STR Behavioral Health Silver Pines — Local services in Mahanoy Township

What can I say? Puffy Cups and The Marshmallow Room.

I waited a little bit to write a review as I had already decided when I was there I'd leave six stars if I could but knew once I was home my pink cloud may turn into bleak shades of grey. Almost two months out I have not changed my opinion of the Pines.

Going to Silver Pines was the best decision I've made in my adult life. From the moment I was introduced to the first staff member to my final hug from Doug as I was leaving I felt nothing but compassion, acceptance, love and understanding. This place is not simply a corral in which human beings who need help are herded into and treated like a number or burden. These people care. The autonomy a patient is allowed is incredible. While you have groups all day long and are expected to attend and contribute free time is not confined to one lounge (The Marshmallow Room) drinking coffee. The freedom to go outside at will and smoke if you desire, or just be outside, find a quiet place to be alone, read in your room, grab a snack at other than meal times made being there most bearable for me. I'd almost say enjoyable but I don't want to lose the importance of being there. But, hey, there wasn't much joy for a long time. The community is small and the 'good morning' and 'good night' smiles were tired only from a full day of laughs, cries, sharing, heavy duty self introspection and releasing energy held inside for years. And much more laughing. The counselors were always open. They aren't lying about having an open door as I discovered one afternoon during a brief moment of uncertainty I found a counselor other than my own and asked for a moment. I got almost half an hour. In the evening, after detox, you even get your phone. There's a fire pit Saturday night. We had pizza during the playoffs leading to the Super Bowl, games we watched. And I must mention food allergies are accommodated (wheat allergy here) by the kitchen staff. Amazon deliveries are accepted. Just watch out for flying dirigible shaped objects. Sharing an inside joke or two with someone or the entire community is a bonus of having a small population, around forty when I was there.

The caring doesn't stop when you leave and as my ride said on the way home, "That Doug is a very nice guy." He and all staff are genuine as proved by the checking in from Big Mike on my first day out and weekly calls or texts from one staff or another and the incredible alumni zoom meetings. Seeing alumni in outside meetings keeps it going and not a day has gone by I haven't received or sent a text to someone I met there, someone I never knew before I went to The Pines. Additionally, Silver Pines does not adhere to or promote one recovery program over another. One will not leave there without having been introduced to The 12 Steps. Dharma. SMART. An optional church service, via YouTube, is offered on Sunday. There is an LGBTQ+ group.

All are welcome here. And with a great big warm hug and a smile I began a new life, and a few months in if I need a quick smile all I need to do is pick up my Puffy Cup, send a text or just take a moment to reflect on that experience in The Pines. I am still here because they are...

Silver Pines Treatment Center is a top-notch treatment facility. From start to finish I was treated with respect and professionalism, but by no means was anyone there afraid to tell me what I needed to hear - no matter how hard it was to swallow.

The intake process is as painless possible and is followed by the medical detox. The nursing staff was always on top of each and every patient during this process. As someone with numerous medical issues, I took great comfort in knowing that I could trust each member of nursing to give me the quality of care that I was promised.

Once out of detox, I was moved over to the residential portion of my stay. Here, most of your time is spent with community members and staff. The staff was always in tune with community needs. We were offered activities on a daily basis, anywhere from whiffle ball outside or movies or Yoga indoors.

Outside of that, and most importantly, the clinical aspect of my stay was well above par. Each client was given individualized therapy with licensed clinicians on top of a rigorous daily group schedule. Furthermore, up to five (5) times a week we were taken to outside AA and NA meetings. On days we weren’t able to make it out to a meeting, we ran our own in the facility. Step based recovery is absolutely the primary focus. The days can be pretty intensive - but looking back on it, it was that schedule and routine that made it that much easier for me to adapt to a schedule of work, meetings, and therapy once I got out of treatment.

Lastly, and certainly not least, Silver Pines has a great Alumni aspect to their program. There is an alumni coordinator who keeps in contact with you, as much as you allow, with follow-ups on how you're doing, if you're continuing care as recommended, or if you need any help in general. As someone who went to Silver Pines twice, this aspect was critical for me.

After leaving Silver Pines my first time after suffering a relapse, it was as easy as texting the Alumni Coordinator that I needed help, and a few short hours later the Admissions Director had a car at my apartment to get me readmitted. While relapse was certainly not my plan, it was great to have the resources at my fingertips when I needed them.

Overall, Silver Pines Treatment Center receives five stars from me. Like any treatment facility, you're going to get out of it what you put in - but this facility has a unique knack for getting the best out of its clients....

I cannot say enough AMAZING things about Silver Pines. I went to treatment 3x in this facility, and I am beyond grateful to have gotten the chance to go there. The admissions team is extremely caring and knowledgeable. The staff is unbelievable. They are truly like my family. I have been able to relate to each and every person in that building on a personal level. I have gained advice from them, and they truly show up for work and CARE about the clients. Honestly you don’t feel like a client, you feel like a part of the family from the moment you enter the building. The therapists are beyond amazing, with each one specializing in something different. My therapist I had at Silver Pines, is the absolute best therapist I’ve ever had. She was able to understand me, never made me feel like my feelings were invalid, and made me feel loved. She treated me like a person and fit my aftercare to my individual needs. The nursing staff was great and able to help keep my calm throughout my detox, and if something wasn’t right or made me feel anxious, talked to me and made me feel more centered. The environment is friendly, very “home like” for a rehab facility. I was able to use my cell phone every night (after a 5 day blackout period), and was able to solve outside issues before entering back into the “real world”. The style of this rehab is unlike any other. It’s a smaller community, with a whole lot of love to go around. Oh and the food, the cooks, I mean I can’t say enough about how they make sure the food is exactly what you want, and they also make sure to substitute if it’s something you don’t like. Not only do they focus on addiction, but they focus on mental health as well. There is an art therapist, and a holistic therapist. I was able to participate in all different types of meetings, AA, NA, SMART, and DHARMA. They give you the wide range of options to be able to make your recovery right for you. I am beyond blessed to have been able to heal my mind, body, and soul in this building. I have met so many amazing people with whom I still talk to every single day, and I truly believe that Silver Pines saved my life. If you are wondering about where to go if you need support… I, 100% recommend Silver Pines. I could go on forever about all the good, but you just have to see...