Complaint Review: St. Jude Retreat Center

"Trust those seeking truth, don't trust those who say they have it."  Amen!

St Judes insists that only they have the truth about alcoholism and addictions and that everyone else is wrong. (They especially despise AA and people who have found it helpful.) But St Judes proof that they're more successful than everyone else is a joke. It's complletely meaningless garbage used to sell their program to desperate people.

Don't fall for their lies. It's your sobriety that's at stake along with thousands of dollars of your money. (They don't meet minimum standards so they can't receive payments from health insurance companies or the government.) That fact alone says a lot about the place.

That place is not perfect but its a hell of alot better than most rehabs. If one is truly wanting to get sober and change their life, this is one of the better places to retreat to when in dire need.

Many rehabs are more expensive. The truth is there isn't a lot to choose from, and many of these places are based on the same beliefs and conform to the same mundane styles, often following the code of a book one guy wrote decades ago. Many people do not find what they need in these centers.  There is no perfect place you can go and magically be fixed. Hopefully in the future more places/options will be available, but the focus will likely not be revolving around the popular and linear thought that you are bad and drugs are bad. There are many bigger social issues and topics around this subject that I will not indulge in right now.

"Trust those seeking truth, doubt those who say they have it"

Alot of different things might work for different people, and theres plenty of variety and options available for changing your life, if one thing/place/teacher doesnt work for you.

If you want and choose to change it is highly likely you will find what you need and end up where you need to be.

You will know when you are in a good place and when you are getting what you need to become who you are.

I wont go too far into this because it would require a thesis at the very least, but I will tell you this. You make choices, you create your reality, you are responsible for your life.

If you want to change, take a step and see what happens. Maybe your doing the best you can with the information you have at this time. Take a step. We live in a magical world, theres a lot of love, alot of possibilities.

On your journey, you can travel the whole world, gain knowledge from all of the wisest people, the wisest books, and other sources- some of which have endured great pain to achieve  knowledge even though pain is not a definite requisite- or maybe you will choose to climb the mountain yourself cuz you dont trust anyone-go thru all that pain, just to realize them wise people were right and you just wasted a bunch more years- but dont beat yourself up about it, at least you know now)

 However, no one can teach you self love. This is something you have to learn to do yourself. You can learn tools from others, but ultimately you have to walk your path yourself. Once you find clarity and trust your intuition, you will have a choice to keep listening to it or not. That choice will likely determine the outcome of your reality as it corresponds to your true dreams and desires.

Empowering ourselves through education, experience, community, and faith, we will proceed......

P.S. You dont need rehab for pot. Pot is not a destructive drug. (Theres plenty of info to research on this, never mind the b.s. experiment where they were sufficating monkeys and saying pot kills brain cells, how ever many decades ago. You could buy a vape for it (smokeless), or move to Colorado. I'm not endorsing the idea of abusing pot. I dont believe anything is meant to be abused.

copyright 2013. write your own stuff, thanks. k bye.

illuminutti-buddy

St. Jude will say or do almost anything to sign up people. They and their website provide false and misleading information in order to increase revenue to pay high salaries to the management, which consists largely of the co-founders and their families. 

The most important part to me, in this report, is the claims of false efficacy.

St. Jude, please post promptly with a scientific validation as to how 2 phone calls validate sobriety. I admire your organization in some ways, in others, I question you bias towards your method. Independent validation is good, but does a call really confirm sobriety in either the addict or the second source? Common sense has me question the validity of this.

Comparison to other treatment centers methods won't really suffice for me. Please talk to me rationally about all the ways you considered measuring efficacy, how other centers do, and why you think yours is accurate.

Again, my common sense says that method would be highly innaccurate, and I have no affiliation with any treatment center, and FYI, am critical in many ways of 12 step programs.

I am noticing that there are few complaints on a company that is over 20 years old.  Not bad odds.  Any company will take care of family first in a harsh economic client.  The most amazing thing is that the program is offered both on CD and workbooks for home study for a fraction of the retreat house price.  Shows they really care about people and helping them.  I would try this and recommend it to a loved one because of the sound principles.  Keep up the good work,  most people work for money and should be rewarded for the work they do.  Good Luck!

Here is some info as far as them being a not for profit company... Someone over there is making a huge profits!!!!

http://recordernews.net/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=66&ArticleID=3090

If you go to there website and to the testimonial page, there you will find 2 videos. I can tell you this. The woman on the right whose face you cannot see...she is an employee! In fact she is  one of the founders wife. One of the major rules of this place is not to engage in relationships. For the guests and the employees. Well this woman was a guest at one time, which is how she met her husband. Who is at hte very top of this company!! They like to practice the do as i say, not as i do mentality!

I just found a link to this in my junk mail, I had actually forgotten that I had filed the report!

After reading all of the comments, one of which was just posted yesterday, just thought that I would update the experience. Just paid the LAST $250.00 payment to my bank - and, yes, while I may have been naive, I was desperate AND the people who were talking to me from St. Jude's were assuring me that money was no object when it came to the life of a family member AND that it would be worth everything since they had an 88% success rate. Trust me, if you are watching someone you love slowly kill themselves, you listen to that stuff! If it hasn't happened to you, then you are NOT allowed to tell me how stupid I am.

The family member is doing a lot better. I did talk to MULTIPLE attorneys in Texas and New York, and I wrote several letters to the Attorney General's office in New York. No attorney I spoke to was willing to undertake a long-distance lawsuit, and, believe me, I called a LOT.  At the time, the AG in New York was Elliot Spitzer and he had other things on his mind than justice for aging schoolteachers. And, by the way, the reference to being single was informative on the basis that I have only one salary, which made it doubly difficult financially. Hello!

All in all, I think you have to look at it philosophically. I paid the bill and I can sleep well at night because my conscience is clear, unlike the scoundrels who are running this drug program.  I thought I would literally die when it happened, but I survived and am stronger for it. Finally, every word that I wrote is true, and it is even worse, because time does not permit me to include every incidence. The man who called me on the phone stated: "I am not sure that your family member was the one who attempted to make a drug deal. There were a couple of kids here from Texas with blue eyes/blond hair and accents. I sure hate to do this, and I hope I have it right."  He didn't. Don't do business with these people. They are evil.

Merry Christmas!

Yes, nepotism is huge within this company. And, ex employee is right about anyone there being instructors. There are only a few instructors with a formal education and they just hire them to promote on their website. I know for a fact that the director of the house in Hagaman started their as a cook. As did the director before him. The Director in wells was just an overnight watch guy on the weekends. Neither one has any formal education nor experience directing a drug rehab. These people do not want to pay anyone with experience or a formal education the kind of money they deserve so anyone off the streeet gets these jobs. Of course im sure all the family members, (browns, scheeren's and dunbar's) are well taken care of. The not for profit title gives them great tax breaks and more money on their pockets. They are also all staunch republicans who do not like to pay their fair share of taxes!! And of course their success rate its so overblown it is a joke. Ask them for proff of real success. Something besides all the phone calls they made!!!

 The st.jude retreat house is a complete scam! There primary concern is making money and employing there relatives with good paying jobs! The success rate is way overblown! I keep in contact with a lot of former guests and i'd say 90% have gone back to their old ways! The so called (founders) make a very comfortable living and it's amazing when they were faced with a money shortage and had to layoff employees NOT ONE RELATIVE of executives or directors immediate family members were affected!Your spending your money on instructors with a few exceptions that have no formal education. I've seen cooks/maids former abusers doing the instructing there only requirement- read the JTP book first! WOW! now that's training huh!  they don't tell you that in there selling speech do they? As far as accommodations, yes 6-8 to a room in a very old run down house! Social activities? yes unless money is tight then you blow them off and take them to walk around walmart or on a hike! that's worth 10 grand isn't it ? Save your money or research a more reputable company that dosen't put money and nepotism first.

I went to St. Judes in 2004.  I saw two attempted suicides...and a high number of relapses at the retreat house.  10,000 dollars is a lot of money to waste in my time there over 10 were kicked out. 

they cannot even keep people in the treatment houses so what makes them think they have that high of a percentage its ridiculous.  They allow a person to carry as many medications as a Doctor supplies and as many addicts know (and family members)

doctors are relatively easy to scam there were people so high they could not talk... There was a lot of sexual indiscretions that went on between the guests.

The original report reads like a dating advertisement, "First of all, I am single.." - totally relevant! As the others have said, you have to want to be helped in order for people to actually be able to help you. The first step is admitting that you have a problem, the second is admitting that you need help. Until you do that, no person or organization is going to be able to help you. God bless you, you will be in my prayers!

As a previous poster stated, AA would have been a far more logical route. If it's not Alcohol that your "family member" is addicted to, there are places for general abuse (such as opioids, sedatives, etc). Furthermore, there are quite a few inconsistencies in your story. You claim that they threw "a person" out and into a motel, but then demand that you be notified of it, as if "a person" is the family member you speak so dearly of.. What does people using their cell phones have to do with anything? If you cared about this person, you'd have taken then somewhere that would help them rather than trying to BUY A FIX for them. The only crook here is YOU.?ta>

This program saved my life. If I had not gone to St. Jude's, I would have lost everything, my job, my girlfriend of four years, and all my friends. I was on a path of total self-destruction.

After going through the wonderful program at St. Jude's last year, I was finally able to end my alcohol abuse... PERMANTENTLY!! Now, I am a habitually happy person! St. Jude's employs some of the most caring, experienced and genuinely great people I have ever met.

I was told the first day I arrived at St. Jude's about their no-tolerance drug policy, which is if you are caught with or attempting to get alcohol or drugs you are automatically kicked out, they do pay for a hotel for one night if you are kicked out. this includes marijuana, and I know this FOR A FACT because my roommate was told to leave after he tested positive for marijuana in one of the many random drug tests that were administered.

I would now like to rebuttle and/or explain each and every one of this report's claims about St. Jude:

1) "the people in the center are allowed to roam through out the village with their cell phones and without supervision" - Program participants are required to inform a program employee before leaving the retreat house, and if they have a suspicion that the person(s) might have done drugs or alcohol, they are given a drug test the second they get back to the retreat house.

2) "when the manager called, he said, 'I really hate to kick this person out, because the alleged drug deal is hearsay." - I do not believe the manager said this, but I could be wrong. I know the person personally and this person has only the safety and recovery of the program participants in mind. If someone is attempting to get drugs or using drugs, the offending person is putting everyone else in the retreat house at risk, and that is unacceptable.

3) "they dumped a person with issues into a cheap motel before they even notified me. We live THREE THOUSAMD miles away. It was the grace of God that our family member didn't commit suicide or drink to excess and get robbed or attacked." - This family member knew the rules and decided to break them, regardless of how that would affect that person's loved ones. They call every contact for that person that was provided as soon as the offender is caught. The program employees drive them 90 minutes to the airport and pay for one night at the adjacent hotel. After that, it is up to the offending person and their family/friends to figure out how to get them home.

4) "they kept every penny - I wouldn't have quibbled had they kept even 1 or 2 thousand for the 4 days, but ALL is just WRONG!" - Again, everyone that enrolls in the program is told DAY ONE that if they use drugs while in the program and are caught you are kicked out with no refund. If a participant voluntarily chooses to leave for whatever reason BUT REMAINED SOBER DURING THEIR STAY, St. Jude's refunds a pro-rata amount. There is nothing unfair or secret or hidden about this policy.

5) "a "counselor" told our family member that the 88% success rate as quoted on the internet is more like 20%" - I believe this is an outright lie. If you look on their website, they state their success rate is 65%. This is calculated by annual phone surveys of 200 people, and their answers are verified by calling their family and friends... So believe it or not, this report's so-called quote sounds like a complete and utter lie to me.

6) "drugs were used openly amoung the rehab participants - one kid's Dad was a doctor and he was mailing Xanex to his son" - I believe this is also a lie. First, participants will be kicked out if they knowingly hide drugs like Xanex from the program employees. Second, every package that is sent to a participant is opened and inspected by program employees, so this would not even be possible. Third, I am supposed to believe that a father that paid $10,000 or more for his son to attend this program is at the same time sending him drugs that both of them were told were prohibited?... give me a break.

7) "our family member was told that "marijuana is so low level we don't even care"" - I believe this is a lie as well. My roommate was kicked out for testing positive for marijuana and ONLY marijuana.

8) "Add in airline tickets and incidentals, more like $12,000" - the participant and their family are told upfront that the program's fee includes weekly trips to the bowling alley, laser tag, rock climbing and hikes all over the surrounding mountains. And that participants can choose to buy food and beverages at their expense when out on trips. The program provides three meals a day and water, juice, coffee, tea and many other beverages for free every day for participants. So, the costs are clearly understood by everyone so this isn't even a rational or logical argument.

If you or someone you love has a drug or alcohol abuse problem, this program WILL help, but only if you or your loved one is truly ready and willing to change, and ready to become who they truly are... which is a happy, productive, amazing and special person!!

This program saved my life. If I had not gone to St. Jude's, I would have lost everything, my job, my girlfriend of four years, and all my friends. I was on a path of total self-destruction.

After going through the wonderful program at St. Jude's last year, I was finally able to end my alcohol abuse... PERMANTENTLY!! Now, I am a habitually happy person! St. Jude's employs some of the most caring, experienced and genuinely great people I have ever met.

I was told the first day I arrived at St. Jude's about their no-tolerance drug policy, which is if you are caught with or attempting to get alcohol or drugs you are automatically kicked out, they do pay for a hotel for one night if you are kicked out. this includes marijuana, and I know this FOR A FACT because my roommate was told to leave after he tested positive for marijuana in one of the many random drug tests that were administered.

I would now like to rebuttle and/or explain each and every one of this report's claims about St. Jude:

1) "the people in the center are allowed to roam through out the village with their cell phones and without supervision" - Program participants are required to inform a program employee before leaving the retreat house, and if they have a suspicion that the person(s) might have done drugs or alcohol, they are given a drug test the second they get back to the retreat house.

2) "when the manager called, he said, 'I really hate to kick this person out, because the alleged drug deal is hearsay." - I do not believe the manager said this, but I could be wrong. I know the person personally and this person has only the safety and recovery of the program participants in mind. If someone is attempting to get drugs or using drugs, the offending person is putting everyone else in the retreat house at risk, and that is unacceptable.

3) "they dumped a person with issues into a cheap motel before they even notified me. We live THREE THOUSAMD miles away. It was the grace of God that our family member didn't commit suicide or drink to excess and get robbed or attacked." - This family member knew the rules and decided to break them, regardless of how that would affect that person's loved ones. They call every contact for that person that was provided as soon as the offender is caught. The program employees drive them 90 minutes to the airport and pay for one night at the adjacent hotel. After that, it is up to the offending person and their family/friends to figure out how to get them home.

4) "they kept every penny - I wouldn't have quibbled had they kept even 1 or 2 thousand for the 4 days, but ALL is just WRONG!" - Again, everyone that enrolls in the program is told DAY ONE that if they use drugs while in the program and are caught you are kicked out with no refund. If a participant voluntarily chooses to leave for whatever reason BUT REMAINED SOBER DURING THEIR STAY, St. Jude's refunds a pro-rata amount. There is nothing unfair or secret or hidden about this policy.

5) "a "counselor" told our family member that the 88% success rate as quoted on the internet is more like 20%" - I believe this is an outright lie. If you look on their website, they state their success rate is 65%. This is calculated by annual phone surveys of 200 people, and their answers are verified by calling their family and friends... So believe it or not, this report's so-called quote sounds like a complete and utter lie to me.

6) "drugs were used openly amoung the rehab participants - one kid's Dad was a doctor and he was mailing Xanex to his son" - I believe this is also a lie. First, participants will be kicked out if they knowingly hide drugs like Xanex from the program employees. Second, every package that is sent to a participant is opened and inspected by program employees, so this would not even be possible. Third, I am supposed to believe that a father that paid $10,000 or more for his son to attend this program is at the same time sending him drugs that both of them were told were prohibited?... give me a break.

7) "our family member was told that "marijuana is so low level we don't even care"" - I believe this is a lie as well. My roommate was kicked out for testing positive for marijuana and ONLY marijuana.

8) "Add in airline tickets and incidentals, more like $12,000" - the participant and their family are told upfront that the program's fee includes weekly trips to the bowling alley, laser tag, rock climbing and hikes all over the surrounding mountains. And that participants can choose to buy food and beverages at their expense when out on trips. The program provides three meals a day and water, juice, coffee, tea and many other beverages for free every day for participants. So, the costs are clearly understood by everyone so this isn't even a rational or logical argument.

If you or someone you love has a drug or alcohol abuse problem, this program WILL help, but only if you or your loved one is truly ready and willing to change, and ready to become who they truly are... which is a happy, productive, amazing and special person!!

I too have a college degree with all kinds of letters after my name, but that didn't stop me from being a crack head. I struggled through 4 "12 step" programs which told me that a disease was making these bad choices and it wasn't my fault. Thank goodness for my brother!!! He found St. Jude Retreat House on the internet...had extensive conversations with them before he forked over the $10,000.00. The terms were very clear.

The most important thing that I learned there was to take responsibility for the choices I make and to stop being selfish and self centered. There are consequences to bad choices!

So, I can go on and on about St. Jude Retreat House...The program saved my life and I know that I'm not the only one.

Here I am almost 5 years later living a happy productive life. It was my choice!!!

MY SON IS THERE NOW...

BUT FIRST LET'S BE CLEAR...WHO CARES HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE OR DON'T, WHAT YOUR OCUPATION IS OR ISN'T...NON OF THAT MATTERS.EXCEPT TO THOSE WHO CONSIDER THEY ARE VICTIMS. THE RESERCH ON SUCCESS IS REAL AND INDEPENDANT....THE ENTIRE POINT OF COGNITIVE THERAPY IS CHOICE..PERSONAL DECISIONS..PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT..PERSONAL CONSEQUENCES.....ABSOLUTELY NOT VICTIMIZATION.

VICTIMIZATION IS WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE IN ADDICTION...POOR ME...LIFE SUCKS...I HAD TO BORROW THE MONEY...I GOT KICKED OUT FOR DOING DRUGS...EVERY ONE ELSE USES..THEY WERE JUST PICKING ON ME...YOU ARE SO FULL OF CRAP.

COGNITIVE THERAPIES ARE ESTABLISHED AND RECOGNIZED AS THE MOST EFFECTIVE THERAPIES FOR MOST ALL CONDITIONS IN WHICH THE RECIPIANT IS CAPABLE OF COGNITION...RATIONAL THINKING...LEARNING...ENVIRONMENTAL RECOGNITION.

YOU WANT TO HELP YOUR RELATIVE...FIRST QUIT SETTING AN EXAMPLE THAT YOUR ARE A VICTIM...AND QUIT MAKING EXCUSES FOR YOUR OR HIS DECISIONS AND THIER CONSEQUENCES.

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO LIVE LIFE...THE HARDER WAY IS ONE OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY...INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY...INTERNALY DRIVEN RESPONSIBILITY...IT TAKES EFFORT, USUALLY EDUCATION, AND SUPPORT. YOUR RELATIVE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT IN HIS STRUGGLE TO OVERCOME A LIFE OF POOR DECISIONS AND FEELING SOORY AND HELPLESS FOR HIM SELF. HE DOESN'T HAVE TO LIVE FOREVER THAT WAY;;;IT WON'T BE EASY BUT IF THOSE AROUND HIM LIVE AS VICTIMS..HE DOESN'T HAVE A CHANCE....

CUT THE CRAP AND GET TO WORK. YOUR RELATIVE WILL LIKELY DIE AS HE IS.

THOSE ARE THE CHOICES.

GOOD LUCK, AND I SINCERELY MEAN IT. I KNOW, I'VE BEEN THERE

THE POWER IS WITH IN HIM AND YOU, IT TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT TO SHED THE OLD WAYS...A PERSON CHANGES WHEN THE FEAR OF WHAT THEY KNOW IS GREATER THAN THE FEAR OF WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW (CHANGE)...RATIONALIZEING LIFE AS A VICTIM IS THE MOST COMMON WAY OF DEALING WITH THE FEAR OF CHANGE BECAUSE IT SAYS...IT'S NOT ME..IT'S THEM THAT NEED TO CHANGE...WELL GUESS WHAT...IT'S NOT THEM WHO ARE GOING TO DIE...KILL SOME ONE ELSE...OR BE INCARCERATED FOR LIFE...IT'S YOUR RELATIVE.

I HOPE HE CAN FIND THE TRUTH OF HIS LIFE AND COURAGE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...ST JUDES IS THE BEST, IN MY OPINION...BUT THERE ARE OTHERS WITH THE SAME TREATMENT APPLICATIONS.

GOOD LUCK

As an afterthought:

1) Rather than pay for what you can't afford, have the person bought to a local hospital, where frequently there is some sort of detox/substance abuse treatment/mental health services available. Even a local ER can help, often, by referring a person to treatemtnt.
2) There are sometimes state insurance programs for people who can't afford insurance that will assist in paying for care.
3) I am not familar with this Program, but check with the state it's registered in, to find out about it. Most states have their own information of what treatment center has to offer. I find it a bit unprofessional that this person wasn't bought to a hospital, or the next of kin contacted for information or instructions. When clients 'relapse' in the programs I work for, they are usually sent to detox, or other treatment suggestions are recommended. I don't think just bringing a person to a local motel with no follow up sounds right. Would be interested in what the Treatment Center does do in the event of relapse of clients.

There are many options for treatment. I think if the treatment center did keep your money under these circumstances...and I notice this is an old post...I would appeal this somehow. Doesn't sound right to me.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.... FREE MEETINGS

WHEN YOU GET SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED AND YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR BOTTOM AND GETTING DRUNK IS MORE OF A HASSLE THAN IT IS FUN,

AA WORKS IF YOU DO THE 12 STEPS.

My daughter was in and out of 12 step programs before going to St Jude's Retreat in NY. She was discouraged thinking that she was doomed to a life of relapse as that is what is taught in 12 step programs. Suicide was her next step. I truly believe St Jude's Retreat saved her life and gave me back my daughter. She now has a whole different outlook on life and her control of her own destiny. Yes, it was expensive, but worth every penny in my view. I do hope the young man in question will return and take advantage of all they have to offer.

This individual is misinforming people and giving inaccurate information.
A) This place saved my life!!!!!!!
B) No employee is going to minimize the use of any drug including marijuana...an absolute lie
C)It always is the facilities fault...remember people this person called the BBB, the local church, LAW ENFORCEMENT and she or he sent the individual there. Anyone with common sense can read between those lines...quit blaming the facility.


Let me tell you this... These people go out of there way to help you! I had the best experience at this facility. These people were top notch!

Dear Paula,
What Mrs Dunbar fails to mention is how they go about getting their success rates. There is no drug testing or follow up care after leaving the retreat house. How do they get their 60% or greater rate?.... Get this..a simple phone call to the former guest with a question. Are you sober? That is what they base their success rate on. Not a visit to the person, or drug testing ..nope just a phone call asking if so and so is sober. Oh and also asking say a spouse or family member if so and so is sober. When you were told that their success rate is more like 20%. that is on the high end. We all know that people with addiction problems lie and how easy is it to lie over the phone? Their is no miracle cure at this place so their 80%
success rate is unrealistic. I hardly think they even beleive that.

As far as being a not for profit organization. This is a family run business and they do make a very nice profit for themselves. They are allowed to pay themselves what ever the like. In other words they pocket all the profit and call it their salary. Being called not for profit allows them a ton of nice tax loopholes. They have been trying to recoup taxes they paid to the town of amsterdam NY for years because they did not realize all the benefits of being a not for profit. ( hence the not so intelligent)

Paula, if you like, ask to look at their books. Being a not for profit their records are open for all. Good luck with that.

I am very concerned about the comments made by Paula regarding the St. Jude Retreat House in New York. I am the President of Baldwin Research Institute, Inc. the parent company of the St. Jude Retreat House. Please let me clarify that the St. Jude Retreat House does not make a practice of arbitrarily ejecting people from the program and keeping their money.

While I cannot speak to Paula's claims specifically because it is company policy not to divulge any private information regarding our guests or past guests in a public forum, and this guest has not signed a release to divulge any information even to Paula, herself, I can say that as part of our program we do require all adult guests to sign a guest contract upon entering the program. In this contract they agree to abstain from procuring, using and/or distributing alcohol or abusable substances while enrolled in our six week program. It is stated clearly in the guest contract that if they are caught procuring, using and/or distributing alcohol or drugs while enrolled in the program that they will be ejected from the program with no refund. They further understand that the Jude Thaddeus Program is a voluntary program and they are free to check themselves out of the program at any time, thereby securing a pro-rated refund for the payer of the program; and then, if they so desire, they are free to continue their substance abusing elsewhere.

In the event that a guest tests positive for substances while enrolled in the program, or is caught procuring or soliciting substances, they are ejected from the program for a minimum time period of six weeks and as long as three months depending upon the situation. The no refund policy has been put in place as a deterrent to keep illegal substances out of our houses thereby keeping our guests safe; and also to help our guests to begin to take responsibility for their actions, a process that is crucial to their ultimate success at overcoming their substance abuse problem.

This approach has been quite effective as our abstinence based success rate has remained at 60% or better throughout our history and our program completion rate has remained at or near 85% consistently since 1992. These statistics are far greater than the industry standard. Of the 15% who do not complete the program on their first try, less than 5% are actually ejected for drug use within our houses. Most of those ejected do actually return to our program to complete it successfully. All those who elect to come back to the program at a later date, do receive a credit for the unused portion of their tuition.

As a matter of fact, if Paula's loved one contacted us today, ready to take responsibility for himself and his actions and demonstrating that he was fully prepared to complete the program and remain abstinent while in the program, he would also receive a credit for the unused portion of tuition that was paid for him.

As for Paula's allegations regarding what may have been said by our staff, they are patently absurd and an obvious attempt to defame our organization publicly, and I will not justify them with a response.

The truth is the St. Jude Retreat House is the most successful program for helping people to change their lives. We are a not-for-profit organization that keep our costs much lower than the industry average. We have a scholarship program, financing available, and have a multitude of products and services to help substance abusers and their families to effectively overcome this problem and move on to live happy and successful lives.

I would be more than happy to assist Paula and her loved one if they were to contact me, but I have not been afforded that opportunity.

If you would like further information please feel free to contact our offices toll free at 888-424-2626.

Paula, when I read the "headline" of your report, my automatic reaction was "well, if the person didn't get clean, DON'T BLAME THE REHAB CENTER".

Wow. Man, I cannot believe that they kept all of your money. That truly is unconscionable, if the facts are as you stated, and I will definitely give you the benefit of the doubt in believing you.

Please find out if you can sue them. I know it may cost money just to find that out, but if you spent $10,000, and the person was discharged after four days, please see if you can't somehow get your money back cause that is just not right.

Just in case you don't know much about it, or have any faith in it, ALANON WORKS. Please believe me, IT WORKS.

Wishing you many blessings and peace, Paula.