Beachside Rehab

My experience at this facility was AMAZINGThe staff is so kind, accommodating and attentiveI am still sober and I owe so much to the staff at BeachsideThese people saved my life! I would recommend this place to anyone

Beachside Rehab saved my lifeI realized I was just surviving on a daily basisThe program and incredibly caring and devoted techs, administration, medical staff and therapists helped me learn and practice how to actually live and enjoy life rather than just surviveEach day was a struggle and I hated waking up in the mornings to face itNow I love my life and who I am and am so grateful when the sun comes up each morning
After several failed attempts to get sober, I came into this program and was accepted and cared forI began to learn about myself and actually practice techniques, actions and thoughts I am utilizing in my recovery journeyThe comprehensive, individualized program, the amazing staff top to bottom, the breathtaking residences, beautifully relaxing environment and just the general positive energy at Beachside really helped shape me to become the person I am todayThank you Beachside for everything!

The website and sales team mislead me about the accommodations and the "Executive Track" for business owners
The website and the sales team promise "luxury accommodations on the beach". I never saw these accommodations. I was brought to a dumpy "detox" facility in a sketchy neighborhood miles from the beach, even though I had NO alcohol or drugs in my system when I arrived. I had no business being held in this detox facility.

I was sold on 5-6 hours of group therapy per day, and received at most 2 hours of group sessions, many of which were not therapy and run by unlicensed Behavioral Health Technicians, NOT by licensed professionals.

I was sold on the "Executive Track" which I was told costs extra, that would allow me extra access to my cell phone and my computer so I could maintain my business (self-employed) while participating in the program. I was completely denied access to my phone and my computer throughout the duration of my stay.

Employees of this organization told me that the detox was REQUIRED by my insurance company. That was a complete lie, which I verified on the speaker phone with the case manager *** assigned to me and my insurance company.

Upon completion of that call, *** told me I should leave the treatment program. It was 6 days into my stay, and I had YET meet with my therapist for a proper 1:1 therapy session, nor pull together a treatment plan - she claimed she was just really busy.

The next day, a man named *** told me that I was going to be discharged from the program because I refused their treatment protocols (them same protocols that they told me my insurance company insisted on, not them). They lied to me repeatedly, and when I invoked my patient's right to quality care and asked them to provide me the facility, the level of care and the ability to manage my business that I was promised before I got on a plane and flew to southern Florida from Minnesota, I was told I needed to leave immediately.

I was taken to the original building I did intake through, given back my possessions and literally show the door, standing in front of their building with two suitcases, no where to go, and since they had refused to let me have my phone or computer after the discharged me, no one to pick me up or otherwise provide me support.

It was a terrifying thing to do to a patient with PTSD, and I also believe illegal in the state of Florida. I walked across the street to a diner, booked a flight back to Minnesota and then took a $200 Uber ride to the airport.

I never set foot in the luxury accommodations, never experienced the executive track, and received only a fraction of the therapy I was promised, while they charged outrageous rates to my insurance, of which I have a $5600 deductible and an $8000 max out of pocket.

My experience at this facility was AMAZING. The staff is so kind, accommodating and attentive. I am still sober and I owe so much to the staff at Beachside. These people saved my life! I would recommend this place to anyone.

I was falsely advertised to the therapy I would be receiving.
Though I am thankful for the detox process getting me off of Adderol, completely I was mislead on the PTSD treatment I would be getting- That I am now getting outpatient - which is insane to spend 20,000+ to not receive that treatment. I would like to atlas be refunded the amount for treatment I am getting outpatient now. I was verbally abused by *** in the facility. Non-stop cussing, anger, a fear is all that is received via someone that is hired to help treat someone coping with addiction, or mental illness. Everyone is terrified of her and the way she talks to the patients. When someone is trying to heal, it is very hard to do that successfully with someone screaming at you, constantly. I couldn't even begin to heal in that enviorement.

January 5, 2017

My daughter, ***, and I both spoke with an admittance counselor, Derek, from Beachside Rehab Center, *** S. *** St., Ft. Pierce, FL XXXXX on November 6th, 2017. I was looking for a safe, long term place to address my addiction to alcohol and prescribed opiate medications which focused on individual treatment, both therapeutic and medical. I made it clear that I suffered from chronic headaches which, if untreated, often turn into a migraine (see medical attachments). I made clear my interest would be in the Smart Recovery treatment program, stressing that I did not wish to participate in AA. Derek, one of Beachside's salesman, assured me this was not an issue I needed to worry about as Beachside individualized their programs. He explained the program offered by Beachside would start with detox at Sunrise Detox in Orlando, which could run anywhere from 7-14 days. This was to be followed by a minimum 30-day rehabilitation program at their facility in Fort Pierce. Up to 45 days in the
rehabilitation program was included in the $18,000. If additional time was needed for successful completion of the program, it would run $1000-$2000/per month and could be negotiated on an as needed basis. I was at Beachside for more than a week before I received a Smart Recovery (non-AA) handbook and, in the meantime, attended compulsory AA meetings. In fact, Beachside's programs are not individualized at all. Everyone is required to attend the same meetings regardless of program applicability.

Many promises were made by Derek and by Beachside's website. First, the website implies that the recovery program takes place at a facility on the beach, while, in fact about 10 hours per day (5 hours on Saturday and Sunday) are spent in an office building in Ft. Pierce. As of 12/29/17, there are no pictures on their website of the treatment center. There are both pictures and written indications that the food is nutritious and gourmet when, about 70% of the lunches and dinners consisted of Cuban/Mexican food and pizza. Additionally, Beachside's website professes to offer 24/7 medical monitoring and support. This statement is blatantly untrue and is addressed later in this letter. See Inconsistencies attachment and www.beachsiderehab.com.

My program began with 10 days at Sunrise Detox. I was transported to Beachside on November 16, 2017. During the admission procedure at Beachside I was
shown a bound book with copies of 13 separate documents that required my signature. I was pressured to work quickly through them as there were two other clients waiting to be processed. I was given a very brief synopsis of what the documents contained. After each synopsis I was asked to sign an electronic pad, which I did. I asked for copies of what I signed but never received them. At this point, I was still medically detoxing. These documents were finally provided to me on December 12, 2017 (after involuntary discharge) with my medical records paperwork (at a cost of $182, $1 per page after the $20 base fee). See billing attachments.

On November 21, 2017, I was began shaking violently, and the nurse practitioner decided I should go to the hospital. An ambulance was called, and my daughter was notified. A beachside representative told ***, at 2:45pm, they thought I was having additional detox symptoms from the methadone and that it wasn't a big deal. My daughter drove from Florida Tech in Melbourne, FL straight to the hospital. At some point after her arrival, I was administered Benadryl which worked to stop my tremors. The doctor that treated me told us she had tried several times to call Beachside to discuss findings and arrange pickup. At 6:00pm she was still unable to reach anyone. Beachside had closed the facility and failed to send anyone back to follow up with the hospital or check in with my daughter. My daughter and I left shortly after 6:00pm to fill two medications prescribed by the ER. At 6:52pm, *** called ***'s cell phone and asked her if she knew where I was. She arranged to meet us at the facility and take me to the Beachside housing, about 10 miles away. One of the prescriptions from the ER was ibuprofen, to be administered every four to six hours. I was also prescribed an anti-nausea medication and given paperwork recommending I take Benadryl as needed. This paperwork was given to beachside staff but was never entered into my medical record.

November 23, 2017, I awoke in the middle of the night with a serious headache and pre-migraine symptoms. I asked the technician (who stays in the house all night) for ibuprofen. I was informed that no medication would be dispensed, prescribed or OTC, between 9:30 pm and 8:00 am. Regardless of medical recommendation, medications would only be available at 8:30 am, 12:30pm and 8:30 pm. I could not go back to sleep and was unable to concentrate on my recovery program the next day. On Friday, November 24, 2017, I spoke with my
therapist, *** and *** the salesman, about my experience. My therapist, ***, was unaware of the medication policy and advocated at a staff meeting on my behalf (to no avail). *** asked me to take the ibuprofen at 8:30pm, whether I needed it at that time or not, so he would have until Monday to address my concerns with *** and *** I agreed even though taking medication when I didn't need it felt detrimental to my program.

On Monday afternoon, I happened to catch *** in the hall. He informed me there would be no change in policy. I became angry as I was told medical needs would be treated on an individual basis prior to paying $18,000 to go through this program. This episode was the only time I raised my voice to either staff or fellow clients. I told *** the policy did not meet my needs and, if unresolved, I would be physically unable to complete the program. I shared my feelings and frustration with my therapist (*** assistant), and another tech whose name I did not know. They asked me to relay my grievance to the owner, *** and clinical director, *** Monday afternoon, *** and *** led a group dedicated to addressing client concerns. I brought up my request to receive ibuprofen, as recommended by medical professionals, which would require dispensing outside of the three established times. I was advised there would be no change in policy. At that point I realized, that unless Beachside agreed to follow the advice of medical professionals, I could not safely complete the program. I said goodbye to the clients I had become close to, then asked to call my daughter to come pick me up. I was waiting for access to the phone when ***, a BHT therapist asked me to come to her office. I told her the situation and she approached *** and *** A few minutes later she let me know the policy had been changed to allow a fourth medical dispense time at 4:30pm and the dispensing of either Tylenol or ibuprofen at night. It was my understanding that any PRN (as needed), OTC, medication prescribed by Beachside's nurse practitioner would also be permitted.

The week of November 27, 2017, I began experiencing cold symptoms consisting of sneezing, congestion (my head was completely stopped up) and post nasal drip. On December 1st, 2017, I met with Beachside's nurse practitioner, *** ARNP, and was diagnosed with allergies. Her professional recommendation was to take Claritin (which she said she would order and I never
received) as well as Benadryl (see medical attachments) as needed. That night I awoke at 2:00am unable to breathe as my head and nose were completely stopped up. I asked the tech on duty for Benadryl and was refused (even though it was locked up in a closet where I was staying and readily available). The discomfort caused me to lose another night's sleep. That night I wrote a grievance letter to the owner, the clinical director, and *** addressing my concerns (letter attached). On Monday December 4th, 2017, I made copies of the letter, placed them in individual envelopes and gave them to ***. She delivered them to *** an *** Approximately 15 minutes later I was called into a meeting with ***, *** and ***. I was told, by an angry *** their rehab was not a "good fit" for me and that they would not further amend the policy to meet my medical needs. It appeared to me that the owner and clinical director, neither of which has any medical background, was overriding the advice of their own medical staff.

When I was involuntarily discharged from the center I called my daughter to come pick me up. I was not allowed to speak to any of the clients and I exchanged no harsh or inappropriate words with the administration or staff when told I must leave the program. While on her way, *** called *** the owner, and asked her what happened. *** said the program was not a good medical fit. *** asked for details, a letter, and financial documents as we would be requesting a refund for the second half of the program. *** told *** she would have my discharge letter available before I left, and would have financial documents by that Friday (see discharge attachments). She refused to discuss anything further. When *** arrived, and we were waiting for the promised paperwork, we were advised by *** an assistant to *** that the documents were not ready. *** and I informed *** that we would wait for them. Several minutes later, ***, let us know that we could sit there until 5:30 (when the building is locked) but we would still not be given any documents whatsoever. Having no other options (both Imelda and Tabatha refused to speak to us), I signed a medical records release and was promised these, as well as copies of documents I had signed while in their care, would be available to us within 48 hours. These were not delivered until December 12, 2017.

In order to receive copies of my medical records, discharge paperwork and signed documents, I was required to pay Beachside $182.00 ($20 +$1 per page). I was charged for all sheets which included contracts, blank pages, general policies, and multiple copies of identical documents. Their reports are full of inconsistencies and outright untruths. Since discharge, I have received three additional bills from First Class Diagnostics, Beachside Rehab, and Beachside Medical Care LLC (see attachment). They are for $50,000, $25,000, and $8,595, respectively. These charges were in addition to the $18,000 I had already paid. The addresses for all three companies are listed as *** South *** Street, Fort, FL XXXXX. This is the address to the office building where clients are for the majority of their program.
I placed a dispute against the credit cards used to pay the $18,000 for my recovery program at Beachside Rehab. I did so because I was discharged from the program without just cause and against the policies written in their own client handbook (see attached pages copied from the handbook). I am still in need of treatment but have no funds to pay for it as Beachside elected not to refund any of money (and sent the subsequent bills).

In the discharge criteria (see attachment) I have been depicted as uncooperative, having a bad attitude and refusing to comply with the rules at Beachside. This could not be further from the truth. I followed every rule, was never disciplined for my lack of compliance and participated more than most of the other clients in group meetings. I was friendly to both clients and staff and felt well-liked by everyone except the owner and clinical director. I believe that, at least in part, this dislike stems from having questioned their judgment and authority even though I did so in an appropriate manner. You will find nowhere in the paperwork generated at Beachside, evidence showing any of the behavior I am accused of in the discharge paperwork, unless it was added after I was discharged. I have included with this letter evidence that verifies every claim I have made against Beachside Rehab.

Sincerely,
*** K ***

Multiple issues explained in attached documents.
Please see attached documents.

We negotiated an out of pocket fee for a 30 day stay for my son. They did not have me sign a financial contract but instead had my disabled son sign.
My son had been to Beachside Rehab in 2016 when it was under my insurance plan and wanted to return March 2017 but they no longer accepted my insurance. *** helped me negotiate a fee from the owner I believe for $7500. My son was local to there facility and they had plenty of open beds so they took him in. The thing was is that they didn't give me a contract to sign but instead had my son sign a financial agreement without my permission. He could sign himself in but I did not authorize them to have him sign a financial agreement. I would never do that. I wanted to read the contract. My son has been diagnosed with a
couple of mental illnesses and is very incompactitated and his ADHD was not able to let him sit for extended periods of time. You see the program had changed since the prior year. He
was also on several new psychotropic drugs that he abruptly came off of for Bipolar 1 right before his admission and I think may have been under the influence as well. He came on a Friday but once he saw how different the program was he
immediately wanted to leave. I received txt messages from *** saying you know what to say *** when he calls tell him he can't leave. I of course did that not knowing any different and managed to keep him there til Monday. Staff would not let him leave on Sunday before the 48 hours. Unbeknownst to me, my son had signed a contract that if he lleft after 48 hours there would be no refund but he couldn't verbalize it to me and I didn't know. When I spoke to them later in the week they said they couldn't refund me and that's when I found out. I never would have kept him there against his will and they had no right to under the circumstances. I felt like that was the goal was just to get past 48 hours and I have an issue with how they chose to do business with me. They should prorate and reimburse me at least 90% which is $6750. I was taking care of my dying mother on family leave and I feel taken advantage of. Multiple times spoke with *** in finance but owner in charge *** refused to talk to me.

Beachside Rehab only cares about the money they make off of insurance, I have/had a loved one there and bc we are covered by very good insurance, the clinical director tried to talk me out of pulling him out. Which, he ended up not leaving. However more out of fear of his FMLA and a *** case he's facing. The clinical director refused to give me any type of information even though I am the emergency contact for said patient. This facility will hold people against their will. And not think twice about it bc they bank atleast $2,500 a day a patient is admitted. I highly do not recommend if you would like to remain involved with your loved one's therapy and treatment. Also, the fact that they will not give you information even being the emergency contact rubs me the wrong way. I work in the field and I completely understand how this circus works.