is the staff-to-patient ratio? 1:6 or 1:more – currently short staffed making it harder to get support at times.
• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? Compassion focused therapy.
While the team is compassionate and doing their best based a circumstance they are not equipped to handle dual diagnosis or trauma.
Describe the average day:
• What were meals like? Monterey still has their chef. lunch and dinner are prepared by the chef and breakfasts were prepared by the DCs (direct care staff). Note that the chefs are gone prior to dinner. Meals were 30 minutes plus 10 for supplementation and 15 for snacks plus 5 for supplementation. You always sit with a DC and will check in and check out with each meal.
• What sorts of food were available or served? Food has been pretty fantastic overall. The breakfasts were on a rotating schedule, including bagels, English muffins and sausages, cereal, oatmeal, guac and toast (for being Cali it baffles me that they don’t have fresh avocados),yogurt and granola , pretty simple stuff. Meals were on a 4-6-week (I think?) rotation but consisted of many different styles of cuisine (Some meals I can think of are peanut stir fry, salmon and couscous, enchiladas, curries, , salads, soups, jerk chicken, etc). There was also a “Chef’s Delight” in which the chef picked a meal to make and then “Client’s creation” where the chef and client would create a dinner. I really liked this and I don’t know how it’s changing. You also fill out meal menus in advance on Wednesdays and snacks the night before. For snacks, I found there was not a lot of variety. You picked from the same menu each week. Some of the snacks included pita chips and hummus, teddy grahams and milk, popcorn and m&ms, pretzels w/ nutella/peanut butter, fruit w/ nutella/peanut butter. Every meal plan was completely individual to the client. I don’t think anyone was on the same meal plan when I was there. Depending on your needs, you might have a bigger snack portion size, (there’s I think 4 different “plans”), or a shake. Meals also had additions like milk, juice, cookies, extra protein, extra portion, etc. But, like I said, it is all individualized.
• Did they supplement? How did that system work? Supplementation was encouraged if needed and was not viewed as a punishment in any way. Typically Boost is used, but I know that the dietician works with your individual needs (including doing an alternative supplement if Boost doesn’t work for you). I use nuts instead of boost.
• What is the policy of not complying with meals? The only policy in place is that you must sit with your supplement, but I found Alsana to be the least punitive place I’ve been. You may not get certain privileges or move up in the movement levels, but you still can have coffee, electronics, etc. I. But I found that the team here is focused on tailoring to each client’s needs and meeting them where they are at.
• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? Yes to both!
• What privileges are allowed? You can have coffee and tea with each meal/snack (only two caffeinated beverages per day), electronics after dinner every night. East coast hours are 2:30-3:30. With completion of food or supplement, you can move up their level system and movement system. This may include self-portioning privileges, adding more movement (you start on Restorative Rest which basically means only being able to do breathing exercises in yoga, and it can go up to doing regular yoga plus 3 30-minute walks a week), changing observation levels (From all-obs to no obs, meaning you don’t need to be watched after meals and snacks and can also take night showers), getting to pour your own hot beverage, etc. I believe they are still revamping their level system.
• Does it work on a level system? Yes, but as said above, I think they are slowly redoing it.
How do you earn privileges? By following meal plan, doing assignments, participating in group therapy, etc.
• What sort of groups do they have? A LOT of process groups, Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality, expressive arts, Motivational Interviewing, yoga, positive psychology, relapse prevention, compassion-focused therapy, Multifamily/relational, Nutrition, movement experiential, Body Image, Spirituality. Some of the groups are based on a curriculum by Alsana and some of the groups are also led by DCs.
• What was your favorite group? Haven’t landed on that yet.
• If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? lol no. Do not come here if trauma is a heavy co-occurring. I am appreciative of the compassion but am struggling with mental health/trauma that isn’t solely tied to my eating disorder and they are not equipped to support. I am going on week three and now that o am stable , as in 6 meals are put in front of me and I am consuming more than I was prior, I am starting to look into other programs because they are not able to provide the support I need in areas outside of eating.
• What did you like the most? It’s my first time at residential and it’s been interesting to say the least. The staff is doing the best they can based on the circumstances, and I would say 60% is pretty great, the other 40% is pretty disappointing.
the food is also better than I was expecting , we get about 2-3 beach trips per week which is such a nice change of pace and I am really grateful for the amount of time I am able to spend outside as well as freedom in general in all capacities . There is no restrictions on close or jewelry either. I also ended up in a solo room which was luck of the draw.
• What did you like the least?
two days in to the program , a water damage ceiling fix is now going on two week where we don’t have access to the main rooms in the house. We are eating in the art room and it took them a week before they put a table cloth down. We basically live in the group room as well. There is still no ETA on when the construction will be finished .
staff is also short and the best therapist gave his two weeks on my first day, so there is a staff shortage, I know they are actively working on hiring , but they keep admitting more clients as peoplw transition on and there are a handful of clients who don’t currently have a therapist .
there are two dieticians but one has 10 clients which makes it really difficult to get proper support
its my first time in rez and onboarding here is chaotic and unorganized at best , I had to retell my story 6 times in two days because they didn’t have one consolidated meet and greet with your team and I found that pretty traumatizing .
while they are making efforts to get the house in order, my bathroom legit smells and has mold on the walls.
on two occasions they have admitted two people on the same day and that is stressful for the new clients, old clients and staff.
adapting and adjusting is a must, a perfect time for compassion therapy
lastly they are not trauma informed , I have been struggling mentally and even when I am asking for help and safety plans , I am not able to get the support I need , and that is why I am starting to look for other programs who are stronger in that space.
• Would you recommend this program? I would recommend this program to anyone who thinks a more “hands off” approach would help in their recovery. Otherwise, I would look for somewhere that has more structure. There are going to be people engaging in a LOT of behaviors, but at least at this location they seem to operate from “we meet you where you’re at”. But, I would be prepared to see others engage in behaviors continuously.
its chaotic , the Mileu is currently in a transition phase and there are a lot of return clients.
To succeed here you really have to want to recover , otherwise it can turn into a summer camp for adults.
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Starts from restorative rest (as mentioned above) and goes onward. This includes yoga twice a week, walks, outdoor games.
• What did people do on weekends? Usually go to the beach on Fridays and then an outing on Saturday , taking advantage of the really cool places in Carmel , Monterey , pacific grove . Outside of the outings it’s business as usually for the most part with maybe an extra hour or two of phones
visitors are also allowed from 2:30 -3:30 . Have to stay outside
• Do you get to know your weight? No
• If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? Different depending on clients
• What was the average length of stay? 6-10 weeks. Had some clients here for 3 months , they say first time to rez is around 8 weeks
• What was the average age range? When I was there I would say most were 18-28 is the majority . I am the oldest in my low 30s and so it can be challenging being on the older side and in a different place and mentality in life.
• How do visits/phone calls work? Phone calls when you have your phone . Usually you can ask DCs for your phone in emergencies and they will give it.
visitors on weekends from 2:30-3:30 with approval (they always give approval)
• What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? Can have your kindle as long as it is approved, electronics are after dinner and turned in at 10:00. If approved for east coast hours you get your phone from 2:30-3:30
• For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes? No
• What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? They have a PHP/IOP in the area that they recommend. They also work with you if you want to go elsewhere , especially if you want a program that focuses on areas they do not (trauma , mental health , substance)
• Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? idk
Thank you so much for sharing this!! I have two ideas for places you could look into to transfer to for cooccurring trauma and ED treatment that actually are both also in CA! One is called Bright Road Recovery, they have a 6-bed ED residential program in Claremont with a much higher client-to-staff ratio that specializes in trauma and offers things like EMDR. The other is Harmony Place Monterey, they treat eating disorders, trauma, and substance use – they don’t have residential, only PHP, but they have a staffed transitional living house for patients in PHP/IOP.
Thank you for the recommendations!! I am already working with harmony place as my step down to PHP. I do feel a need to benefit from residential so I was potentially looking to see if I could find a place as an in between.
my therapist came back with the meadows( my fall back place) and Newport institute in Claremont . I will look into bright road as well.
If there are any other questions I can answer please let me know !
I haven’t been to Harmony Grove, but have received trauma care from the head therapists/directors of that program years ago. They are specialists, much more than trauma informed. the group and individual therapy I got from them was very high quality, individualized and helpful. It was both ED and trauma treatment at the same time. I went through PHP with housing in their program, too. I recovered from Bulimia caused by SA in the res and PHP they had.
I definitely recommended them if you can benefit from continued ED treatment and need HLOC specialized trauma care whether your trauma is linked to your ED or not. Sometimes working on trauma early in recovery can be really triggering and for me, having the supported meals, meal plan, dietitian, some ED groups and being able to process ED in therapy, too helped me work on both and have more success. Some people prefer a trauma only focus program.
Sounds like you know what you need and are being very proactive about getting your treatment needs met. Great job for directing your care in a new situation. It doesn’t sound easy to be in res for the first time without the support you need and in an environment with reduced staffing and unexpected changes. Wishing you the best in your decision.
I have also worked with the directors and dietician at Harmony Place, and agree that for trauma related EDs their approach was more helpful than most.
Correction: It’s Harmony Place, not Harmony Grove. Oops!
Any updates??? Are you still there?? Looking into going after I leave acute .
Are you still there Adventures in Alsanaland? Or did you discharge?
Also on previous posts, I saw that you could do outings out on the beach. Do they still do that?
Do you get your phone’s longer on the weekends or just in the evening still?
You do get phones after pm snack on weekends
Is anyone at Monterey res that could answer some questions?
what phone policy on weekends is longer and you get earlier
FULL RECENT REVIEW
DO NOT GO HERE IT IS CRUMBLING AS A FACILITY WITH NEW CEO
• When were you there?
march-april 2024
• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
residential
• How many patients are there on average?
there is room for up to 6 but its been 5 most of the time
• What genders does it treat?
all genders
• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
yes
• How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
we literally have not had a dietitian for weeks. you see a medical doctor and psychiatrist once a week via zoom for like under 5 minutes. you see a therapist 1on1 twice a week for 1hr.
• What were meals like?
we had a chef at first who was AMAZING but their is now a new ceo and the meals are AWFUL it is all catering because they have yet to get a new chef they are moving away from chefs and getting other “culinary staff” it has been reheated rice meals for weeks now and they don’t know when new cooking staff will come in.
• What sorts of food were available or served?
breakfasts are rotating and always made by normal staff not chef and its good to me, simple. breakfast rotation: Oatmeal, waffles, breakfast sandwich, cereal and yogurt + granola, avocado toast.
You can always sub breakfast which means you have a bagel and sides. sub meal for lunch or dinner is either a pb&j with sides or turkey and cheese (or Tofurky) sandie with sides.
• Did they supplement? How did that system work?
yes if you don’t finish a meal you sit with supplement that’s measured for whatever you didn’t finish for 10 min after meals and 5 min after snacks but you really don’t have to drink it ever.
• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
yes and yes
• What privileges are allowed?
you can have a cup of coffee twice a day either breakfast, am snack or lunch. phones are allowed after dinner around 7pm to 9:30pm overnight. walks are allowed once you are on higher levels (really not for a long time).
• Does it work on a level system? How do you earn privileges?
meal compliance and weight restoration
• What sort of groups do they have?
movement group, spirituality, core, cbt, nutrition and some others
• What was your favorite group?
movement when we could go on walks or play basketball out back
• What did you like the most?
the other clients and DC’s really work with you to figure out what works best for your personal recovery
• What did you like the least?
the new ceo is AWFUL. they got rid of the chef and no dietitian how does that make sense at an ed treatment center??
• Would you recommend this program?
NO
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
you start on restorative rest which means you can’t even really stand for long and no walks outside of movement group and then you can get 3 20 min walks a week way later like after alot of weeks.
• What did people do on weekends?
pretty slow but you do get outings on Saturday which means we all go out to like target, tj max, the mall, etc. for a couple hours
• Do you get to know your weight?
no. no matter what no.
• What was the average length of stay?
8+ weeks
• What was the average age range?
our house had the youngest clients which was majority 18yrs old but there’s been folks over 30 here and 55 and 40 recently… so it really Varys
• How do visits/phone calls work?
visitors are allowed every night from 7-8pm. you can get approved for am phone calls but if not then you can make any calls every night from 7-9:30pm.
• For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
no passes but group outings on Saturdays.
For some reason when I pin reviews it messes up the formatting, I’ll try to fix it but didn’t want to wait on formatting to pin this!
I have a few questions! What are things you are allowed to bring/not bring, especially as a 24 year old girl I am curious as to rules for things like clothes, makeup, hygeine etc ss well as how crafty I am I know some places have certain restrictions.
I mean I would seriously not go right now if you are considering since its all gone to a mess and I am taking legal action now against them at this point… but you can bring anything really but some stuff like irons, nail clippers, razors and hairspray will be in contraband and you can check it out whenever. they don’t have clothes rules …
best of luck
what location was this at?
is this change happening at all locations?
Which location were you at?
What location was this?
What location was this at?
I am not the original poster – but currently at the Monterey location if anyone has any questions !
we still have the chef, but she leaves before dinner and dc’s reheat I believe .
I would say it’s also short staffed. It is my first time in treatment so I may have a hard time comparing it for others , but I would say I am a little disappointed.
1 dietician for 10 people , my therapist seems mid so far , I appreciate the compassion approach but the first week is pretty rough as they do not have a consistent onboarding approach and due to the short staff it’s hard to find folks to get the clarity I am looking for.
happy to answer any other questions !
Would you be able to post a review with all the suggested info ?
I would be interested in your review and experience at this time Please!
Are you still there?? Have they finished up with the main living area that was under construction? Still have chefs?
hi do they treat arfid ? what meals are provide like the food options ? and do they do feeding tube ?
Which location were you at? Is this Carp?
what location was this?
Which location are you reviewing…?
which location is this for
FULL RECENT REVIEW
• When were you there? Feb-Apr 2024
• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? RTC Flora
• If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes
• How many patients are there on average? 6 is the max, usually was full
• What genders does it treat? All genders
• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? Yes
• How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? Medical doctor and psychiatrist 1X/week, Therapist 3X/week (including a family session), dietician 2X/week, nursing assessment weekly
• What is the staff-to-patient ratio? 1:6
• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? Compassion focused therapy, motivational interviewing, art therapy, positive psychology, individual therapist modalities depended on the therapist
Describe the average day:
• What were meals like? I want to preface that Alsana is apparently getting rid of all RTC chefs and switching to diet techs, so I do not think this will be accurate. But for lunch and dinner, the meals were prepared by the chef and breakfasts were prepared by the DCs (direct care staff). Meals were 30 minutes plus 15 for supplementation and 15 for snacks plus 5 for supplementation. You always sit with a DC and will check in and check out with each meal.
• What sorts of food were available or served? I am really sad to hear Alsana is letting go of their RTC chefs because the chef here was AMAZING. The breakfasts were on a rotating schedule. Monday was english muffin, Tuesday was waffles, Wednesday parfaits, Thursday avocado toast, Friday oatmeal, Saturday bagels, and Sunday cereal. Meals were on a 4-6-week (I think?) rotation but consisted of many different styles of cuisine (Some meals I can think of are stir-frys, enchiladas, curries, breakfast burritos, salads, soups, chili, etc). There was also a “Chef’s Delight” in which the chef picked a meal to make and then “Client’s creation” where the chef and client would create a dinner. I really liked this and I don’t know how it’s changing. You also fill out your snack and meal menus in advance during Menu Planning on Fridays. For snacks, I found there was not a lot of variety. You picked from the same menu each week. Some of the snacks included pita chips and hummus, teddy grahams and milk, popcorn and m&ms, pretzels w/ nutella/peanut butter, fruit w/ nutella/peanut butter. Every meal plan was completely individual to the client. I don’t think anyone was on the same meal plan when I was there. Depending on your needs, you might have a bigger snack portion size, (there’s I think 4 different “plans”), or a shake. Meals also had additions like milk, juice, cookies, extra protein, extra portion, etc. But, like I said, it is all individualized.
• Did they supplement? How did that system work? Supplementation was encouraged if needed and was not viewed as a punishment in any way. Typically Boost is used, but I know that the dietician works with your individual needs (including doing an alternative supplement if Boost doesn’t work for you).
• What is the policy of not complying with meals? The only policy in place is that you must sit with your supplement, but I found Alsana to be the least punitive place I’ve been. You may not get certain privileges or move up in the movement levels, but you still can have coffee, electronics, etc. I think if it becomes an issue they might take away caffeinated tea or coffee or put you on a contract. But I found that the team here is focused on tailoring to each client’s needs and meeting them where they are at.
• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? Yes to both!
• What privileges are allowed? You can have coffee and tea with each meal/snack (only two caffeinated beverages per day), electronics after dinner every night. With completion of food or supplement, you can move up their level system and movement system. This may include self-portioning privileges, adding more movement (you start on Restorative Rest which basically means only being able to do breathing exercises in yoga, and it can go up to doing regular yoga plus 3 30-minute walks a week), changing observation levels (From all-obs to no obs, meaning you don’t need to be watched after meals and snacks and can also take night showers), getting to pour your own hot beverage, etc. I believe they are still revamping their level system.
• Does it work on a level system? Yes, but as said above, I think they are slowly redoing it.
How do you earn privileges? By following meal plan, doing assignments, participating in group therapy, etc.
• What sort of groups do they have? A LOT of process groups, Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality, expressive arts, Motivational Interviewing, yoga, positive psychology, relapse prevention, compassion-focused therapy, Multifamily/relational, Nutrition, movement experiential, Body Image, Spirituality. Some of the groups are based on a curriculum by Alsana and some of the groups are also led by DCs.
• What was your favorite group? All the process groups
• If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? Definitely not focused on trauma, but my therapist worked with me a lot on this because trauma is a huge part of my ED. But there are no trauma based modalities or groups. I also found that there wasn’t really any mindfulness about noise (like slamming doors, raising voices, etc)
• What did you like the most? I loved my team and that Alsana did not operate from a punitive standpoint. At this point in my recovery, I needed a place where I wasn’t being “forced” to do anything. Some of the staff were open about being in recovery which brought me a lot of hope.
• What did you like the least? Having only one DC was really difficult. I know that staffing is an issue (like in a lot of places), but I sometimes felt bad that the DCs had to take care of 6 clients. There definitely should be at least 2 on staff during a shift. Also, some of the groups were just based on a curriculum from Alsana corporate and these are the ones I found least helpful. Reading from a worksheet multiples times a day was just not it for me.
• Would you recommend this program? I would recommend this program to anyone who thinks a more “hands off” approach would help in their recovery. Otherwise, I would look for somewhere that has more structure. There are going to be people engaging in a LOT of behaviors, but at least at this location they seem to operate from “we meet you where you’re at”. But, I would be prepared to see others engage in behaviors continuously. And, as someone who has been in a lot of treatment from some of the strictest places to this, I made so much progress here because nobody was “making” me do anything.
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Starts from restorative rest (as mentioned above) and goes onward. This includes yoga twice a week, walks, outdoor games.
• What did people do on weekends? The weekends included an outing that may look like going to the park, Target, Barnes and Noble, etc. They try to stay away from places where everyone has to spend money.
• Do you get to know your weight? No
• If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? I am not sure because one of my things was my dietician not talking about weight at all with me, but I would say relatively slow, but this is probably case by case.
• What was the average length of stay? Shorter than most, 4-6 weeks.
• What was the average age range? When I was there I would say most were late teens – 30s.
• How do visits/phone calls work? Not sure since I didn’t have any visitors but people seemed to have them frequently.
• What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? Can have your kindle as long as it is approved, electronics are after dinner and turned in at 9:30. If you are in a different time zone, you may get approved to have them during the time in between PM snack and group.
• For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes? Not sure, no one did when I was there.
• What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? My team was willing to work with me when I voiced that I wanted to do outpatient, although I ultimately ended up doing PHP. I think they encourage clients to do their PHP (Stella). I believe they do have referrals if you’re in the area and trying to set up an outpatient team.
• Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? You can fill out a financial assistance form and get your travel costs covered depending on your situation.
What location were you at?
It’s their Thousand Oaks location on their website
What is the difference between the chef and the diet techs?
FULL REVIEW
• When were you there? Late 2022
• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? RTC, PHP, IOP
• If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes
• How many patients are there on average? 6-12 for RTC
• What genders does it treat? All
• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? Yes
• What were meals like? RTC/PHP/IOP – everyone sits together in the dining room with a Direct Care staff member. Occasionally the group is split to separate dining areas if there are a lot of patients.
• Did they supplement? Yes – I believe it was Kate Farms or Boost/Ensure.
• What is the policy of not complying with meals? No real consequence.
• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? Yes to both
• How do you earn privileges? Meal compliance
• What did you like the most? Connections with other patients, Direct Care staff, some of the therapists
• What did you like the least? How upper management dealt with conflict resolution. And intense treatment contracts.
• Would you recommend this program? Not as a first option, but it works well for some
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Yoga
• Do you get to know your weight? No
Average age range? Young adults up to 60s/70s when I was there. Pretty even spread.
• How do visits/phone calls work? Designated times for both, with more time for both on weekends.
• For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes? At the time I was there we would do beach outings, that was pretty much it. Still in COVID protocol mode.
• What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? Insurance was pushing too hard so I was dropped from the program, and there was no assistance in setting up an outpatient treatment team.
• Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? There are (expensive) Alsana-provided apartments available to rent in outpatient.
• If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc) When I was there masks were still being strictly enforced, along with no outings other than beach.
[I do not recommend Alsana.] I have been to the Santa Barbra location and the Monterey location and they both lost my things and were beyond unprofessional and unorganized. Pick another residential if you are looking to actually succeed with treatment and get the help you need. I regret my stays at Alsana and it only made me worse, Again, [I do not recommend Alsana.]
*admin note: per site policy this sentence, which appeared twice, has been reworded to meet site rules
Current Review of Santa Barbara Residential
I am currently at the Alsana Santa Barbara Residential and every single patient is trying to leave or transfer to a different place right now. Corporate just fired the chef and is supposed to bring in diet techs to cook but there will be a 3 week gap before they come. The plan is to have our already understaffed staff make the food and they are changing the entire menu for it. The dietitian is very young and inexperienced, our clinical director just left, the direct care staff just got pay cuts and don’t want to be here etc. This place is so relaxed and with minimal support no one is getting any better. The nursing staff are handing out the wrong meds, the doctor shows up when he wants to and is very dismissive…it’s a mess. I would really go anywhere else. Other Alsana Residentials might be ok the Santa Barbara location is not good.
I’m so sorry. Get yourself out of there. And document everything with examples and dates/times etc. Then you can report them or at least use the documentation to prove to your insurance company that they are not providing the services they are getting paid to provide.
This checks out. Alsana has had problems with high staff turnover at various locations for many years since the original management changed. The program quality is not what it was when it was Castlewood.
Unfortunately I can say a lot of this is accurate for Birmingham right now too :/
I went to this Santa Barbara location in March 2022. Its a complete joke. Nurses, especially the night ones were terrible.. its was like they’ve never learned the basics of med administration. They messed mine up nearly every day and I would have to correct them…they also didn’t know how to properly use a blood pressure cuff. I was the only one completing meals and snacks and groups were pretty much non existent. I left after a week. Only pros were the chef/food, a lot of movement (walks, yoga, freedom outside, beach/ocean play) was allowed(which can also be a con), and trips to the beach! I went twice during that week.
I am hoping to get a single case agreement for RTC, but I want somewhere where I get experience cooking…do all Alsana locations use a chef for RTC…?
Hi! Can someone answer some questions about the SoCal locations? (Please ID which one.)
I’m curious about the food piece. Do you get any input othe than snacks from a list or maybe breakfast?
Does everyone get the same portion at meals? I was very briefly at the Birmingham location and they served everyone the same thing, no dislikes, no real difference in portion unless you needed things added. Are these locations different?
How much downtime is there? Can you really only have your phone and laptop for 2-3 hours at night?
How quickly do they move you through levels? Is it more based on weight or behavior? I’m sure it’s a bit of both, but wondering what they put emphasis on.
How do they deal with medical issues?
Do you feel like you’re being “watched” always, or do they kind of leave you alone? E.g., if you go outside will they immediately follow?
Do they have specific criteria to move you down to PHP?
I’ll probably think of more and come back lol 🙂 But I would really appreciate any input here.
I was at 2 of their SoCal locations and had similar experiences at both with food, which is they sometimes honor dislikes. For instance I asked to sub sour cream for avocado and got to choose the veggie burger on burger night because I don’t eat beef. I also got to sub dried fruit for whole fruit bc of volume. The dietitians are willing to work with you. The only way your meals would be different sizes is if you are on refeeding, I believe, but that is usually just a week or so.
They don’t hover over you. You can go outside but if you do shady things and get caught you may be watched after that?
Levels are based on completion and participation but there are no benefits to being a higher level. On level 3 you could pour your own coffee but that was the only real difference. I got all of my privileges on level 1.
They have a medical doctor who comes 1x a week and you get on site labs unless you are a Kaiser patient then you go out. If you are a diabetic a diabetic educator will meet with you a couple times a week. If you require inpatient bc of your medical situation a place will be found to send you.
People can transition to PHP fairly quickly if not needing to gain much weight. If you have a date set in mind be prepared to advocate for yourself.
Not California specific, just Alsana in general. At most you get a choice between two options for lunch and dinner when you do meal planning a week ahead. That might not be true any more. Breakfast is the same for everyone. It is a weekly rotation with something different each day. If you don’t like it, too bad. They are extremely forceful with flavors, so be prepared to eat flavors you hate. If you choose non dairy milk, all of that will be flavored. Nothing plain with add one is allowed. I could not add fruit, peanut butter or brown sugar to plain oatmeal because that’s eating disordered and it’s only accepted to eat flavored oatmeal packets. Same for yogurts, fruit on the bottom and flavored only. You may not have plain yogurt and add fruit and granola. That’s eating disordered according to Alsana.
Portions are not the same. They have a percentage system. There are sub meals (pbj, pudding, pretzels, fruit)
a limited number of times that become less the longer you’re there until it’s not a choice.
getting more privileges, leveling up or stepping down to PHP requires completing everything on your contract, less supplementing,
eventually zero supplementing, less sub meals, eventually zero sub meals, participation in groups and indivudla
appts, medication compliance, and many individual assignments. If you do not complete all of the assignments, you will not get more privileges like phone time, passes, time alone, whatever you’re asking for or they are offering. If written assignments aren’t your thing, don’t go to this program. That is the primary treatment is individual journaling assignments that you will have to share with the community and your providers to progress in the program and earn any privileges.
I do not recommend Alsana if you have medical needs or dietary needs that require accommodation. They might try to discharge you citing that it’s your ED without any medical assessment, if your in residential if they will not get you the medical care you need, they will say you’re not trying hard enough and are non compliant. When this happened to me in PHP, I could drive, so I got the care anyway unfortunately the damage had already been done by the providers not listening and not being willing to make any dietary accommodation because it’s eating disordered and I ended up with over $15k of
medical bills in addition to treatment costs. The treatment at Alsana gave me an oral bacterial infection, I could not open my mouth or swallow, which they said was just my ED, and I had to get as many cavities as I’d had filled in 28 years filled after being there for 3 weeks, As well as have infected impacted teeth surgically removed due to being forced to eat things that damaged my oral health and I lost a good number of teeth due to the medical negligence of Alsana.
one other thing
to know about Alsana is they do not treat trauma or co occurring conditions any longer. They will treat your ED and tell you to deal with the rest at home. Might work for some people, but it was a waste of time and money for me. I regret going, it cost me finishing college.
I know this sounds negative, but I cannot recommend Alsana for any reason. I also don’t agree with Alsana’s zero support PHP/iop housing in large apartment complexes that were shady and semi dangerous (Birmingham).
Harmony Place PHP with housing is also in CA and while I haven’t been, I did receive treatment from the directors of that program. Their program was much higher quality, more individualized, and way more helpful for actually getting into recovery and staying there. I wouldn’t have more
than a decade in Bulimia recovery without their help.
I had a very different experience at Alsana.
They were the first treatment program I’ve been to that actually accommodated my dietary needs. I have a non-IgE mediated dairy allergy (basically it doesn’t show up on traditional allergy panels and looks more like lactose intolerance, only taking lactaid doesn’t help at all) and, because the testing isn’t super definitive, other programs have forced me to eat dairy and have dairy-based supplements. I also have intestinal dysmotility and severe GERD which makes large meal plans extremely difficult. Alsana had no problem allowing me to be dairy free and worked with me to adapt my meal plan to better fit my needs. A big struggle for me is recognizing that it’s ok to supplement—because of my GI issues, sometimes it’s all I can do. Alsana worked with me on that and, for me, adapted my treatment plan—as long as I completed supplementation, they viewed it the same as completing with food and I did not lose privileges. I was also allowed to use sub meals more frequently (raw vegetables are really hard on my stomach) and eventually earned the option to decide in the moment to prepare my own meal in place of whatever was being served.
I definitely found them to be extremely accommodating of my dietary needs and really worked with me. Yes, they challenged it a lot (lots of “well that sounds like your ED….”) but as long as I was willing to explain how it was impacting me/my experience in treatment and how the accommodation would benefit my recovery, they were more than willing to work with me.
Alsana definitely expects their clients to really advocate for themselves. Yes, it’s exhausting and sometimes seems unfair but it also helped me really identify with my values and what I needed from treatment to help support my continued recovery.
Alsana found that clients are more successful when they leave because they were pushed to do uncomfortable things.
which city & specific house did you go 2 ??
I just wanted to speak to the electronics/phone piece because I spoke to admissions last week and it’s now a blanket policy (at least for CA locations) that you only get them from after dinner until bed (about 6:30pm-9:30pm). You used to get a lot more time on weekends, but they took that away.
You still get your phone early on Saturday for the outings but yes, not all day through the weekend.
Does anyone have recent feedback on Alsana Monetary or Alsana Santa Barbara ??
*admin note: post moved from client general forum to alsana CA page per site policy
I would love to know this too!
Hello I discharged this most recent September. Happy to answer any questions you have!
Hello! I discharged from Alsana Monterey this September! What kind of questions do you have?!
Hi!
Was it well staffed/understaffed? How much freedom and privileges do you get, especially with phones etc. These are ones that you may not be able to answer since it’s more anecdotal, how closely did the res team communicate with an outpatient team while you were there. Were the groups traditional alphabet groups (cbt, dbt etc. or were they more non-traditional). Was every dietitian and therapist willing to work with pts to customize meal plans, or was it just certain dietitians/therapists. What was the age of the milieu when you were there? (Sorry I know that’s a lot but I tried to shorten it from the super long tx review one.)
I also have questions if you don’t mind!
What are typical observations bathroom wise?
How are they with coffee?
Do you get to have visitors?
What does movement look like?
Any outings?
Did you feel supported by staff?
Thank you!!
-When you first arrive you are on obs, which means you have to ask for the bathroom and you cannot flush without them checking every time. After that they have to check for 2 hours after a meal and 1 hour after snack. The next level is 1 hour after a meal and 30 minutes after a snack. And lastly no obs if you get to that point.
-I don’t drink coffee but I think they allowed 2 caffeinated beverages in the morning at most.
-Visitors on the weekends for an hour.
-When I was there they implemented a new movement guideline. There are four levels I believe which level one was restricted movement and the last one was anything pretty much (nobody ever really got to that level). We did yoga once a week which was really nice. We also go on outings which is some bits of walking. You can earn walks with a therapist or dietician if you are complying with meals and participating in groups. I was able to play volleyball outside because of my level on the movement chart.
-I think we had 2 outings per week. But occasionally on groups we got to go to a park. Mostly beach outings!
-I really liked the staff, especially the DCs. They are willing to help and talk to you at any time. Most of the therapists and dietician’s were great, and they also were willing to check in outside of sessions to talk about anything you needed. However, when the house is at maximum capacity, then it is a little trickier to get good attention.
-I will try to answer your questions as best as possible. When I was there Residential was pretty well staffed. They had 3 therapists and two dietitians, however after I moved to PHP/IOP I heard they added another therapist and dietitian, but that is just what I had heard. PHP/IOP only had one dietician and another that only worked with a few people. But they were in the middle of training another dietician right before I got discharged. There were plenty of DCs.
-I think Alsana is probably the best with privileges and freedoms, but there are still restrictions. You have to turn in your phone at 10:00 at night and can get them at 7 or 8:30 pm the next day. (Besides weekends where you can get them at 2 or 3) The rooms are locked all day until 8:30 pm. Visitors can come on the weekends for an hour. They have a lot of arts, crafts, and books to do/read during your free time. They let us go outside by ourselves besides 30 minutes after a snack and an hour after a meal. They do well with religious accommodations as well (they allowed me time on Sunday to virtually attend my church service.) They also let us watch movies at night/ sometimes during the day between groups/meals, but it does have to be approved by the staff.
-Yes they reached out to my outpatient dietitian a few times I believe.
-There were some alphabet groups, but they also included a few different ones like yoga, nutrition, nursing, core, processing, and some fun ones like game nights and outings!
-I am pretty sure every dietitian/therapist (at least the ones I knew) were very willing to work with your specific needs, however, they also wanted to challenge you as well. During your first or second session with a dietitian, they can help you look over your meal plan.
-I had a lot of different age groups during my stay. At the beginning it was mostly 18-25 but when I moved to PHP/IOP it was more 18-40. It kind of just depends on when you go.
Hope I answered your questions!
I was here a few years ago. I can answer any questions Monterey location.
Do they actually accept Medicare?
As of three years ago, at least one SoCal location took Medicare, which really surprised me. But I was told this directly by patients who were currently there at that time. However this was about three years ago, so I don’t know if that is still the case. I also don’t remember if there were any conditions, e.g. you still had to pay a lodging fee and Medicare covered the rest.
They do not I called as of Friday for all locations
I haven’t logged into this site in over a year but I was the one who told Rachel this. It was a Kaiser Medicare plan specific to Thousand Oaks. 2 women had this plan but one also had medicaid. I think it needs to be that specific case managed Kaiser plan.
Does anyone know is A*** M******* is on staff now? He was the lead clinician in SB, but I heard he moved to MRY
Has anyone ever done their virtual PHP?
I did virtual IOP, which is the same programming. Granted it was 2021, so a while ago, and idk how it’s changed. If you have any specific questions, I might be able to answer.
I didn’t really like it or find it helpful. It was a lot of watching TED talks over Zoom, meals were supported, and they asked to see your plate, but they didn’t really know people’s meal plans, so accountability wasn’t the best. They would ask you if it met your meal plan/met your needs, but that was really it. You got, I think, 2 sessions with a therapist, 1 or 2 with a dietitian per week. There were a few different time tracks for IOP, morning, afternoon, or evening. PHP did 2 of the IOP tracks back-to-back. From what I understand, if you weren’t doing well they would refer you to in person PHP or res.
They had a ‘bridge’ program from in person PHP/IOP (which is what I did) where you do one or two weeks of virtual IOP after you transition home from in person. I found myself wishing I had just gone straight home rather than doing the virtual bridge because of the lack of accountability (even for alsana, which feels like it’s saying a lot), and how the groups were mostly videos and felt hard for me to sit through for a couple of hours a day as someone with AuDHD.
thinking ab admitting to the west lake location soon does anyone have any input or who is currently there in residential to chime in on how that location is doing right now?
Anyone currently at the Westlake Village location? I’m admitting over the weekend 🙂
Are you allowed phones?
Yes, though I am not sure of the current policy. Hopefully someone who has been to the Westlake Village location can chime in to provide more specific information.
How is it @ REL? I may be looking into it within a month or two … would you mind sharing your experience ?
how is it so far? i think im admitting some time next week
Any recent update on Monterey location?
Can anyone review the current status of the Santa Barbara and the Westlake village location? Please and thank you!
Is there a review for 2025 of Monterey from an adult perspective perhaps late 20’s I know young adults and older adults may have a different perspective also are they willing to work with you on having your own room I have incredible trauma involving a room mate and it’s easier to focus on my health without the extra anxiety surrounding the situation
They would not accommodate single rooms as they don’t have space. There’s often 2- 3-4 ppl crammed
Did they get rid of rooms? When I was there most people had their own rooms
Hi I was wondering if anyone had a recent review of Alsana Santa Barbara or Westlake for residential? I’m leaning into SB but reading these older comments i’m unsure.. I’ve been approved for residential and they said I could choose my location. If anyone does I’ll try to keep up with this article and check it but would really appreciate it if you email me your review so I don’t forget! Thanks
Do not go to sb I repeat it is a shit show! They are short staffed always and do not intervene when clients are using behaviors left and right. I heard Monterey and westlake are better but still alsana is nice bc it’s chill but Ed’s thrive there
Oh wow thanks for letting me know! I’ll def look into westlake and hopefully they have availability around the time I admit..
Hi, trying to decide if Alsana thousand oaks or Santa Barbara is still ok or also looking at bright Road recovery but there is minimal information on that place. Any current info would be very appreciated!!
Santa Barbara is a free for all. I thought I was motivated but they literally let behaviors happen and no accountability.
Thank you!!!! Might consider the Monterey location but it is 12 beds… seems like a lot to manage if not well staffed and experienced. Wish someone would post about Bright Road Recovery…
Does anyone happen to know if Santa Barbara location has a chef right now? I have a friend going today, and she said they didn’t have one last time she was there, so she’s worried.
Has anyone been to Monterey recently that could answer some questions?
Does anyone have a recent review for westlake terra? Or Thousand Oaks?
I just posted a full review for Thousand Oaks Flora!
I cannot find it. Can you pin the link?
Hi! I am going residential soon and deciding between Westlake res (luna) or Thousand oaks res (flora) I am looking for any input anyone has on either place. This is my first time in residential and I am over 25. I’m curious if people have been to either and have a preference on either place. Please any info will be so helpful
Do you have any choices other than Alsana? I did not find the program helpful and do not recommend Alsana programs for ED recovery. There are people who did not attempt meals and are not recovery-oriented.
Hello!
I’m admitting to Alsana next week and was offered either the Monterey or Thousand Oaks location. Does anyone have any advice on which would be best? Thank you ❤️
Let me know how it is! May be admitting to Thousand Oaks next week too ?
Hello! I’ve only been here about two days, but I’d be happy to answer any specific questions you have 🙂 the staff has all been lovely so far.
Since this is super recent, do you think you could talk about your experience admitting and how it has been thus far meal wise, with them getting rid of their chef and all? This might not be you, but if you take meds, how they handle medication administration, and their phone policy, what the groups have been like, their staffing etc.
Absolutely! I’m at the Flora house and so far it’s been the best of my experiences at a residential. Admissions went fast, about a week after I first contacted them I got a date. The first day is a little overwhelming since you have to go over your history with around four providers, but everyone is so kind and patient and welcoming.
Meal-wise, the chef here and at the other two houses are both wonderful. They’re here around 11-4 on weekdays and handle lunch and dinner (the dinners are prepared by the chef and reheated at 6 by the DCs)! I think their cooking is wonderful. The meal plan is based on a group meal with additions for clients who need more and alternatives for those who have allergies or dislikes. They’re very accommodating of taste preferences which is a breath of fresh air!
Meds are handled by the nurses and they’re all extremely competent as far as I’ve experienced. If you don’t come to get them in the morning or night, they’ll come get you to make sure you’re able to stay on track. The psychiatrist is really nice too, and I usually do not like psychiatrists.
We get phones after dinner until lights out and you can go into private rooms to call family or take a breather! Some nurses will also let you grab them in the morning for a bit before breakfast or PRN if you ask. They’re not very restrictive and are very open to working circumstance by circumstance.
Staffing has been consistent — we have one dietitian and two therapists, and if anyone is out they call in substitutes from the other houses or the PHP program. I’ve never felt so supported. They don’t get super hands on unless you ask so you create your own motivation for recovery and if do/don’t engage in behaviors, it’s your choice. They’ll guide and support, but they give you the autonomy to truly go at recovery in a manner that is more sustainable and realistic.
If you don’t mind answering a few more questions, I would so greatly appreciate it! Do you know what kinds of groups are offered? Are they worksheet based or more discussion/process based or a mix? Any other info is greatly appreciated too! Thank you so much for what you have already contributed!!
Of course!
The groups are a mix of worksheets and process. Sometimes the therapists print out a worksheet, but if the group has something they want to process, they give everyone space. A lot of times the groups are discussions on a specific topic, so it’s very helpful! For instance, we read a page about shame, then talk about how we’ve experienced it and how we can cope with it. There is a CBT/DBT group that might be pretty familiar if you’ve been to treatment before, but usually they’re not repetitive or insanely tied to a curriculum.
We have a core/ED Assignment/process group every day and there’s always at least one therapist on site. We have two therapist/dietitian groups a day, then a DC led group and a fourth group that depends on what the schedule is.
I’m happy to answer any more questions!
Are the RTC houses still utilizing chefs or they have switched over to diet techs? Can someone explain the difference to me?
Hi! As far as I know the chefs are still there! Flora had a switch over back in April so there was a brief time where their meals were coming from Stella/other houses, but everything should be back to normal now! Diet techs are not professional chefs and often just specialize in portioning/can help with getting nutrient balances (often dietitians in training). The chefs produce more family-style meals that are cooked rather than assembled (DTs can do salads, sandwiches, pizza, but a chef can do butter chicken or falafels or bulgogi!). With a chef, taste and allergy accommodations can be more easily handled as well.
I was at Flora when there was the switch in chef’s. We were without a chef for about two weeks and were getting meals that either came from the other houses or that the DC’s made. They got a new chef while I was there and quickly trained him to take over and he jumped right in after that. This was back in April.
Ah okay! I was in PHP at Stella during that time. I’m glad things worked out, I can imagine that was disorienting…
Which one is Flora ?
Flora is the huge house on Sunset Blvd. The rules are pretty similar between the 3 houses, but I had a much better experience at Luna than at Flora.
There were a lot of things in transition when I was there late October-late November 2025, but I found the dietitian to be so much better and understanding at Luna than Flora, as well as the therapists. My therapist at Luna was absolutely amazing and very understanding. If you’re neurodivergent and that plays a part in your ED, I’d recommend Luna. Staffing at Luna was also much more consistent than at Flora. Were there issues? 100%. But I think that if I had actually wanted to be there, it would’ve been more helpful.
I’d be happy to answer any other questions!
Oh! No I meant what city? Lol
Oh!! My bad haha! Thousand Oaks, CA
Has Flora found consistent DCs now? When I was there last April, one had quit so there were only two consistent DCs and everyone else came in from different houses. I’m looking to potentially go back. I am also wondering how staffing has changed in general since I have been there. Were dietitians and therapists pretty new or had they all been there for a little while?
When I was there early November, we had kinda consistent DCs. Some had a set schedule of a few days, but there were a lot of shifts we wouldn’t know. Idk how new the dietiian was, but from the info about changes here, you probably don’t know her. If the male therapist is still there, you definitely know him. I know he’s worked there since late 2024 or earlier. The other therapist who was there left my first day and they didn’t find a new one before I moved over to Luna. Idk if any of this helps. Sorry!!
Yes, this does help, thank you! I do know the male therapist but I was more curious about the female because she helped me more than any other therapist I have every worked with but it sounds like she is no longer there sadly.
Does anyone have recent reviews for Alsana’s Thousand Oaks or Westlake Village RTC? I may be admitting there next week but am still deciding between Alsana or CFD (also Thousand Oaks or Del Mar location).
I’m feeling very nervous and would appreciate any information! Thank you!
Hello! Were you able to get into either program? I’m also looking at these. 🙂
Hi! I actually decided on another program in SoCal- if you’re interested I’d be willing to talk more about it if you’d like! I’m liking it a lot here. You can email me at: allycabat@gmail.com (:
I actually will be admitting to TO next week, but I really appreciate it! I’m glad you found somewhere that’s working for you and I hope you have a successful recovery <3
It was awful so disappointing I left a month in
Do you mind expanding on what was awful about it?
Hi Nikki there were a few factors that made me feel very uncomfortable and hate this place but one can be super triggering for those who are struggling so I cannot speak about it although I am happy to explain over email if you want to be wary of coming to alsana Thousand Oaks.
my top three reasons:
there was lots of conflict between two patients one was mouthy she was about 30 and one was late 40s sophisticated but stood her ground. It was so bad that the second night that I had arrived the police were called between them. One of them called the police claiming she felt threatened and unsafe, which was totally untrue. She was safe there the fact of the police were called made me feel uncomfortable at a place. I’ve never been in the situation like that. I was questioned by the police about what happened and it just was not a situation I would ever thought I could be in.
Hi all,
Has anyone very recently been to, or are currently at, the Monterey or Santa Barbara locations? I was at the Monterey location one year ago and I was wondering about the changes that have occurred since then. I was originally scheduled to go to the Santa Barbara location, but ended up in Monterey.
does Monterey still have the chef? Is there still construction going on? Have they changed the electronics policy? How many times do you actually meet with the members of your team?
Just wondering, between the three California residential locations, does anyone know what the max number of patients is a each location? Trying to decide which one and that is a factor for me.
Thanks!
Actually, I got answers about the census. Does anyone have any info about which location is “better” in your opinion and why?
Here to provide a lovely update for the Alsana Monterey Location :
day three here – it is coed , which I did not know.
food has been better than expected , this location still has a chef but they prepare lunch and dinner and leave when they are done, there is still a client creation day once a week.
the age group currently is pretty young , mainly 25 and younger . There is little structure and people are playing video games through the day and then also sleeping through some of the group sessions.
their first day is pretty chaotic, and for someone who has not been to residential, it is stressful.
the biggest pain point for me is that I have had to repeat my story about 6 times now and then they send me on my way. My story is pretty emotional and would have wished I could have meet my team at once so I did not have to repeat it and /or get sent off to group sessions right away.
I was also told I could stay on my adhd meds and the pysch will not give it to me.
lastly , the main two rooms are under construction for the next week or so, which reduces our indoor gathering areas
.
also pretty lax with electronics.
its still early on, I’m not making any judgements yet but happy to answer any questions I can.
Do you know, Are they planning keeping their chef?Or they’re going to diet techs?
My understanding is that they were keeping, but I will ask around tomorrow to get clarity .
Thank you! As this is 2nd on my list!
Any updates on how things are going ? Specifically looking at the Monterey site. I was explicitly told they are keeping the chef here. In between here , ERC Denver and Monte Nido atm .
Would anyone be willing to provide a detailed recent review of the Alsana Monterey location? Thanks so much!
I’m am looking for this too!
Me too ✋️
Hi there! I am now choosing between Thousand Oaks Luna and Terra. They explained to me the transition to diet techs which doesn’t seem to be a problem and I like how I can be more involved that way.
If anyone has any more information on either Luna or Terra, please let me know 🙂
Thanks!
is there any chance they would accept Medi-Cal? I can’t afford treatment anymore and get knocked down to CA Medi-Cal. I went to the Alsana Monterey location when I was 19 (2022) and signed out of AMA (I know…bad decision, I wasn’t ready for recovery yet and was forced into it). Now I want treatment for myself finally. Does anyone have any experience with this? or single case agreements, etc.?
It depends on the medi cal I know a few people who have medi cal that went but it depends on your county’s medi-cals opinions for treatment
They do accept contracts but it depends on where and who you talk to. Sometimes being told no means you need to talk to someone else. If you have a case coordinator with Medicaid they would be able to help you. I was in SoCal tx with 2 people who had Medicaid. It’s possible.
Any recent updates on California php programs?
wondering if anyone has been to thousand oaks or santa barbara rtc recently. thanks!
i was in rtc at terra thousand oaks in 2022 if you need someone to talk to!
I have a couple questions can you do a full day at the Thousand Oaks review please ?!
I have to make a decision tomorrow, so I know it’s unlikely I will get feedback before then, but I thought I would give it a shot. I’m so confused by all the different locations/house names and who is referring to what in the reviews. I have a choice between Flora/Thousand Oaks and Terra/Westlake. Can anyone offer insight into any differences/pros/cons? I know someone said one of them is older/”gross” but I can’t figure out for sure which one that is :/
terra is a single-floor older home but i didn’t think it was ugly or gross by any means, just a large beautiful home with a basketball court. flora had it’s grand opening while i was at terra so that makes it only 2 years old. from what i heard it was a shit show but that of course was just bc of the milieu. the dc’s at terra (at least when i was there) were super nice…ALSO! very important thing to note is that terra had a neighborhood cat roaming around the yard sometimes and she’s so friendly/adorable….also, the terra home had a very homey feel to it, so i would recommend that one because i have no idea who works at flora at this point. wherever u end up, good luck you got this!
Hello! Can anyone recommend a California location that handles bulimia or binge eating well? Just looking for treatment center recommendations. Need extra support when it comes to managing binging and purging behaviors.
Lgtc (Los gatos therapy center) they do virtual too if your not in the bay area
Hi. I’m considering coming to Monterey or Santa Barbara residential soon and was just wondering if anyone had an opinion on choosing one over the other and how beneficial they found the program or whether I should try for somewhere else. I’m in my late 30s so I’d love to be somewhere where there were more older clients and somewhere where we get to spend lots of time outside/be around nature. I’ve never really been to residential and am really nervous on making the right decision.
Hi, I’m actually in the same boat. I am also in my mid 30s and unfortunately need to go back. I have been out of treatment for 5 years. Any updates on where you are at in the process?
Hiiii, I’m hoping to get in at a SoCal Alsana location (think Thousand Oaks, Westlake, etc – not further north) and I’ve seen the responses about 1h visitation on weekends, but I have a mission-critical question – are dogs allowed to visit?? Obviously it would have to be in an outside area, I would never expect an indoor visit nor would I subject everyone to a dog (nor frankly, subjecting my dog to everyone – she adores me but is very much not a people person). She’s tiny so it’s not like I’d have a Great Dane coming by every week, but genuinely she is a cornerstone of my mental health, as I am to hers, lol. I’m very self-motivated re: treatment, but my main concern is being away from her for so long, for both our sakes, and the idea of my boyfriend being able to bring her by every so often would be hugely reassuring. Thanks for any info here!
There was a client who had her dog visit with her mother at the Thousand Oaks location (outside of course). There even used to be a resident stray cat that we took in but the former program manager finally took her home. Animals are always appreciated.
Thank you soooo much for answering!! I found out today that Alsana doesn’t take my insurance and won’t do SCA, so ultimately it doesn’t matter. I’m out of options now. But truly, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the response! I hope it helps others who are able to go.
Hi, I’m considering both Alsana Monterey and Monte Nido Agoura Hills/East Bay for residential treatment ASAP. Does anyone have a preference for one over another? Also any very recent information? Thank you!
Does anyone have reviews on Alsana phps in person and types of food served or if you bring your own
They serve food for you! I believe you are not allowed to bring in your own food. There is a wide variety of food that they serve (Italian, Mexican, etc). I thought the food was really good actually. If you have specific dietary needs your dietician will request it for you.
Has anybody heard of alsanas lawsuit? I am looking at going to one of alsanas programs but have been nervous since hearing that they have a lawsuit against them.
I could be wrong and this could be old news but I just want to make sure I know what I’m getting myself into
That’s like years ago. Alsana is one of the better programs (every Ed program or any business has its flaws it’s hard to find a place that’s perfect) Alsana how ever is pretty decent so I wouldn’t worry about it. They really care there and work with you. It’s a more compassionate facility but also you have to be really self motivated to succeed there
Very old news. Different ownership and staff now. I’ve attended under both, and benefited from the former program much more than the current. One thing to keep in mind about this close to 20 year old lawsuit, is of hundreds or thousands of clients who went through treatment under the original staff, what about 10 people sued. It’s important to keep in mind that people have negative experiences at every center around the country. Other centers also have experienced lawsuits, hey Timberline Knolls and McCallum Place…those lawsuits are pretty recent and I’d recommend steering clear if any staff involved is still there as those lawsuits were about sexual assault that endangered every single client on the property.
Another example, the first center I was in made me much sicker, 6 people *TW* committed suicide on the property (staff negligence), and I was raped for 2 weeks by an age inappropriate patient assigned to be my welcome guide around the facility *end TW* was that traumatic and terrible “treatment,” of course it was. Did I file a lawsuit over it, no. Did the families who lost their adult children sue the facility…no. Treatment being ineffective or causing harm is always a risk you take when participating. Did I or those patients deserve what happened, of course not. Did the clients who sued Castlewood deserve what they went through, definitely not. Lawsuits cause even more prolonged reliving and trauma. I don’t agree with the people who sued the center. It’s deterred people since from seeking treatment. It made their MH issues public to the entire country and seemed attention seeking and like feel bad for me. It’s different for everyone, maybe it gave them the closure they needed. Idk society now is way to quick to see suing someone as a solution.
I know you posted this 8 months ago, but I just saw this and had to respond. I think it is absolutely tragic (and really gross) that you are saying that those poor people who sued were “attention seeking.” Especially coming from someone who has been through terrible experiences themselves at a treatment center. Thank god someone stepped up and held that couple accountable. They destroyed innocent lives and families. I have absolutely nothing to do with that lawsuit, but I do have the heart to read and learn about it and immediately feel heartbroken for the women who went through that (just like I do for the horrific experiences you had). To anyone out there who survived the insanity at Castlewood…I hear you, I see you, and never for a second would I think that you are trying to get attention. Thank you for having the courage to stand up to a system that was grossly abusing its power.
You don’t read that closely. It doesn’t say the people were attention seeking. You also skipped the part about how getting treatment has risks, that is discussed before admission. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about the pain these people faced. I don’t agree with making it a national issue and tarnishing people’s professional reputation. You’re making some assumptions about my experience and how I’d deal with it.
It would draw attention to me to make that public had I taken legal action. Dealing with it through therapy was much more effective for me.
Why did I not publicize what happened to me because it was embarrassing, shameful, and would have put me in danger to do so. I didn’t want the world to know. Money or legal recourse wouldn’t change what happened, it would have only made to more painful, public, and humiliating. Why would I give an abuser attention (negative) and put a spotlight on what they did like that? They’d literally get off on hearing the details and how it affected me. They’d want to rehash it. That person took enough from me.
Did you actually attend Castlewood? Or are your opinions based on reading the lawsuits on the few individuals out of hundreds to thousands who attended over at least a decade? 99% of clients were not harmed by treatment there. Maybe don’t make blanket statements like “whoever survived the insanity at Castlewood…”….there are others here besides me who got into recovery there and didn’t have a negative experience.
Speak about your experiences and places you’ve been. Stop making assumptions and generalizations. I’ve been in recovery from BN because of Castlewood for 15 years, which is much longer than remission with any other program. Knock it all you want, but you have no idea what you are talking about. It was a successful program for many people with severe treatment-resistant eating disorders caused by severe trauma, which most facilities are not equipped, trained, or specialized enough to treat. Yes, it didn’t help a handful of people,
made them worse, and hurt them. That happens across the board with mental health and substance abuse
treatment, not just with Castlewood. It’s just that the case was highly publicized and that’s been extremely detrimental. I wouldn’t have an issue with it had the people not made a national spectacle of it, which fear mongered truly sick individuals from seeking treatment not even at Castlewood, but other facilities or at Alsana (the company that bought Castlewood, which honestly is worse than CW) and also has a history of patient *TW* sexual abuse * TW* and treatment failure. Castlewood was a much better program than Alsana ever was.
You know your experiences, I know mine. As kindly as possible, butt out. Your judgement 8 months later is unwelcome and inaccurate.
K, I’m so glad to hear that you had a positive experience with Castlewood! To those who were traumatized and whose families were destroyed…I am SO SORRY for what you went through. It’s still disgusting and disgraceful to this day. I 100% believe you and think you were truly courageous for speaking out. I’m sure it doesn’t mean much, but from my little corner of the world, I support you and would never think that you were seeking attention by standing up for yourselves. I am so very sorry that you have had to endure victim blaming on top of what you have already been through. I hope that you are all doing well on your healing journeys and are finding peace. ?
KC, thank you for writing back. Sometimes I felt that no one believed it helped me because some clients and their families were hurt so terribly. I was at CW with 2 of the clients who sued CW. I don’t know all the specifics, but these were women with complex situations in a great deal of pain and dysfunction in their lives. The treatment style made these women get worse. I was also there with 2 people who truly did have a complicated trauma history and hadn’t been helped anywhere else because of it.
One had been sent directly from another ED program and the other program sent them because they believed the client had a severe trauma problem that needed treatment. I do think that added to issues and made it more difficult for the individual to disagree with treatments. This person thought they were out of treatment options and that CW was the only place that could help them. The program that sent them had a role in that by telling the client they couldn’t help them and such. The person was influenced and under suggestion of multiple centers, doctors, and authorities. They really wanted to get well and return to how they lived before. Idk that it was only the fault of CW, but felt bad that the ED program they were in gave them those ideas in the first place. I’m sure that influenced how providers at CW treated them.
Both of these people deserved the closure and whatever the lawsuit gave them. Those 2 women improved and have lives today that wouldn’t have been possible without the specialized trauma care. Like them, I felt invalidated in ED only programs and was shamed for not getting better or trying hard enough until I went to CW because nowhere else I went believed or understood that my ED was caused by *TW* CSA and complex trauma. When that program understood that and helped me with those symptoms at the same time, I got better.
My family actually did try to sue the MH facility where I was *TW* repeatedly assaulted *TW*, but they refused to meet with my lawyer, wouldn’t take our calls, or respond to messages. It took me 20 years to get through it. I finally have had success with ketamine therapy combined with trauma therapy to forgive myself, forgive those who hurt me, stop resenting the past/feeling shameful, and really start living, accepting myself and liking myself.
I guess I get a bit upset for 2 reasons: 1 people continuing to tell people not to get treatment there (which is now Alsana) even if it’s the only choice, because of what happened 15 years ago under providers who do not work there anymore and lack licenses to practice in MO or AL (two of Alsana’s locations). Discouraging people from getting treatment is feeding the past and affect’s uninvolved individuals with EDs who need help now.
The other reason is selfish, that those women were able to share what happened to them, everyone believed them, and they got retribution through the legal system. My family and I tried for what happened to me at an MH facility, and weren’t successful due to being ignored by the facility. None of my reports to DMH or BBB mattered. I lived with it for almost 20 years before getting through it and it ruined those 20 years of my life (unable to keep a job, finish school, socialize, hospitalizations for safety because of my past, needing treatment that I couldn’t get because I didn’t have any money, chronic relapse, and getting stuck in abusive relationship due to financial reasons and untreated trauma). If I had been believed and validated 20 years ago, my life would have been so different, and if I’d received retribution payments, I wouldn’t have stay untreated through chronic relapse because I could have accessed treatment and been well many years ago. I am 37 and my life has only started in the past year.
I am sorry for the tone and words I used in my previous post. It was rude and I see that I allowed getting triggered to affect the way I responded and treated you, which isn’t acceptable. Thank you for acknowledging victim blaming and allowing me to share my story. I am in recovery now and have a pretty good life.
I was also there at the time the lawsuits were initiated, and back everything K says..It was an extremely complicated situation. CW was not at all perfect, but they were unique and effective in their ability to treat EDs that were the result of complex trauma.
I’m so very sorry for your horrible experiences, that you did not feel believed, and that you were ignored for so long. It is understandable that you were triggered. I’m so sorry that it took so many years of fighting, but I’m glad to hear that you are finally living the life that you have deserved for so long.
CW helped many clients and as a survivor of SRA who has DID, I found tx there very helpful.I worked with both of the directors personally, and while their methods were not always conventional, I felt safe and respected.
Admitting to RTC for the first time on Friday and I’m super scared. What food do they serve on weekends since I won’t get to meal plan with the RD? Someone below mentioned they offer food supplements-is that for everyone or will I have to wait until I meet with the RD
Also I’ve never been to RTC and am super scared so if anyone could let me know what to expect for my first day that would be appreciated. Does anyone know the age range at Flora rn?
First day is usually meeting with admissions, the nurse, dietician, sometimes you meet with your therapist, getting you settled into your room, introducing you to the other clients maybe attend a group and you’ll get set up with a meal plan. It can feel really overwhelming but generally staff is kind and other clients are supportive. You’ll get used to things quickly and meet some awesome people.
I hope it goes well!
Anyone have any strong opinions about a California location? (Favorite or least favorite RTC). I’m trying to decide which one to go to so if anyone has any major likes or dislikes?
Also which one is the nicest in terms of the facility itself (ie cleanliness, food quality, etc) of the 5 if anyone knows?
It’s been a while since someone has done one of these full reviews, so if anyone has been to Flora or Terra RTC recently, I’m thinking about going there, so if you could fill this out that would be so so appreciated!!
When were you there?
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
Describe the average day:
What were meals like?
What sorts of food were available or served? Do we get to choose or does everyone have to eat the same thing?
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
What is the policy of not complying with meals? Can they force you into inpatient/hospitalization?
If we feel the program is not helpful but are not yet weight restored, can we leave the program whenever we want?
What privileges are allowed?
Does it work on a level system?
How do you earn privileges?
What did you like the most?
What did you like the least?
Would you recommend this program?
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
What did people do on weekends?
.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
What was the average length of stay?
What was the average age range?
How do visits/phone calls work?
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
Are we allowed to do our own laundry? Or how does that work? how often, do we bring our own detergent/softener, etc.?
Are we allowed to request no visitors at all (I have people that are not conducive to my recovery and tend to show up despite me asking them not to)
Legally treatment centers that provide 24/7 care for adults are required to follow a patient’s request for no visitors (or to ban specific people, or to only allow specific visitors and no one else – e.g. if a patient said that only XX is allowed but no one else, or that XX is not allowed). Generally (per HIPPA) they will also say that they can neither confirm nor deny whether someone is a patient there if anyone should call and ask if you are there or to speak with you. I know that CA Alsana does that part for sure, at least based on my experience trying to send a friend a surprise package there. 🙂 Some places (ERC Pathlight residential for example, Casa Palmera, Menninger are all places I have been that do this) have you fill out a form upon admission of who is approved to call you via unit/nursing/etc phone or get confirmation of you being there (I put my dean of students who was facilitating my Leave of Absence), who is approved to visit, who is approved to pick you up, etc (you could just write NO VISITORS) and some locations they also have a unique code that you have to give to your visitor/s for them to say to reception when they arrive and check IDs. So even if Alsana doesn’t have some of those, it is your legal right to request them.
I have been to several places including Alsana( when it was Castlewood) and specified that certain people were not allowed to visit or be given info about my treatment.
Just make sure you are clear and have it put in your chart.
I’m considering Alsana RTC in Westlake Village. Do they do anything for fun- obviously treatment isn’t “fun” but do they do activities or anything to make it more enjoyable?
Before COVID, there were outings to the movies on Friday nights and a paid outing on the weekend every other week alternating with an unpaid outing the other weekends. Idk if this applies to the Westlake location as I attended the STL and Birmingham locations.
On Saturdays they go on outings to like the beach or thrift stores or whatever the house votes on. For some reason they took away bowling and mini golf bc of cost but shopping also costs money so it doesn’t really make much sense.
*TW*
I have severe gastroparesis and am going to flora rtc for weight restoration. I’m super scared the portions are going to hurt my stomach and I’m going to be in constant pain. Do they make the portion sizes small for those on a weight restoration plan bc I cannot handle any sort of volume and I’m really scared.
They might give medication like Reglan. No, you won’t have reduced portion sizes if you need weight restoration. You’ll work up to full portion sizes. If you can’t do solid meals, an inpatient program is a better fit. Alsana doesn’t do tube feeding. You need to be able to tolerate regular meals and snacks to benefit from the program. You can ask your dietitian about using bars, nuts, and other food items to reduce volume, but you’ll still be expected to eat the same food as others for meals. If you supplement a lot, you won’t level up or earn any privileges. If you don’t complete, you don’t progress.
While not at a CA Alsana, in St Louis they absolutely will work with you to find things that work for you—even if that means your meals might look different for a bit. I also struggled with pretty severe gastroparesis while at Alsana and I was able to work with my dietitian to find ways to make my meal plan more tolerable.
for example, my treatment plan allowed me to supplement without losing privileges. **tw** Something I struggle a lot with in treatment is viewing supplementing as a failure and, as a result, just refusing them. **end tw** So I spoke to that with my team and for me, completing with a supplement was the equivalent of completing with food. Refusing a supplement had the same consequences as it would for anyone else but the small change helped me continue to push myself.
i found Alsana to be far and away the most accommodating treatment center I’ve been to—you really just need to ask and back it up in a way that demonstrates that it’s not a disordered ask.
Thank you for giving more up to date information than I had. I haven’t been to the STL location in ~15 years. It’s been close to 10 years since I was at the Birmingham location as well.
for client creation, what if we do not like what another client makes- can we choose a different meal?
No
Do they offer alternatives for supplements other than ensure/boost/Kate farms? I absolutely hate the taste of those. Are they willing to offer you a supplemental food of some sort instead
They do all different types of supplements I saw people on luna bars, Lara bars, Clift bars, they offered me ice cream as a supplement it depends on your dietitian and struggles
Is Alsana’s RTC program even helpful? I’m being forced in here by my parents, but I’m having to give up many major things just to spend months here, so I’m just wanting to know is it even helpful?
If you have other options, I’d pick a program specifically for adolescents. I would not pick Alsana as a first time treatment program.
adolescent only programs include Veritas young adult, Clementine programs, ERC, Rogers residential, Emily program young adult. For IP/medical stabilization or PHP: Rady’s, Stanford, ucla. There are many other options as well.
It’s definitely not traumatic as most residentials you have the most freedom out of any res, however with that you have to be really self motivated here to get better. A lot of people don’t finish meals and snacks, or engage in behavior with the freedoms. So you have to be self motivated to not let that bother you and be in the right mindset to use the help and complete for the sake of your recovery. Alsana goes above and beyond to accommodate but still they allow you to be in the driver seat so you have to take the initiative for it to work and be helpful
Hi Nat, What location did you reside at?
Thousand Oaks and Monterey 4x
**trigger warning**
Can you leave or will they hold you if you are still underweight? I am wanting to go, but I just need peace of mind in knowing that if I absolutely hate it, I can leave when I want
Alsana can’t hold you I’ve seen multiple people ama there even after a day. It’s an adult facility they will want you to stay and will try to make it work but they can’t legally keep you
You can leave whenever but they will threaten you with an AMA and state it will go on your record and affect your insurance from helping you going forward. Don’t believe them. It’s a dirty tactic to make you stay.
Sorry this is more of a nitpicky question, but are the Thousand Oak RTC facilities clean ie bathrooms, showers, kitchen, bedrooms? Sorry, I’m a major germaphobe and have a hard time being away from home
Nope ?? bugs everywhere
Literally not true lol ? I was there semi recently and it’s extremely clean I have severe ocd/ germ phobia to the extent I have to live alone and don’t let people in my apartment, and it was manageable. I have pictures of the Thousand Oaks house.
Theirs two different ones I know one house is really nice and the other is gross
Oh yea I went to the thousands oaks one a month after it opened so it was brand new and nicer. The other two are in westlake which is 5 minutes away, but there’s only one in Thousand Oaks
Oh now that you say that I’m talking bc about the Westlake ones sorry for the misunderstanding!
Sorry, I get kind of confused with the locations- but it’s the “flora” one that’s clean right?
What type of outing and activities did you guys have and how was the meals?
Debating between Alsana Thousand Oaks and Monte Nido Houston? Any experiences?
Thousand Oaks is awful they are not trained nor equipped to handle eating disorders the place should be shut down. They did more harm than help all the girls from when I was there.
I have been 3 times, most recently at Terra this past October.
Oh Sarah, were you able to get a full stay at Terra/Westlake Village? How was it? Do you think it helped you get closer to recovery than when you went in? I assumed you were still there, but then again I also keep thinking it is September haha — either way, good thing I guess that I am mulishly slow (still working on improving this!) and I didn’t send a care package yet!
Is weight restoration a requirement to be discharged or is it based on other factors?
Can I (gently) ask why you are asking this? Are you hoping to be able to “get” to discharge while still underweight?
*tw*
Not necessarily, it is just because I have to gain [number redacted] pounds to be technically weight restored according to their bmi charts, and I don’t want to be there for many months. So if weight restoration is a requirement for discharged, I’d rather gain some weight first then go so that way I’m not there forever, if that makes sense
Oh that absolutely makes sense! That can be a really smart way to approach treatment, so you can therapeutically maximize your time in residential and not worry about burning out towards the end solely due to length of stay! Thanks for clarifying, and I apologize if I made any assumptions
It depends. If you have made other progress and have a good step down option but they typically like you to do the majority of weight restoration in residential. This was asked and answered by Alsana staff by others who are in that limbo. Rarely does php accept someone from res who has a lot of restoration.
My experience with most TCs is that unless insurance forces the issue, they like to keep people who need weight gain until they are close to being weight restored and if possible longer so there is a period of maintenance before leaving treatment.
In my experience, the times I was able to stay in treatment until I was weight restored and then had a month or so after were far more successful than when I left needing to still gain weight.
It’s scary and hard when you start to approach a ‘healthy” weight but.you won’t ever be able to recover without getting there. Literally there is a mechanism in the body that amplifies food obsession below a certain weight. If you don’t push for full weight restoration, that mechanism doesn’t turn off and you will still continue to fight food and weight obsession.
To clear up any confusion – Alsana California DOES accept Medi-Cal!
Hi!
I am checking into Alsana in Monterey on Friday! Can anyone provide a recent review? It will be much appreciated!!!!
thank you.
hi! first of all, proud of you for starting your recovery journey! I spent 7 months at clara (2 months res, 3 php, 3 iop), and I can confidently say that alsana has saved my life. coming into treatment, it was my first time and I didnt want to be there at all, but they never gave up on me. the staff are so incredibly kind and their holistic approach and constant support has given my not only my life but also my light back. lean in to the process, its hard but I promise it is so worthwhile.
could you please leave a full review
Hello, I am checking in next week to Alsana Monterey. Can you tell me how you like it? I’m getting nervous looking at past reviews with Castlewood
Hi! I’m curious how it is going/how it went for you? I am thinking of Monterey, the admissions person said they have immediate openings, so I’m thinking well if not now then when etc.
H!
Is anyone able to provide information in Alsana in Santa Barbara? Visiting hours, meals/meal plans, meal planning, outings, levels, technology usage, stability of providers, etc…
Alsana takes MediCal? (CA Medicaid)
No
Yes, under an SCA. I was with 2 people that had it so I know it’s done.
Yes, they work with multiple Medi-Cal plans. As Sarah said, you may need to do a Single Case Agreement (SCA), but don’t let that stop you!
yes, depending on your county. i went from santa cruz county and they even gave me a scholarship for housing at PHP.