Cedar Lodge, Guntersville, Alabama

Cedar Lodge Overview

Cedar Lodge is the residential treatment facility of the Mountain Lakes Behavioral Health network. This facility offers inpatient treatment for patients with substance abuse issues and mental health issues as well. The lodge itself is situated at the end of a wooded lane off of the highway, surrounded by the beauty of nature.
Cedar Lodge offers intensive short-term treatments with time spans ranging from two to three weeks. They will not accept any intoxicated patients. As such, a patient would have to be sober for at least 72 hours before they are admitted to the facility. This is to avoid any violent and non- violent problems as well as to prove commitment on the patient’s part.
Once admitted, Cedar Lodge offers a variety of treatment programs to its patients, each of them individualized according to the patient’s needs. Generally, treatment will consist of a 12-step Living in Balance curriculum provided by the facility, which is combined with evidence-based treatment and dual diagnosis support as well. A patient can expect individual therapy, group therapy, and other activities while staying in the facility.

Housing and Food

The Cedar Lodge can accommodate up to sixteen men and twelve women at a time whose living quarters are separated into two individual wings. The central area of the building consists of the common rooms, living room, dining room, and an office for the staff. In the rooms, a patient would have to share with another resident. The room contains two beds, cubby units, armories, and desks. Bathrooms are communal and are separated according to gender as well, and there is a shared laundromat in the building.
The facility’s cook prepares three meals for residents per day with varying cuisines, such as Italian, Asian, and Mexican. A snack tray is provided in the evening as well.

Treatment Options

The main goal of Cedar Lodge is to help its residents rehabilitate from substance abuse as well as manage their mental health issues. Specifically, the facility offers the following treatments:

• Substance abuse treatment
  • Alcohol
  • Opioids
  • Illicit drugs
• Dual diagnosis support
• AA/NA support
• 12-step meetings
• Intensive Outpatient Program

Therapies

The range of therapies at Cedar Lodge all aim to make the process of rehabilitation easier as well as to prevent future relapse. Here are the therapies that the facility offers for its patients recovering from substance abuse and mental health illnesses:

• Group meetings
• Individual counseling
• Stress management
• Relapse prevention
• Group therapy

Payment Options

The great thing about Cedar Lodge is that it does not turn away patients who cannot pay the price of treatment. However, the certification of completion will not be awarded to the patient unless the fee is fully paid. The admission fee to Cedar Lodge is $300 and is non-refundable. Patients who cannot pay the amount in full may opt to break it into two payments.
Patients can be charged $0 to 180 dollars per day if they can provide proof of income. Otherwise, the charge can range from $60 to $180 per day. This is called their sliding fee scale, which can be very beneficial for financially challenged patients. Payment can be through:

• Cash
• Medicaid
• State financed insurance
• Private health insurance
• Military health insurance

Special Features and Services

Cedar Lodge goes beyond the usual treatment for patients who are referred to the facility by law enforcement or the hospital emergency department. In these special cases, treatment may be more intensive.
Aside from rehabilitation and treatment for substance abuse, dependency, and mental health issues, patients are given important training that would help them later in life. This includes life skills training, anger management, stress management, job training, and vocational training for patients who would like to learn new skills.
Moreover, patients who have not yet received their high school diploma can earn it through Cedar Lodge’s GED program. Preventive programs are also given to patients, so the chances of relapse are significantly lowered. The Mountain Lakes Behavioral Health facility offers outpatient services to clients as well for round-the-clock intervention services and mental health evaluations.
Another important thing to note is that hearing-impaired patients can also receive treatment from Cedar Lodge.
Aside from treating adults, Cedar Lodge also provides preventive management for children. Children learn self-esteem, respect, and other good qualities and life skills through workshops and special programs. On the other hand, adults are offered parenting classes, stress management, and substance abuse awareness to decrease the instances of addiction in the community.
In the small city of Guntersville, Northern Alabama, Cedar Lodge has been operating as part of the Mountain Lakes Behavioral Healthcare network for the past thirty years. Cedar Lodge provides residential treatment and rehabilitation for patients afflicted with substance abuse, particularly for residents who are financially challenged. They offer a handful of therapies and treatment programs, all designed to ease substance addiction and psychiatric problems, which are conducted by professionals and counselors present at the lodge. Cedar Lodge is a pillar of the community which works hard to prevent addiction while also helping those afflicted. In a place where poverty rates are high, and substance abuse is commonplace, Cedar Lodge and Mountain Lakes Behavioral Health truly make a difference in the lives of the community’s children and adults.

Staff

The staff-to-patient ratio of Cedar Lodge is one to nine. The Cedar Lodge staff consists of three Certified Alcohol Drug Counselors, two with Bachelor’s degrees and one with a Master’s.

• Myron Gargis, LCSW, PIP – Executive Director
• Dianne Simpson, LPC-S, NCC – Clinical Director