Phoenix House - Men's Residential Center

Phoenix House, one of the largest non-profit addiction treatment and substance abuse agencies in the country, was established in 1967. Based in New York City, this center boasts of running around 120+ programs in about ten states. The treatment modality used by Phoenix House is the Therapeutic Community Model.

Arlington, Virginia based Alcohol Rehabilitation, Inc. or Vanguard Services was founded in 1962. In 2010, it combined with Phoenix House to become Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic. This facility provides residential care for adult men. The residential treatment program is run from the same building that operates Nuevo Dia, a program for Spanish-speaking men and Phoenix House’s Boys Recovery Lodge.

Like all Phoenix Houses, Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic provides support for clients who have problems with co-occurring disorders.

Accommodations

Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic can house around 68 men in furnished rooms that are shared between five to ten people. The rooms are sparsely furnished with bunk beds having storage units, lamps, and dressers. While the facility discourages smoking, smokers can smoke at designated outdoor areas.

Food

Residents at Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic are provided three meals a day, served inside the facility’s dining hall. They are also provided snacks. The food is your standard American fare, but Phoenix House does try to accommodate special diets, such as vegetarian and heart-healthy diet.

Treatment and Staff

As with any treatment programs, the length of stay at Phoenix House is dependent on the resident’s personalized treatment plan. That said, a treatment program at Phoenix House runs anywhere from 30 days to about 12 months. Detox services are not offered by Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic; however, referrals are provided, if needed. Some residents do opt for Medication-Assisted Treatment using Suboxone.

During treatment, the facility utilizes evidence-based practices such as CBT, Motivational Interviewing (MI), DBT, as well as trauma-informed care. Weekly therapy is very structured and includes individual counseling, group sessions, addiction education, and case management.

Group therapy covers co-occurring disorders, anger management, domestic abuse, relapse prevention, introduction to the 12-step model, stress management, PTSD, grief, coping and life skills, chronic impulsivity, self-esteem, chronic relapse, and peer relationships. Residents of the program are also transported to the NA/AA meetings to get first-hand knowledge of what fellowship is and encouraged to include it in their aftercare plans.

Those requiring psychotropic medications get a referral to see a psychiatrist who, after due consultation and evaluation process, prescribes meds for anxiety and depression.

The treatment approach used by Phoenix House is a Therapeutic Community approach. This model stresses mutual peer support and self-help. The TC model was initially designed to treat addicts in advanced stages of addiction. This model has, over time, softened up and is more inclusive now.

Staff

The treatment team at Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic team comprises a medical director, nursing staff, psychiatrist, Master’s-level, and licensed counselors, as well as a trained recovery support team.

Cost

Approximately $6,500 (30 days). Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic does provide sliding scale options.