Recovery Management Services Inc

Reviewing recovery is pointless. Do what’s suggested and you will stay sober. I know plenty of people who’s lives were changed as a result of this program. It’s all about how badly you want to change your life.

This place is a joke. Most of the people at this facility do not have an education (including the staff). No one here is really qualified to be teaching what they are trying to teach. As a college graduate who studied psychology and philosophy the errors they made were so obvious it was saddening. In fact the people teaching biology and psychology do not have degrees in the subject. On top of that there is a clear agenda which is to convert all participants to believing in «spirituality». When I went to the facility I was clear about my non belief in spirituality yet this created a huge problem. I was trying to get help for my addiction yet I was force fed dogma about a god and a «higher power». It was made clear that this higher power was something I was supposed to make up in my mind. Obviously they were advocating self delusion.
Carol, Mellisa and Kim (the latter of which seems to enjoy sadistically controling people from the get go) are obssesed with power. Mike, another «instructor» has done waaaay too much drugs and teaches class as though its a sermon for the metally insane. In short… not a smart guy. I feel sorry for him. While perhaps 2 members of the staff seemed somewhat honest, most are extremely manipulative, clearly religious, and some are blatent unabashed liars. I am NOT the only person to go there that thinks this. In fact many people think this but are desperate and don’t have an education or other options so they put up with it.
Oh by the way I was told by the staff (when I asked about the inaccurate information they teach) that this place is «clearly not Berkeley». So if you’re looking for a factual education in psychology or biology you obviously should not go here because according to Carol, who runs the facility, no one there really knows what theyre talking about. If you go here prepare to deal with control freaks, religious idiots, and a severe lack of scientific, up-​to-​date information.
Their main book is the «Big Book» which was written in 1939 and does not have any scientific backing. When I mentioned this to another participant in the program she told a staff member and I was confronted (culty). Free thought and modern scientific thinking are not welcome here. Consider yourself warned.
The way we provide «help» to addicts in our current system is extremely flawed. This program is the perfect example of what happens when you combine culty dogmatic beliefs based originally in religion, a lack of education in science, and a staff who will do anything for self affirmation, control and a way to spread of their idiotic conclusions. Have fun.
I suggest looking up SOS, Lifering, or any non 12-​step program. If you base your beliefs in mental delusion and self created magical entities good luck lying to yourself for the rest of your life.
Also for a more detailed analysis of this nonsense check out:
12 Step Program Penn and Teller Bullshit:

am a first time Unilocaler but wanted to take a moment out of my busy holiday season to thank a group of wonderful people that have made happy holidays possible for my family. My son went to RMS in Sept of 2011, they literally saved his life and in turn mine. I had tried unsuccessfully to «help» my son get sober for years and this was our last ditch effort and I THANK GOD every day I called them. The staff embraced him and guided him, pulling him sometimes down the road to recovery. I am not going to say it was easy, but they showed ME how to get out of his way and let him find his path to recovery. Yes the owner can be tough, but she has to be or those young men and women would run all over them like they did there parents for so many years. She takes no BS … because there are lives at stake !!! …
The staff worked very closely with my insurance company and made that part of the process as easy as possible for me. I made several friend in the parents group and enjoy watching them and there families grow and learn .
My son has been sober 26 month 12 days … sobriety can only be taken by those that want it, those that are open to the process … no one will succeed unless they truly want to. If you or someone you love is ready to get the help they offer I would not hesitate to call them. My son is very involved in the after care program/​alumni and giving back at RMS because they have taught him how to live a sober happy life and in turn he hopes to help someone else.
Again Thank you Carol, Melissa, Mike and the rest of the staff for not taking anymore BS from my son and saving his LIFE …
Deanna S

When my son told me that he was going to RMS, I immediately checked the reviews. I’m not going to lie, I was very worried. The reviews weren’t so great, so I was thinking of a back up plan and then decided to let it go and see what happens. I have a control issue, so that was very hard for me.
My son has been in a few other facilities since May 2013 for drug and alcohol addiction. All that seemed like they had great programs. He has always been the one to take himself in, which was a good sign. At one facility, he lasted a few hours and at the others barely a week. After reading these reviews I thought no way was he going to make it a week. My son WAS not a rule follower and could charm his way through anything. if someone gave him attitude, he’d give it right back. He was dishonest and lied his way through practically every part of his life. He had a really hard time at first. He would say he thought he was only going to stay for 30 days. Something changed though, very quickly.
RMS has taught him and I so much. It’s a very intense program where the clients do a lot of work. They’re held accountable and have soooo many boundaries, but that’s what these kids need. Carol is a no nonsense woman and I think she deserves so much credit. She see’s so many of these clients come and go. She cares, she truly does. She has to be hard, otherwise these kids wouldn’t get what they need out of the program.
There are so many role models there that are helping my son every step of the way. I’ve been going to the Tuesday meetings and have really enjoyed the information and the families that attend. Peter is absolutely wonderful as is Ricardo and so many more. It’s remarkable going to these meetings and every person I talk to just thinks so highly of my son. He’s caring, respectful and determined to succeed (all qualities I know him to be, but he lost along the way). He’s faced with obstacles and he now handles them great. He looks to God for answers and he goes to his peers for advice. I’ve seen such a drastic change… a smile on his face, a positive attitude and love for life. He has such an amazing network of friends that understand exactly what he’s going through.
RMS played a large part in saving my son’s life. I am extremely thankful. He completed the 90 day program a few days ago and will be moving on to their SLE when there is room. My advice to parents would be to give up control and let the program work. Do I agree with everything? No, but this is my first time dealing with addiction, so I’m clueless as to what is right and wrong. I just know that it’s worked for us.

I have to agree with Karen’s review regarding Carol. The program itself can be beneficial but CAROL is extremely unprofessional. As Karen stated, I’ve attended the group meetings where she blasts personal information about patients (without consulting the family). Her attempt is to make a point and to let everyone know how SHE handles business. She handles it in an unprofessional manner. She swears at the patients, yells, and embarrasses them intentionally.
As mentioned, I feel the program is good but this woman truly needs anger management classes for herself. It’s ridiculous how she treats people. At first it’s all warm/​fuzzy because they want your money. Once you’ve paid then she treats the family as Karen described because she’s been paid so why be nice? I’ve read several reviews on other sites «rip-​off…» and find that this is a chronic pattern with her. I’m not sure if she owns the place but if she does, she needs to retire because she acts more like a warden at San Quentin and the patients there do not deserve that, nor do the families who pay thousands of dollars.
Before you give them your money, you may inquire if she’s still there and if so, take your thousands elsewhere as there are other recovery programs that treat the patients and families with respect.

My son went to RMS for their suggested 90 day program, then went into their SLE (sober living environment). He lasted maybe a couple of wks in sober living and then relapsed.
Carol, the lady in charge, was a no-​nonsense, no bull-​shit kind of lady which at first I admired. After a month or so into it, she became snotty because my husband was complaining about the bill they sent. She would take it out on my son while he was there and made him uncomfortable. The rest of the crew who worked there all seemed very caring as did Carol at first. Carol would run most of the meetings for family night once a week and I ended up dreading going to the meetings because she doesnt know how to run them well. I dont even think she has any kind of degree in psychology or should be running them. When we had Danny, one of the counselors, he was much better and the meeting was more beneficial. Carol would make the meeting all about a client that was staying at the recovery center and she loved to gossip. Strange.
I even asked around after my son left the place, not on a good note, and of course she couldnt wait to talk about him with everyone there. Very unprofessional.
we were suppose to have a family meeting with my son and the counselor, and her, while he was there, but that NEVER happened. My son seemed to be doing better when he first got there when they were all into him and i honestly think they wanted him to do well, but he just got sick of Carol badgering him all the time about the payments, etc and then when he got into the SLE, he only lasted a couple of wks or so and wanted to come home, where he relapsed. Sad. We’re still paying off RMS as I write this. On another note I think Carol rushed my son into being responsible for another client that was there. She was trying to make him mentor this other kid, and my son wasn’t ready for it. I think it takes a long time to recover and he was just pushed along going with the motions. It didnt work for him. In the process now of looking for something or somewhere but dont even know where to turn. I would never take my son back to RMS because of Carol. I feel that she would be the kind to say «I told you so.» Or start talking about our son and our family at her meetings. Not into it.

There are several reviews on the Internet for this place that are very negative, and very similar to our experience. Just google «recovery management services reviews» and you will find them. There are some positive ones out there too, but the fact this center treated our son and us so awfully demonstrates that there is a strong possibility that it could happen to you or your loved one… Not worth the gamble…
I think that there is too high of a risk for an addict to be treated badly at RMS for me to recommend that you choose it. I know that RMS has worked for some people, but in general, I was appalled at what I saw and what I experienced. I’ve seen fairly recent reviews that mirror our experience, so I think it’s still risky to choose it. Find a different center. Our son has had a rough road. While I feel that our son did learn appropriate tools to deal with his addiction at RMS, his recovery was harder after going through RMS because they destroyed what little self-​esteem or trust in others he had. He is finally on the road to recovery. I just wonder if it would’ve been sooner if we had taken him out of RMS and moved him to a different recovery center. The $ 30,000 we spent on RMS was a waste — it didn’t help, just contributed to the issues he had to deal with.
I hope this is helpful to you as you try to make your decision… Good luck and God bless you. Know that you are not alone. Read the reviews — don’t take the negative ones lightly. I was shocked when I read them because they were so similar to our experience.

My son completed a programme of rehabilitation at RMS and we could not have been happier with the outcome. Negative reviews almost put us off but we had very positive feedback from another individual who knew the centre well. Thank goodness we decided to go with them. Our 18 year old son had drug dependency issues and was naturally reluctant to go into rehab. However, he now says it was the ‘best thing that happened’. We totally agree.
The staff are welcoming, honest, helpful and have decades of combined experience in the field of drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
My son was treated firmly but fairly. Every moment of his day was spent in a learning, nurturing environment. RMS is extremely well run and has the clients’ best interests at heart at all times.
Family members are welcome to attend the weekly group counseling sessions. We found these to be of enormous help in shifting the balance of ‘power’ back into our own hands, as parents. Bringing up children in Danville isn’t easy and some kids end up running rings round their parents. The use of weed is widespread and its dangers often ignored. Parents need a wake up call and take back their power as parents. This is certainly what we have done and we couldn’t thank RMS enough.
Carol, the owner deserves a medal as far as I am concerned. She has an ability to see right through the nonsense these young people present and says so. Would I prefer a softly softly approach with kid gloves? heck no! No young person is going to run rings round Carol — or any of the other counsellors for that matter — and that’s exactly as it should be. Positive reinforcement is there in abundance when deserved; along with humor and laughter. On the other hand, discipline is also in place — just as it absolutely should be. Our son came to respect and understand the boundaries in place. There have to be boundaries — and consequences for crossing them. We have all learned so much at RMS and would not hesitate in recommending their services to other young individuals in need of help.

I’ll admit it, I decided to write this review after reading a previous review by «Sharon A.» I am a former client of RMS and had a completely different experience. I participated in in-​patient treatment at RMS for four months nearly three years ago and have maintained continuous sobriety since. Since graduating the program I have been actively involved in the alumni association and have returned for aftercare twice per week. The description of the Execctive Director as being a «tyrant» could not be further from the truth. She is tactful, compassionate, and refuses to put up with the «BS» that often accompanies an alcoholic/​addict that is new in recovery. When an alcoholic/​addict is actively using they have been described as a «self-​run riot» and will lie, cheat, and steal to obtain whatever drink or drug they need. Behavior as such does not disappear overnight just because the drink or drug is removed, it is a very long, hard road from drinking and using to being a productive member of society. Just to clarify, I am a well-​educated professional who was able to understand and abide by the well-​defined rules enforced by RMS staff. The rules which are black and white are there to protect all clients in each of their various stages of recovery. The staff has been at this for a long time and no acolholic/​addict is unique, they have seen it and dealt with it before. From what I have seen in treatment and in the rooms of AA, those who want recovery are open and honest. They makes mistakes and admit it when they do. They put in the work. They show up when asked and willingly do the necessary work. No one can work someone else’s program of recovery for them. Alcoholism is a family disease and I would highly recommend Al-​Anon for those who have struggled with an alcoholic family member, it has worked miracles for rebuilding my family. Finally, every alcoholic/​addict has a different bottom and set of «yet’s.» I haven’t ended up homeless «yet,» I haven’t had to steal a bottle from a liquor store ‘yet,” I haven’t had to buy my pills from a guy on the street «yet.» If we as a recovering community are not vigilant about our personal recovery, those «yet’s» are just around the corner.