Ive been here going on 4 hours and still havnt seen anyone other than the girl who stuck me in this room. Way to trigger a patuents anxiety.
About Hiwassee Mental Health Center
Volunteer Behavioral Health’s Athens Campus is a nonprofit behavioral health and drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility. You’ll find ‘em in Athens, Tennessee. They serve children and adults afflicted by addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders with intensive outpatient programs (IOP), and general outpatient programs (OP). They also offer supervised probation offender treatment and offer military/VA evaluations.
IOP is a high intensity day treatment program, ideal for clients with severe symptoms but who don’t need the supervision and strict structure of an inpatient program. IOP meets three days each week for at least three hours. It may include group therapy, peer support, medication management, case management, and psychological assessments.
OP is less intensive than IOP and is best suited for those who have completed a higher level of treatment previously.
Outpatient treatment is available via telehealth. That way, you won’t have to worry about in-person visits if it’s not convenient on your end.
They also provide housing assistance to qualifying clients. By covering your basic necessities, you’ll have less stress and a reduced chance of a relapse.
Their staff accepts many third party insurance plans (which may include Beacon, Anthem, Aetna, HCSC, TRICARE, and others). Out of network benefits may vary, so clients should confirm coverage with their plan.
Latest Reviews
I have to use them due to safety net paying for my stuff. I had a 9 o clock phone appointment. I didn t get a call and proceeded to wait over an hour on hold and nothing. This from their appt line and the front desk to the Athens office. If this the service they provide before an appointment I am scared of the doctor.
This place is truly appalling. A family member that I am in charge of care for was sent here through a court ordered judicial hospitalization as she is a severe danger to herself. She does not eat, bathe, or have any personal hygiene. She's severely injured herself to the point of breaking bones and splitting her head open. She's used substances past lethal doses and everyday we wonder just how much longer she's going to make it. Her health, whether it be dental or physical, has been absolutely destroyed. This facility was required by the order to keep her for at minimum, 48 hours for observation. Yet, they threw her back on her doorstep after seeing her for half an hour. They had the audacity to tell me that a 23 year long addiction to alcohol, throwing yourself down the stairs, falling and breaking bones, refusing to eat or drink, self-harming, using substances at lethal dosages, failing out of numerous rehabs, refusing to take prescribed medications, has "nothing to do with mental illness," and said person is "not a threat to themselves." No empathy, better yet no guidance as to what I can do to keep this woman alive, to them, she just "she likes to drink." This woman is going to die, very soon, if something drastic does not happen. Yet, this facility took my last option which was the courts, and couldn't even be bothered to fulfill what was required of them, let alone give me a decent explanation as to why they're going to allow someone to kill themselves. Even if they didn't feel as if this was the right place for her, as people providing medical care, they are obligated to help someone at death's door find someone who can. Instead, they allowed police to leave her on her doorstep on a cold winter's night, and talk to the person trying to keep her alive as if she were an idiot. I am less angry at the fact they didn't admit her, than at the fact a genuine effort was not made. They allowed a severely intoxicated person to talk themselves out of treatment, she was seen only for a few minutes when they were required to keep her for at minimum, two days, and had the gall to tell me she isn't a threat to herself, despite anyone with eyes being able to see otherwise. Their complete carelessness is a danger to the general public.I called your facility incompetent over the phone, which is frankly, soft. Whoever answered hung up on me, but know I stand by it.If you value your loved one's life, avoid at all costs, and pray the courts send them somewhere who could be bothered if the people coming in live or die.I am so sorry to all the other people in these reviews who have suffered similarly under Volunteer Behavioral Health.
I used to come here years ago. Despised one of the psychologist. They were not professional at all. Prescribed random medication, and didn't tell me what it was for.I took cbd because it helped, and the lady was shaming me, then started talking about Her God despite me saying I'm not religious whatsoever.Years later moved out of TN, and I got all of my questions answered. ITruly feel they had no clue what they were doing.
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5.4 / 10
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Other Forms of Payment
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Financial aid can take many forms. Centers may have grants or scholarships available to clients who meet eligibility requirements. Programs that receive SAMHSA grants may have financial aid available for those who need treatment as well. Grants and scholarships can help you pai for treatment without having to repay.
Sliding scale payments are based on a client's income and family size. The goal is to make treatment affordable to everyone. By taking these factors into account, addiction recovery care providers help ensure that your treatment does not become a financial burden to you or your family, eliminating one barrier to care.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for those 65 and older. It also serves people under 65 with chronic and disabling health challenges. To use Medicare for addiction treatment you need to find a program that accepts Medicare and is in network with your plan. Out of pocket costs and preauthorization requirements vary, so always check with your provider.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Outpatient Outpatient programs are for those seeking mental rehab or drug rehab, but who also stay at home every night. Services include individual, couples, family and group therapy. Outpatient treatment services address mental health conditions, addiction and co-occurring disorders. These services are available at each location throughout VBHCS.
Intensive Outpatient Intensive Outpatient Programs provide a structured, evidence-based treatment services for individuals with addiction or co-occurring mental illness and addiction. The program meets at least three hours per day a minimum of three days per week. Services are offered in a group format. On-going support and aftercare are vital components to continuing recovery and are available as part of the Intensive Outpatient Programs.
Aftercare Support Clients receiving support in a rehab aftercare program typically have abstained from drugs or alcohol for a period of weeks or months and have completed high-level (often inpatient) treatment. Drug rehab aftercare is designed to support clients in maintaining their sobriety as they re-engage with their ordinary lives at home, in the workplace, and in the community. Services are highly individualized and evolve with clients' changing needs, but generally include peer coaching and relapse prevention.
12-Step When enrolld in an addiction recovery program that's based on the 12 step model, clients are able to cultivate recovery-focused life skills emphasizing spiritual, mental, and emotional healing. Participants receive intensive peer support in 12 step meetings, which are anonymous, free, open to the public, and available day and night in most communities. Self-selected sponsors guide sponsees through the recovery journey, cultivating self-awareness, forgiveness, acceptance, and accountability. Though these programs are rooted in spiritual principles, participants aren't required to be religiously affiliated.
Treatments
The goal of treatment for alcoholism is abstinence. Those with poor social support, poor motivation, or psychiatric disorders tend to relapse within a few years of treatment. For these people, success is measured by longer periods of abstinence, reduced use of alcohol, better health, and improved social functioning. Recovery and Maintenance are usually based on 12 step programs and AA meetings.
When your day-to-day life is taken over by drug use, this is known as substance use disorder. If you abruptly stop using your drug of choice, you experience withdrawal symptoms. To overcome this cycle, professional drug rehab in Tennessee is usually needed.
Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Addiction Recovery Program provides recovery-oriented support for individuals with addiction or co-occurring disorders. Services include individual and group formats for relapse prevention and recovery skills development.
A combined mental health and substance abuse rehab has the staff and resources available to handle individuals with both mental health and substance abuse issues. It can be challenging to determine where a specific symptom stems from (a mental health issue or an issue related to substance abuse), so mental health and substance abuse professionals are helpful in detangling symptoms and keeping treatment on track.
Opioid rehabs specialize in supporting those recovering from opioid addiction. They treat those suffering from addiction to illegal opioids like heroin, as well as prescription drugs like oxycodone. These centers typically combine both physical as well as mental and emotional support to help stop addiction. Physical support often includes medical detox and subsequent medical support (including medication), and mental support includes in-depth therapy to address the underlying causes of addiction.
Programs
Adult Program
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
Young Adult Program
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
Military Program
Serving in the military is both mentally and physically challenging, and can result in trauma that persists even after combat ends. Military programs are tailored to the specific and often complex needs of active duty personnel, veterans, and military families. Clients often access these programs through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Clinical Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Amenities
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Private Setting
Staff & Accreditations
Staff
Phyllis Persinger
President & CEO
Gala Murray
Chief Compliance Officer
Angie Hampton
Chief Administrative Officer
Aaron Hall
Chief Information & Technology Officer
Dawn Carlton
CFO
Missy Johnson
Chief Human Resources Officer
Richard French
Executive VP
Amanda Cook
Chief Business Development Officer
Accreditations
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is a non-profit organization that specifically accredits rehab organizations. Founded in 1966, CARF's, mission is to help service providers like rehab facilities maintain high standards of care.
CARF Accreditation: Yes
Contact Information
(423) 745-8802 
1805 Ingleside Avenue
Athens TN, 37303
Get Help Now - 423-225-6564
Who Answers?
Who Answers?
Fact checked and written by:
Terri Beth Miller, PhD
Edited by:
Peter Lee, PhD
