Scholze Adolescent Center

ABOUT CADAS — SCHOLZE CENTER FOR ADOLESCENTS

Located in Chattanooga, Tenn., the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (CADAS) is a nonprofit that operates several facilities, including residential and outpatient treatment for adults. The Scholze Center for Adolescents is one of the only 47 (20.7%) treatment facilities in the state that provides adolescent-specific programming. Residential treatment is available for adolescent males and females ages 13 to 18 struggling with chemical dependency or a dual-diagnosis.

TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT

The facility's program is primarily intended to treat addiction, though also addresses each individual’s physical, emotional, spiritual, familial, and educational well-being. The center assesses whether any co-occurring disorders, such as depression or anxiety, are indicated. If so, CADAS develops a specialized plan to treat them. In Tennessee as of 2016, 1.85 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 exhibited alcohol use disorder in that year, and 3.02 percent needed but did not receive treatment at a specialty facility for illicit drug use.

Treatment is traditional. The therapeutic component is supplied by individual and group therapy, including gender-specific groups, co-occurring groups, and the use of motivational interviewing (MI). Family therapy is integral to the program, consisting of individualized therapy, education for families, and a monthly family day, which provides an opportunity for further education and quality time.

The program is rounded-out by life skills and relapse prevention sessions, meditation and relaxation classes, daily schoolwork at the on-site school, and therapeutic recreation.

All clients are invited to attend a weekly aftercare group for up to a year after completing treatment. Graduating clients are also connected to 12-step meetings in their area as well as other local resources, as necessary.

STAFF CREDENTIALS

The Scholze Center offers a staff-to-client ratio of 1:8, and staff includes a clinical psychologist. In the state of Tennessee, 99.1 percent of substance abuse treatment facilities have continuing education requirements for staff.

ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES

Scholze Center for Adolescents is a 40-bed facility. According to the facility's website, the facility offers exercise equipment, a gym, and an indoor climbing wall. The on-site school is accredited and licensed by the local board of education. However, of the three individuals to provide feedback on the center's accommodations and amenities to Rehabs.com to date, all three gave just one out of five stars for this category.

WHAT ALUMNI SAY

At the time of this writing, Rehabs.com has received two negative responses from facility alumni. Both individuals noted the low quality of the food, and one of the reviewers described an environment that felt unsafe and unsympathetic.

Secondary sites yielded limited, mixed commentary: a one-star review and a three-star review, both left on CiteHealth.^[1] “The counselors and staff are very caring. People really listen and try to understand what is going on with each kid. They want you to get better,” the three-star reviewer wrote anonymously. Contrastingly, the negative reviewer described rats, bed bugs, and mold, writing: “They are just in it for the money and you are not getting any real treatment.”

WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY

The single loved one polled by Rehabs.com to date reported an overall negative experience. “Although there were a few employees at this facility who seemed genuinely interested in helping the clients achieve wellness, our experience was abysmal,” L.F. wrote, describing a lack of the advertised therapeutic activities, a lack of exercise and time spent outdoors, out-of-date food, and chaos. “From what I understand, most of the clients are there because of a court order and many of these clients do not seem to want to recover,” this loved one added.

WHAT STAFF SAY

The one staff member polled by Rehabs.com to date agreed with various criticisms. “Scholze center is an awful place to work. Management had no clue about anything and it is the most disorganized place I've ever been in,” they wrote.

At the time of this writing, nine staff reviews of the parent company, CADAS, yielded an average rating of 3.7 out of five stars on Indeed. Two reviews were specific of the Scholze Center.^[2] Both of these former employees gave just two stars, and both also described a “negative work environment”. “This place was a zoo at time. Management had good intentions, but didn't have a clue,” one reviewer wrote. However, each of these two reviewers did feel that working with the adolescents was rewarding.

FINANCING

There is currently no information provided on the facility's website regarding its costs.

^[1] http://citehealth.com/rehab-centers/tennessee/cities/chattanooga/council-for-alcohol-drug-abuse-services-inc-based-at-911-pineville-road#reviews

^[2] https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Cadas/reviews