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Solutions Recovery Center - Craig Ciriaco, Joseph Ciriaco, Joshua Gray Fraudulent "Recovery Center" Greenville South Carolina
Solutions Recovery Center is anything but a recovery center. Halfway house is far too generous a term. Temporary housing is the most apt term to describe this place and "housing" is being generous. I lived in this hell hole for nearly eight months and it was the lowest point of my life. Upon arrival, I was withdrawn from medication and suffered seizures as a result and was denied transportation to any medical aid. I was not and never have been addicted to any drug. I took my medication as prescribed, but my life fell apart because I suffered from undiagnosed Bipolar Syndrome 1 and Panic Disorder and was going through a divorce and so I fell prey to this scam and the criminals that operate it. There is no transportation provided to anywhere but meetings and the minimum wage factory jobs they force "clients" to take and the property is miles from any grocery stores. Theft and the sale of drugs are rampant on the property and I was told by several people that the "Directors" used illegal steroids. I know this because the son of their steroid dealer was also a client and he confided this information to me. He was allowed special privileges because of his knowledge of this activity.
Physical violence from staff towards "clients" is a common occurrence and they routinely brandish firearms and make physical threats towards their “clients.” From the moment I walked in it was apparent that violence was a part of the Ciriaco brothers' idea of recovery. The man that was being admitted with me had to agree that if he relapsed the directors would "beat his a*s", "hunt him down and beat the s**t out of him." In one incident a large caliber pistol was pointed at my chest without provocation or explanation. In another, a man was thrown from his bed early in the morning and then subsequently threatened and beaten by a staff member in a steroid-fueled rage because he had a completely appropriate conversation with the director’s girlfriend which I witnessed.
In yet another incident, my roommate was recruited to go pay violent retribution with Craig Ciriaco to a "client" who left SRC to live at another recovery home and the man that "recruited" him. The story was related to me by those coerced by the Ciriaco brothers to perpetrate these acts of violence. They, as related to me, left and went to this other recovery house and kicked in the door after being refused entry and Craig threatened the man there. I have seen so many young people come through that place only to leave full-blown addicts whose lives fall into dereliction and homelessness because, I am convinced, of their exposure to this environment. There are no services afforded the clients outside of twelve-step meetings and psychiatric and medical help is discouraged. The treatment is inhumane and the environment is third world. Upon arrival, you are told and coerced to accept that you are worthless and your life thus far has been meaningless. Your only hope is Joe Ciriaco and his inane ramblings. The long-term residents have a sort of Stockholm Syndrome whereby they believe that they are incapable of initiating any sort of change in their own lives and are made to believe that their only hope is to follow the instruction of an uneducated, unaccredited staff and I think many will never recover the ability to manage their lives by themselves. These people make up a sort of Cadre who judge and discipline the new-comer. They are even less educated and more incompetent than the staff and it is to these people that your recovery as a resident will depend on. They also have a penchant for violence and aggression and humiliation of the most despicable sort. Most of them are unemployed and were homeless before they moved to solutions. Most of them did not graduate High School and have done a number of years in penitentiaries and most of them still use drugs. This place taught me about drugs and their use and exposed me to it relentlessly and daily.
Besides these atrocities, "clients" are made to pay $165 per week for housing that is infested with mice and german cockroaches and full of black mold. The "houses" are two bedroom, 800 sq. ft. apartments in which 4-5 men are made to live and share a single bathroom. At one point, the toilet, when flushed would push feces through the shower drain and it was left in this stateof functionality for two weeks. Most of the apartments lack central A/C and some lack any heating. Also, the staff has informal contracts with employers whereby they send "clients" to work for said employers and coerce them to sign contracts to work for a period of time under threat of being evicted and their personal effects retained. These employers I am nearly positive violate OSHA regulations and I know they violate basic labor laws. One such company is Canopy Car Wash on Wade Hampton Blvd. in Greenville. "Clients" who are made to work there are subjected to hours of work in the hot sun, some unhealthy and probably not capable of such work. Often times there is no water available and no breaks are allowed. Other times "clients" employed by Canopy go to work only to be sent home because they are unneeded or sent on four or five hours of breaks in a ten hour work day. All of this must be endured or "clients" will be evicted with their personal items held by staff and with the understanding of possible punitive violence. The threat of eviction is constant and these threats are made by staff and the aformentioned cadre constantly and arbitrarily. These people are incredibly insensitive and incompetent and the director, Craig Ciriaco, is a common criminal and drug addict and has no business trying to guide other people's lives. Solutions Recovery Center is a travesty of a recovery environment and I sincerely hope that it is shut down and these people are tried in court for the criminal activity they perpetrate daily.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Matthew
Greenville,South Carolina,
I find it funny.......
#5Consumer Comment
Tue, December 23, 2014
I find it a little funny, that the gentleman who filed this report stayed in the program for 9 months. A program where you can come and go as you please, there are no gates or fences to keep you in, phone calls are not restricted, and family or friends can visit any time before 8. From what he described that place would be terrifying, a place you'd leave as soon as you got a chance lol As a graduate of the program, who came back to SRC to work, I laughed pretty hard when I saw this. I remember they guy pretty well. Refusing to go look for work, so the staff had to GIVE him a job at canopy carwash(which is a pretty crappy job), so he could do SOMETHING. We haven't forced anyone here to take ANY jobs. We work with BMW, the Hilton, the Hyatt, Greenville County, lots of great companys. Sorry you got stuck at the car wash because you didn't try very hard. As Director, I also check in all medication here upon intake, and NEVER has anyone been denied non narcotic meds for mental health, I also set up appointments with Greenville Mental Health so clients can continue thier care. I think maybe he was * that he was told he couldn't take narcotic meds in a RECOVERY center. In the report I read that SRC is MILES from any grocery store, and we don't provide transportation. Bi Lo and Publix are 1.5 miles from us. And we do store runs SAT and Sun, and always have. Not to mention half the clients here have cars, and are happy to help get guys around. The report also talked about most of the units lacking heat and AC. The winter he was here ONE apartment had a furnace go out, and the owner immediatley bought space heaters to compensate. And we did have a few units where the AC went out, and the owner bought window units right away. All the allegations of guns and violence and drugs are just ridiculous. We have an awesome relationship with probation, parole, and every law enforcement agency in SC (not to mention Tennessee and North Carolina) and agents are here all the time checking up on our guys. Where are thier negative reports? I can go through every line of his report and discredit all of it, but I don't have time for all that, since I have been clean for 3 years and 3 months(through this program) and I HAVE A LIFE. And I have people to help. If you need recovery, please take the time to read all the reports, and make some phone calls. We are here for you
JULIE MCCALL
GREER,South Carolina,
Regreting this complaint
#5General Comment
Tue, April 08, 2014
After reading this complaint & alligations toward Solutions Recovery from Joshua Gray, I found it interesting how Mr. Gray said all these nice things about Solutions Recovery to start with then he filed this complaint. I checked out all reviews before I encouraged my son to check into this facility a couple of weeks ago. This program will work if you want it to work! This is coming from a mom that has had numerous conversations with several residents & employees at Solutions Recovery. My son is one of the ones that bucked & refused treatment & help for the first few days as well. Joe & Craig (the owners) plus Dennis & Ronald have been totally helpful with our financial situation & made this transition smooth for my whole family.
jeremy
clover,South Carolina,
truth
#5General Comment
Sun, January 12, 2014
my name is Jeremy and i am an addict. I was a client off solutions for 18 months. First of all you have to pay rent anywhere you go. 600 a month is not bad. This includes lights and water. The resources to get and remain clean are there. You just have to choose to stay clean. There is transportation to anywhere in Greenville county. Honesty is the key. I have seen the Staff let people stay the program over after using because they were honest about the relapse. Then again i have seen people get kicked out cause they lied about using. If it was about money the staff would not let people in without paying onered cent. It works if you work it. Solutions is not an amusement park. It is a recovery center and people have to work hard here. Getting to know people and places before judging them is a good bet. Thanks!
pete
Greenville,South Carolina,
We do recover!
#5UPDATE Employee ..inside information
Sun, January 05, 2014
Solutions Recovery Center is a program based on helping men recover from the disease of addiction.Our program is the best on the eastcoast and I am living testament of this.During the 9months as a client i witnessed many people fabricate stories of mistreatment and dishonesty.The reason is because most were caught using drugs and asked to leave.We have a working relationship with the local police,courts and detox centers.Because our primary goal is saving lives.Unfortunately,not everyone who comes into programs of recovery are entirely ready to quit using mind altering substances.I f ind this complaint unrealistic because the person who submitted it was one of the unfortunates the could not be honest and stop using his drug of choice.His lies started long before the the article but we are not the type of company the feels we need to defend our reputation against an individual who is still in active addiction.We hope all addicts find their way back before the disease kills them.I personally need to say that after graduating this program the executive directors asked me join the staff because new clients need to see that we can lives happy productive lives without the use of drugs or alcohol.We do recover!!