I am a retired first responder with an addiction problem. My NJ PBA vouched for this place to my wife, so I was sent here.
Upon arrival I was sober and only had legal THC in my system. I was placed in-patient Detox/residential care for 3 days. While there first responders are co-mingled with civilians, drug dealers, gang members, bikers, persons with ankle monitors and unstable individuals. Whomever thinks this a good idea, I assure you it is not!! I was moved over to the outpatient side on Day 4.
Only first responders are allowed to complete the residency portion of their rehab on this side, but we are co-mingled with all the same above people when they reach Php and Iop status. We are not provided the same level of care as the civilians completing their residency as in patients. They get far more amenities and when in that building I did not see one bug or ant bait trap anywhere. The Shatterproof living quarters building has 44 beds in it. All are double occupancy except for one room that has 2 separate bedrooms. Everyone else has a roommate. Some rooms 4 adults share one bathroom and all others 2 adults share a bathroom. My room had a mouse hole in the kitchen door. Some rooms have more cockroaches then others but all rooms have ants. The rooms are outdated and old. Even the remodeled rooms are not up to par. I personally checked a/c vents in four different rooms all had plenty of black mold in them. There is only one other toilet that everyone can use on property. There are restrooms in the classrooms but locked and unavailable when classes are over. The overflow building has four rooms with 4 adults in each. They also have plenty of cockroaches and ants and palmetto bugs as well. The place is beyond dirty and not properly cared for. The parking lot smells every time the dumpsters are emptied, garbage juice is spewed all over the lot and it stinks until the rain washes the disgusting odor away.
When I first came over I was placed in room 401 in the Tower building. This room was dirty and only cleaned once a week by staff. Our light fixture over the dinning room table would pour water when it rained, we told staff, nothing was done about it.
I was eventually moved to the Shatterproof building.
The sense of community is strong on that side. Most of the staff was very attentive and good at their jobs. The bad apples are remembered and a small few should be terminated as they are a detriment to anyone recovery.
They do not allow you to leave campus anymore since Covid. This is a problem as their rules and regulations clearly state that patients can apply for a pass to leave campus. Their handbook includes a section on Covid, so it is not old and outdated. They allow exceptions when they feel like it, I am assuming when enrollment is low. Several first responders wanted to stay on and do their IOP here but all were told they would have to live on campus. During this very same time a civilian was allowed to commute to and from campus to complete his IOP. The double standard may have started in 2020 when the owner of this property was arrested for aggravated assault. It is in the newspaper. I can assure you the 60+ first responders there now is too many. The place is under staffed look online for all the open job positions. I am giving you facts not my opinions. I was there for 29 days and the program director Phd Ananda never bothered to introduce herself to me. I have no proof but think the cameras all over the property probably record audio as well, as per my experiences. It may be in the long contract they force you to sign upon admission. Most people are on substances or so depressed they can't read the tiny fine print.
The cafeteria's food is mostly carbs and if you ask for more protein you are told no. I asked several times and was told on was not on the list by the head cook. The list he spoke of is generated by the onsite nutritionist. I asked at least four times to please see her, but never did. A staff member told me she was on vacation the entire time I was there, so how could I possibly be put on the lean protein list? The rest of the food is hit or miss, some days ok, some days good and some days just awful. The gray sausage that was not eaten at breakfast became sausage and peppers two nights later for dinner. This is also just gross. The so called turkey bacon is inedible. I only eat turkey bacon, but whatever they served was under-cooked and tasted spoiled. I tired it three separate occasions to make sure it was not just my taste on any particular day. Fhe lists many programs on their website and handbook that are no longer offered. The down time on weekends is unreal. The place is a dump. I hope they can turn this around as it is certainly nose-diving towards going out of business. The nurses were all top-notch. Once Shatterproof was a first responders dream is now a nightmare. I would never return!!
