Focus Treatment Center offers residential, intensive outpatient, and outpatient eating disorder treatment to adults 18+. They specialize in co-occurring conditions, substance abuse, trauma work and experiential therapies.
Any current reviews? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
When were you there? 2023
What level(s) of care did you receive (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? Residential
Is it wheelchair accessible? I’m not sure, but I think so.
How many patients are there on average? They can have up to 22 patients.
What genders does it treat? All.
Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? I think so.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc.? You see the psychiatrist once a week, a nurse practitioner or medical doctor once during your entire stay (unless you get sick), therapists twice a week, and a dietitian once a week.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? There are two technicians most of the time, all day, for up to 22 or 23 people. There are four therapists, and they see 4-5 patients each.
Therapies used may include DBT, CBT, ACT, exposure therapy, and “art” therapy. Some staff members are trained in EMDR, but it’s not offered to all patients.
The average day includes vital checks, breakfast, yoga, process group, a snack, educational activities, lunch, another group session, a snack, rest time, dinner, phone/screens/homework, another snack, free time, and lights out.
Meals are decent and prepared ahead of time. You can choose based on the criteria provided by the dietitian.
What sorts of food were available or served? You weren’t allowed a special diet unless you had an allergy.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? If you restrict, you supplement. 1-2 boosts, depending on how much you have left on your plate.
What is the policy on not complying with meals? I’m not sure of any policy related to it. I’m sure you talked to the therapist and other staff about it.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? Nope
What privileges are allowed? Smoking, walking outside in a tiny yard space while people smoke, TV at designated times, and playing music. I would say there were more penalties than privileges.
Does it work on a level system? If you were underweight, they had zones.
How do you earn privileges? This isn’t a thing at Focus.
What sort of groups do they have? DBT, ACT, Body Image, Food and Feelings, Art, Process Group.
What was your favorite group? I didn’t have a favorite. I learned as much as possible when information was presented, but I didn’t enjoy going to groups.
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? I think it’s supposed to be.
What did you like the most? I hated every single second.
What did you like the least? That patients weren’t checked for their bad behavior. The place was a mess! The residents would leave their stuff everywhere, and the techs rarely said anything about keeping it tidy. The same few did the dishes, kept the kitchen clean, and washed the dishes. We had to sit in assigned seats for meals. That felt awful.
Would you recommend this program? No.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Yoga.
What did people do on weekends? Outings. Ugh. Bowling, thrift stores, shopping, equine “therapy,”
Do you get to know your weight? No.
What was the average length of stay? Six weeks
What was the average age range? 20’s
How do visits/phone calls work? Visits on Sundays from 1 to 3 have to be approved beforehand. Phone calls are in the evening. There is extra phone time on Saturdays.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? No electronics – all stayed locked up until screentime.
For inpatient/residential: Can you go on outings/passes? Yes, day passes after you’ve been there for 30 days.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? Yes
I do not recommend Focus Treatment Center. I would give it a 2 out of 5 stars (which feels generous). It’s taken me over a year to write a review because I was so disappointed in the care I received (year – 2023)
The admissions coordinator did not inform me about what I could or could not pack, and I couldn’t find the information on the webpage. I now realize that most treatment centers have the same rules, but this was my first time entering treatment, so I had no idea what to expect. I learned that at this facility, you can’t have anything made of glass, including makeup bottles, picture frame glass, mirrors, and compacts. Sharp items are kept in the nurse’s station and can be checked out when needed. Hair dryers, curling irons, and similar items are locked away, and you can ask the nurse to open the closet for you when you need them. However, the facility doesn’t thoroughly check everything, so I was able to keep makeup with mirrors and several items in glass bottles. Additionally, there are no hangers in the room, and the bathrooms are bare because the facility used to be a nursing home. You’re not allowed to have trashcans. [redacted] We were given one large paper bag to keep as the trashcan.
The facility had the same inconsistency all around. The techs treated the residents terribly. Although I generally liked the techs as individuals and had pleasant interactions with them, they were awful to the residents. Additionally, admissions failed to mention that residents weren’t allowed in their rooms throughout the day – they lock the rooms before breakfast, and you have to be accompanied by a tech to use the bathroom. The techs would only open the bathrooms at specific times, and if you needed to use the toilet outside of those times, they would give you an attitude or make you wait for them to unlock the door. If you have poor bladder control, waiting until the last minute is not advisable, as they will shame you for not informing them earlier. You can use the bathroom in your room during rest time in the middle of the day, during phone time in the evening, and after the final snack. Whether the tech lets you use your bathroom depends on whether they like you – if they dislike you, be prepared to wait. This lack of compassion and pettiness does not align with a patient-centered approach.
The technicians are demanding and authoritative but lack boundaries and seem ignorant of the rules. Are there any guidelines? I’m sure they’re wondering the same thing. One tech was disorganized, and we’d be off schedule, throwing off an entire day.
No one explains the processes and procedures to you, so you’re lost unless the other residents are kind enough to show you the ropes, which many in my cohort/milieu were helpful. Again, you get a huge binder, but no one reviews anything with you, shows you where to find anything, or gives you any guidance.
The kitchen is so small that only three people are allowed in at one time. As a result, there is no meal prep and planning in the program, except for one night a week – cooking night. During the cooking night, the dietician asks for volunteers to help prep the meal and then for volunteers to help clean up the kitchen. Unfortunately, some residents get away with never doing anything at all. If learning how to prep and plan meals for the week is important to you, it’s important to note that you won’t get that here. One of the major problems I had when I left the facility was the lack of understanding of how critical meal prep is for people in recovery.
We must spend the entire day in a single room with no natural light, and the only light source is fluorescent bulbs until bedtime. Each resident has an oversized reclining chair in the main room, which they can use to store books, binders, supplies, lotion, and anything else they might need during the day because access to the bedroom is restricted. However, many of the chairs were dirty and in disrepair. Watching TV is only allowed during designated phone/screen time, and the residents must agree on what to watch. It is never quiet during the day as an iPad is always on the counter next to the TV, with residents using it to browse the internet and listen to loud music from morning till night, despite it not being allowed.
The treatment center is opposite a YMCA, but only SUD residents, not ED patients, could use it. Half the residents slept and snored during morning yoga, making it hard to concentrate. One person said their religion forbade yoga, calling it satanic.
If you’re not white, the housekeeper is the only person of color at the center. The therapists are not knowledgeable about race and racism, and the residents will naturally say things that are hard to hear and make the environment feel unsafe. The therapists are slow to process or consider their own biases or listen to what non-white patients are saying about the living space. The techs are clueless, and the facility is not equity-centered or inclusive. If they were, maybe they would try harder to hire a person of color and recruit a therapist from an HBCU or diversity recruitment site. They could spend more time learning how white supremacy culture influences eating disorder treatment and do better work with their clients from marginalized backgrounds. I would say they’re pretty LGBTQIA friendly, but when we break it down, that’s not something most people can see about you on the outside, and it doesn’t change how they perceive you before you even say a word. WHEN PEOPLE ENTER TREATMENT, THEY WANT TO FEEL SAFE. ALL PEOPLE DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE.
Patients can escalate conflict with others, and the techs are ill-prepared to deal with it. The techs can escalate conflict with the patients, further contributing to an unsafe environment.
You will not be given a curriculum — there is no programming, just a schedule. Your days are packed pretty tight, and they go by somewhat quickly, but the work we all do and the expectations around presenting that information in the process group are different for every patient. While tailoring the program for each patient is necessary, there should still be consistency across the board for the residents regarding homework assignments and journal reflections. Patients receive a binder when they arrive, but we never reviewed any of its information. When you join a psychoeducational group, you start where they last left off. Depending on how long you’re there, you may hear the same information multiple times from the same counselor. We were all supposed to receive a copy of an eating disorder book and the accompanying workbook, but most of us never received one before we left the center.
is this place ARFID-informed and able to treat it? i couldn’t tell from their website if they say they treat it or not but i’ve heard people say mixed things about it.
i’m looking to go here soon and wondering if they are LGBTQIA+ friendly? i’m a trans guy and i don’t want to go there if they’re not accepting and accommodating
This was in 2019, but when I was there I had two staff members vocalize to me that they didn’t approve of my relationship (with another woman) but that they were glad that I was happy. I found that to be wildly inappropriate. I felt like that should’ve been kept to themselves.
I’m sorry that is so inappropriate </3
I was there in 2021 and a few of the staff were queer and super kind and supportive <3 idk if that is still the case. There were several patients that were LGBTQIA and everyone was supportive and staff made sure everyone used their preferred pronouns, etc. I would say about half our community at any given time identified as queer, and I was there 4 months. I hope this helps <3
okay I saw some people asking for a recent review and I’d love to help out if I can!
Hi! I was wondering what the meals and snacks were like
you get menus for the week on sundays and you can choose from several options for meals and snacks. there’s like 20 snack options and you can mix and match. Meals are honestly pretty good and actually taste good, which helps a ton. Breakfast is a choice of like biscuits, cereal, eggs, oatmeal, toast, bagels, etc. There’s always two main meal options for lunches and dinners
plz someone do a recent review!!!
Hi, I am looking at going here pretty soon and am really desperate for some more specific information/someone who can answer a few questions I have about the program. I’ve been through a lot of treatment and so far this seems promising but I just can’t handle or afford to go to another program that isn’t going to be a good fit for my needs (which unfortunately are pretty specific and limits my options a lot). So any response from someone who has been here in the past year or so would be hugely appreciated. I just need to make sure I have more information before I commit to anything again, especially since I would be travelling across the country for this if I go. Thank you!
It’s been 2 years since I’ve been there but I can answer questions to the best of my knowledge!
did you end up going?
I am seeing a lot of old posts with mostly negative feedback, so I just wanted to say that if you are considering going here… DO IT. I was a patient in 2021 and it’s a whole new team/program/chef and it was exactly what i needed. Do not let the older comments scare you away, it was a super hard experience but ultimately it led to me finally choosing recovery.
Hi Jess, thank you so much for sharing this. Would you be willing to do a full review or answer some questions I have about the program?
yes definitely!
Has anyone been here before?
yes I was there for a little over 3 months two summers ago and it saved my life
Looking for info on ED program at Focus
I went here April 2021-August 2021 and it absolutely saved my life. I didn’t want to go to treatment at ALL. I got there and was pissed and chaotic (which was why I there so long) I finally got on board with recovery but it took me time. The staff is incredible. The leadership is great. The nurses and techs were so cool and understanding. I loved my therapist. You do adventure on Wednesdays and equine on Saturdays. It was so good for me. It was strict but I really needed that.
Do you mind sharing more? You can contact me directly too 🙂
im sorry I just saw this… i hope you got what you needed but i am happy to answer more if you still have questions <3
Jess, I am very curious (and admittedly desperate) to know more if you’d be willing to answer some of my questions. I might be admitting her very soon but I want to make sure it’s going to be a good fit for my needs and I don’t have a whole lot of information and I just can’t afford another treatment flop. Anyway, if you see this I would hugely appreciate if you would be willing to respond asap and I can ask some questions (either on here or via email, whatever would be easier). Thank you!
hi Jess! Yes like A was asking, can you answer some specific questions i have about this program? I would like input from a more recent patient, as all other reviews are ages ago…
DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING
I say that because they will kick you to the curb so fast if you are engaging in behaviors. I was just here (July 2021) and was only there for 3 days before they administratively discharged me saying I needed a higher level of care yet did nothing to help facilitate that. They just sent me home. The lack of compassion among my team was appalling. They only care about you if you are the “perfect patient”.
Also cons-
-The building used to be a nursing home and you can DEFINITELY tell. It is old, outdated, gross, and dirty. One night they couldn’t get my bathroom door unlocked bcuz it was stuck and I had to go without any hygiene supplies for a day
-Linens are covered in huge holes and dirt. I ended up using one of my shirts as a towel after showering
-ZERO food choice
I was at Focus from March-June of 2019. Overall, I liked the program and found it helpful. I’ve been to multiple places, and everywhere does things differently. I started in residential and then progressed to PHP, then IOP. The ED unit is all women, but the chemical dependency unit is coed, so you are around men a little. They’ve moved away from doing groups together, so most of our groups were just the ED side. Two groups include women from the substance abuse side, but no groups with the men. (Unless they want you to go to 12 step meetings and groups.) You choose your menus and you usually do it days ahead of time. There are several yoga groups and the dance movement therapist there is awesome! Other than that, the mindful walks are all the physical activity you really get. I got kicked out of IOP for testing positive for THC, even though that was my first offense. So if you struggle with substance abuse, be ready to do sobriety perfectly. I don’t harbor negative feelings towards them though. I knew those were the rules, even if I don’t agree with them. Every place has its pros and cons, but I’d say the pros outweigh the cons at Focus.
anybody been to focus recently in Tennessee??? might be going in a week or so. Thanks
I went from April 2021-august 2021 and it literally saved my life. The staff are incredible & understanding. It is strict, but I was so deep in my disorder that I really needed that. The leadership is amazing. You’re not just another name on a chart to them, the techs are so great too.
Mind sharing more?
The group leaders were condescending and unemphatic. The treatment was negligent at worst and mediocre at best. I would not recommend sending yourself or a loved one here.
The people who do the billing call and leave messages without telling you their name, and when you call back they use that as a confirmation that you’ve “received†their billing message. I thought this was underhanded.
Has anyone been to Focus in Chattanooga tn
Can anyone offer a recent review?
All I am going to say is that “It works if you work it.” NO ONE can go to inpatient treatment for their eating disorder and be able to manage life on their own, and if you can, maybe IOP or other less-intensive options would work much better. I went to Focus because I literally could not live my life the way I wanted to anymore because my eating disorder was so out of control. I admitted two days after a suicide attempt… because I hated life and never wanted to take another breath ever again.
I started at Moonpointe, Focus’ IOP treatment, in Memphis, TN, then in less than a month was told (it was pretty obvious) that IOP was not enough intensity for me. There are some people who can start IOP and truly try their hardest to begin the journey of recovery and start trying to follow their meal plan and add structure to their lives. OR there are some people like me, who want desperately to be able to take the first step in recovery’s direction but are too absorbed into the whirlpool of their eating disorder and other illnesses (depression, anxiety, etc.) to start taking steps in the right direction. In fact, when I started IOP, my eating disorder was not nearly as consuming as it was right before I left. So, when I was told that I could either go to Focus or a psych hospital by my therapist, I angrily chose Focus. And I had to go two days later.
When I got to Focus, I immediately recognized what a lot of the complaints before me said. There were guys on the other side, people watched your every move, I was forced to eat or drink a Boost, I had to choose my menus a few days before, I couldn’t go to my room much, I couldn’t contact anyone, and people had to listen to and look at what I did in the bathroom. I HATED IT! I immediately wanted to go home… thank God I didn’t.
Over the next 70 days that I was there, I learned a lot about myself and a lot about why I hated Focus at first. The issue in my life when I was actually living it myself was that I wanted everything to be in my control; there were no “if”s or “but”s, everything had to be in my control. If it wasn’t , I would find a way to make it. I swear, for a while, I think I believed I could even control the weather to be how I wanted it. I wanted power over my life, I NEEDED power over my life because when others were in control, my life would be a mess. So, after the first few hours of being at Focus – after crying over being required to eat a banana, after realizing I couldn’t have my phone, after seeking attention from others by acting upset, after getting angry that the staff wasn’t perched next to me, listening to my every problem, I realized that I could not stay. I could not be in a place that took away almost every aspect of control in my life.
As the weeks went by, I started to adjust more and more to the program. I liked the daily schedule, I liked the food, I liked the staff, I liked most everything. BUT, I was still very angry inside at the fact that I still had no control. I mean it was to the point that I wasn’t even allowed to shave! I went five weeks until finally buying some Veet! But the angrier I got at those small things, the more aware I was of why exactly I couldn’t stand being out of control. Because for the past years, my eating disorder was truly the only thing I had to control. And now I couldn’t have it. I started gradually becoming less angry and more relieved that I didn’t HAVE to be in control! I could take a break!! I could enjoy my life finally!! I started thanking them… thanking them that they made me eat or drink a Boost, that they wouldn’t let me have my razor, that they checked the bathroom, that they urged me to talk about things I had never talked about before, because I realized that I no longer had the choice to do those things on my own anymore. Especially with the razor situation… as much as I desired to shave, and as much as the fact that I literally COULDN’T ate me up, I realized why I couldn’t shave. It was because I couldn’t prevent myself from cutting myself. I wasn’t there yet. I realized why they checked the bathroom and listened to us go. It was because if they didn’t, I would be purging after every meal and snack. See, when I was at home, I could do it. For a while, I would try so hard not to purge, but I’d always find myself hanging over the toilet anyways. But now, I didn’t even have the option. And as much as it made me crazy, I thanked them for making sure that they controlled the things that I couldn’t control on my own yet, because they are not dumb! They knew that if I could control these behaviors, I wouldn’t have had to be in inpatient.
We emphasized Step One there that states that “We have admitted that we were powerless over our eating disorder.” It takes an enormous amount of strength to admit that, to admit that the one thing we used to have control of now controls us. But once I could admit that, even just a little bit (even today, I doubt a little), we can FOR ONCE allow others to have power over us because that is the only way we could survive any longer.
Focus was absolutely incredible. I would recommend it to anyone. I think people (like me) expected to go in and be force-fed and have attention on them 24/7 to meet their every need, but it wasn’t like that. You had to ask. We always had the opportunity to refuse to eat and then refuse a Boost… but they know the truth about us, and that is that we will never be recovered unless we make the choice to do it ourselves. The real world doesn’t foce-feed us. Most of the real world could care less about our problems. The staff at Focus is probably the best of the best, SERIOUSLY, and they are very obviously highly qualified to do their jobs. Grace, kindness, and authenticity is always offered. We had the opportunity to accept or decline. And that is how life is. We can walk on egg shells forever hoping that someone else will do all the dirty work and the hard work for us, but recovery is 100% personal. Support is ALWAYS needed and at Focus can always be found, but one thing I learned is that it I had to learn to ask for it. If I wanted it, I needed to seek it. This isn’t tough love; it’s real life. The facility is 18 years + meaning we were all adults capable of doing the hard work. Because no matter how much support someone has, ultimately that person has to decide whether or not to use it, and then they must ask. For me, I realized that unless I am chained to a bed with a feeding tube, I ALWAYS have an opportunity to relapse. Now, I have learned the skills to be able to live free of restraints and a feeding tube and trust myself and no one else to decide that just for today, I want recovery. And that’s exactly what I learned there.
Ultimately, when I am standing in front of the toilet, it is just me… no one else can control what I do in secret expect for me. And Focus taught me how to realize that recovery is all me. I always have the opportunity to purge, and I always have the opportunity to walk away. After months of suicidal depression, even I can say that Focus taught me the infinite number of reasons to turn away.
Please consider Focus, but know that like I said at the beginning, “It works if you work it.” The first month or so is hard, but hang in, and you will realize that you can and you will recover. After 70 days of inpatient, after a long, hard journey of bulimia, depression, and anxiety, Focus has discharged me with a new life. I still struggle sometimes, but I know what to do for myself if I do… there is ALWAYS someone there to take my call, and now I’ve learned that I just have to do it, or no one would ever be able to help me.
Thank you, Focus, for helping me live my life. I hope to never go back, but if I do, Focus would be my sure-fire choice.
I went to Focus for one week and would NOT recommend it. Here are my reasons:
1. The food was HORRIBLE. Fake mash potatoes, canned green beans, and pretty much cheap hosipital type food made me HATE food even more.
2. You do have a menu where you can choose your meals; however, who wants to pick out food 2 weeks in advance. You have ZERO ability to make a change. Also if you are hungry…..too bad. You can only eat what is brought to you, even if you are trying to lose weight. You also had to eat 90% of every meal and if you didn’t, you could not make it up at the next meal or snack….you would be required to drink 1 or 2 ensures. I believe that having more flexiblity in your day/week is more appropriate and “normal”. Maybe I am not too hungry at lunch, but I am more hungry at dinner…not an option here.
3. They are a new program and extremely disorganized. I was there for almost a week and still had not met with the nutritionist, doctor, or my individual therapist.
4. They claim to be a women’s facility; however, they don’t tell you that there is a coed drug and alcohol unit connected and you actually participate in groups with them-totally not ok for me.
5. They lock you out of your rooms for 2 hours after every meal and 1 1/2 hours after each snack. They also make you use the bathroom with the door cracked open and check the toilet before you flush. I guess this is okay for severe patients that can’t commit to not purging, but no one at home is going to lock me out or check my bathroom, so it doesn’t seem practical to me. I really felt like a child in a psych ward.
Although I don’t think the program is solid, they were a very loving group and I think in a few years, they may have more experience behind them and may be able to make it work. Their hearts were in the right place!
i have been to FOCUS and i’m going to try to stay objective.
1)yes, they are a ery new program so things keep changing and there is little ceionistency.
you are pretty much busy all day, vitals at 7 then get to go back to your rooms around 7 to 9pm depending on the schedule. u do yoga, min body movement, nutrition, 2 rest outings a week which arent really challenging. in fact its more challenging to stay under thei budget at the places they take u to and not eat just a lettuce leaf.
outings were all lame when i was there, movie once, and fam weekend is ever 4wks but worthwhile if your fam could come, if not, it was just really boring.
you are watched constantly, and a lot of the staff like to skew their reports. my dc summary was not at all accurate. the Therapist seems good, she is recovered, a lot of ppl are there. they dont do dbt even though they say do. its basically this woman shoving an entire module into one hour…not effective. they are really big on this assertienes formula speak, which is good to learn, but not real life.
the food SUCKED. do no go vegetarian, they will hate u and that will actually be pretty much the focus of your treatment. they dont tell u your wt, and even though jenny says you’re “Fine” i and some others got out and the wt gain was no at all like they described.
u choose from the same three breakfasts everyday, lunch is usualy like a sandwich, soup, salad
and dinner varies…it rotates thru 4wks but its so much of the same stuff all the time it sure doenst seem like it rotates. be ready to love hb eggs, yogurt and fruit, and salads with cheese. they are constantly making things too spicy
once u get to a certain level and wt u get to do pilates at the tmca which i haent really heard anyone of liking. u get 20mins internet on the upper levels as well. the room are really nice, but u’re never in them. one cup coffee in the am and now only one tea at night. its v 12 step based but then they decided that the clients werent going to go to the aa or na meeting anymore which i found more helpful than anytherying. the eda group there is a joke.
there are definitely worse places at there, its not that bad, but be ready to be the perfect patient adn nothing less unless u want to be humiliated in a community meeting where they emphaize all your screw ups in front of everyone.
any more ?’s let me know
they also have a new iop up in north TN now too, not heard good things about it at all so if u conider focus, at least try the one in chattanooga firts
I am not impressed with the program at Focus Healthcare at all. They tell you when you are dropping your family member off that they will be in constant communication to update their status to you then you never hear from them. If you try to call their counselor they either don’t return your phone call or if you get them on the phone tell you they will call you right back that something really important is going on and don’t. Unless of course they want to have a “family session”. By family session I mean fish for problems and create them out of thin air in an effort to say, “see he needs to stay here for therapy. He got upset.” Upon being told that they would evaluate my family member they immediately decided that he needed every stage of care they offered. I’m guessing because we have excellent insurance, including 28 days of intensive hospitalization, then intensive outpatient therapy, then whatever level comes next and so on and so forth. As long as the insurance keeps paying. But they did inform us that they weren’t sure of our financial situation and the daily cost that we needed to be prepared to pay if the insurance stopped paying. They highly recommended we do it for his own benefit if the insurance stopped paying. This has been a nightmare for the family because of the way they operate. Maybe the program works maybe not, but be prepared to be completely cut off from any feedback as if you are the person that did this to them.