keep doing what your doing program manager of panthers .I miss you all and I wish I could have said bye but Im happy and Im doing good.im about to get the service dog in a few months. you really helped me and have changed my life.keep doing what you doing because you have a ...
About Hillside Inc.
Something that stands out to me about this facility is their commitment to education. All of their programs include some level of academic support. For example, if you’re in the residential program, you’ll attend a full-time school during the school year. The facility is called Conant School, and it’s recognized as part of the Atlanta Public Schools system. If you enroll in home therapy, they’ll work around your school schedule. Even outpatient clients are expected to keep up with their schoolwork. They schedule those counseling sessions after school from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Whether you stay on site, log in virtually, or see a counselor at your house, you can benefit from services that include individual, family, and group counseling, medication management, life skills training and experiential therapies. Some of the features only available to residential clients include horticulture therapy and recreational therapy, both of which are offered on their campus.
The parent of one former client said that their son’s therapist opened up a whole new world for their family, giving them the tools they needed to help and communicate with their child. Another said her child came out of the experience completely changed for the better. Some past clients have shared stories of negative confrontations with staff members.
Fact checked and written by:
Courtney Myers, MS
Edited by:
Kerry Nenn, BSW
Facility Overview
31 - 60 Avg Length of Stay in Days
$620 Avg Cost per Day
Latest Reviews
I went here in 2019, I was admitted directly before Atlanta shut down because of the pandemic. Although I was sent here against my will and didn’t want to go, We were promised a lot of things, field trips, a garden, daily therapy and dbt, a garden, visits with our family, COMMUNICATION with my family, and I got none of that. I was a baby transexual at the time, and despite my and my parents wishes I was put in a men’s cabin, (even though they originally said there was a specific cabin for queer/transgender kids) which posed a lot of issues, but why would they care?
The punishments were cruel and could in no way help a child with what they are there for. If I was “bad” or “talked back” which I’m sure I did, I was a troubled teen that’s why I’m there, they had me sit in a chair facing away from the day room ALL day, you had to eat your food there and everything. They would have you sleep on a mattress on the floor around a bunch of other strangers if you were a “risk” punishments also included cutting off ALL contact with my parents, they monitored my calls and retaliate against me. Staff would constantly talk down to, yell at and demean me, and even worse to more “difficult” children. I had multiple staff members who went out of their way to misgender me and make weird comments about me being trans and my body, which mind you we were told it was a very very queer friendly space.
They were always so slow to actually do anything if people got in fights, I saw a kid get his face literally clawed up by another boy and nobody did anything until the damage was completely done. I was also aware of kids there who had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, who was then fired and they offered a free longer stay for the boy as pretty much hush money. Having someone fully watch you shower is crazy and really weird, cameras in our room is really weird and yall are really weird.
There was a staff member who hit a boy (who was very much a crazy dude but it’s yalls job to be able to handle that??) the boy yelled racial slurs at the man which is horrible but I could hear that slap from across the gym
I was here for almost 3 months, got barely any actual therapy and my brain has been permanently re wired by this, it was one of the most traumatizing experiences of my life. They don’t treat you like a human. Please I beg you don’t send your kid here.
I’ve had such a great experience with Hillside Inc. Everyone has been so welcoming, supportive, and genuinely passionate about the work they do. It’s clear that Hillside truly cares about both their clients and their team.
Response from the owner1 week ago
Nothing makes us happier than to hear our program was able to help! Thank you for sharing, Cindy!
I was in the Kiwanis Cottage at Hillside around 2 years ago. I would definitely say that the things that I learned here were very useful, but some of the staff and other residents were probably some of the most insufferable people ever. Im not allowed to name any of the other residents, but one of the kids there attacked another kid almost daily, if not more than once a day. It was horrible. The staff never did anything about the kid who was attacking. He was never punished or penalized. I get at this because this kid was released from Hillside after making nearly NO progress. He hadn’t reached level 4 and had shown no signs of making the slightest progress at all. The level system is a joke.
Now, let me talk about the staff. Most of the staff were amazing. But there were a few that I wanted to talk about. Mr. Charles is the first one on the list. Overall, he does almost nothing for anyone. I’d say that Mr. Charles made the children worse than doing anything to help. He has a sour attitude and is overall just not fit to be dealing with kids, or anyone at all. Im not sure of the other staff member's name or what she did, but she was supposed to show us videos about therapy. Instead, she sat on her phone the whole time, gossiped, and let us watch inappropriate shows. (Of course, I’m not gonna complain too much about watching shows, but I would’ve rather done something more beneficial or something more focused on the reason I was there). On a better note, some staff were really good and had very helpful things to say. One of my favorite staff members was Mr. Tony. When I was there, a lot of people didn’t like him at all, but I had so many 1-on-1 meaningful conversations. He is one of the main reasons that I made it out in such a short time. A couple of other staff members that I really appreciated were Mr..Zo and Mr. Keith. Im not sure if they still work at Hillside, but they were some of the most chill and laid back people.
Now on to the food. The food was actually pretty good. There are a couple of things that I would like to say about the food, though. There were some days when there was some spoiled food, like milk or ice cream. Another thing that I think could be good for the food at Hillside is having a bigger “menu.” I feel like meals were constantly repeated, and it was less appetizing the 2nd time. Besides those few issues, the food was relatively good.
One of the things that I really enjoyed during my stay was PE. I was only able to participate in PE for a month due to physical reasons, but my favorite activities were dodgeball and basketball. One thing that I suggest is allowing people to go to the gym at least once a day. Don’t force everyone to go, but just take the kids that want to go.
I want to talk about restraints. I had to be restrained a couple of times during my stay at Hillside. Im a pretty big guy, but the restraints still left me with bruising and burns. This concerns me for one reason; Could this possibly injure a person smaller or skinnier than me? Im not sure if they have different restraints for different types of people, size-wise, but I think some of the restraints were very extreme.
Phone calls. They were VERY short. I had to talk to my mom about my physical state and catch up with her while only having 5-10 minutes to do so. It's very saddening.
I want to have one more paragraph about the staff. A lot of the staff “flexed” that they were able to go home and sleep in a real bed and do things that we were not able to. It upset many people, including me. It was like they were trying to tease us.
That’s all I really have to say about my time at Hillside. There were a lot of helpful things, but there were equally a lot of traumatizing things as well.
We also appreciate you sharing your concerns. Feeling safe, supported, and heard is at the heart of effective treatment, and we take those commitments seriously. Every concern shared with us is reviewed promptly through our confidential grievance process, and our Client Advocate works to ensure thoughtful follow-up and support. If you would like to speak with someone directly, the Client Advocate can be reached at ClientAdvocate@hside.org.
Response from the owner1 week ago
Nothing makes us happier than to hear our program was able to help! We also appreciate you sharing your concerns. Feeling safe, supported, and heard is at the heart of effective treatment, and we take those commitments seriously. Every concern shared with us is reviewed promptly through our confidential grievance process, and our Client Advocate works to ensure thoughtful follow-up and support. If you would like to speak with someone directly, the Client Advocate can be reached at ClientAdvocate@hside.org.
Rehab Score
Our Methodology
Scoring is assigned by a proprietary system which helps surface key metrics that determine quality. The 10-point scale factors in categories such as operations, customer satisfaction, and trust metrics. Read Full Methodology
7.1 / 10
Gallery
Accepted Insurance
Managed Health Network (MHN)
Cofinity
Alliant Health Plans
Compcare
Friday Health Plans
Healthscope
LifeSynch
Other Forms of Payment
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Financial aid can take many forms. Centers may have grants or scholarships available to clients who meet eligibility requirements. Programs that receive SAMHSA grants may have financial aid available for those who need treatment as well. Grants and scholarships can help you pai for treatment without having to repay.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Outpatient Programs (OP) are for those seeking mental rehab or drug rehab, but who also stay at home every night. The main difference between outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) lies in the amount of hours the patient spends at the facility. Most of the time an outpatient program is designed for someone who has completed an inpatient stay and is looking to continue their growth in recovery. Outpatient is not meant to be the starting point, it is commonly referred to as aftercare.
Residential treatment programs are those that offer housing and meals in addition to substance abuse treatment. Rehab facilities that offer residential treatment allow patients to focus solely on recovery, in an environment totally separate from their lives. Some rehab centers specialize in short-term residential treatment (a few days to a week or two), while others solely provide treatment on a long-term basis (several weeks to months). Some offer both, and tailor treatment to the patient's individual requirements.
Clients enrolled in an intensive outpatient program (IOP) travel to treatment centers for specialized care multiple times per week. Intensive outpatient treatment allows clients to receive robust care while continuing to live at home. Most programs require between nine and 20 treatment hours per week, with the frequency and intensive of sessions decreasing as clients stabilize. Services generally include a combination of addiction counseling, medication assisted treatment (MAT), recovery-focused life skills training, and holistic therapies.
24-hour clinical care in Georgia reduces the risks involved in detox and addiction treatment. Without access to professional medical care, individuals may experience withdrawal symptoms that become life threatening. For example, alcohol withdrawal can cause delirium tremens, confusion, and cardiac symptoms. Without medical supervision to step in, these symptoms could potentially turn fatal.
Designed for individuals who don't require round-the-clock care, a partial hospitalization program (PHP) is a form of outpatient care with a higher level of support. PHP treatment can be an alternative to inpatient hospitalization or a step-down option. With daily sessions lasting 6 to 8 hours, up to 5 days a week, a partial hospitalization program may offer medication management, relapse prevention techniques, and behavioral therapy interventions. PHP treatment can be fully or partially covered by insurance.
Medical detox is the process of ridding the body of addictive substances in a medically supervised setting. If you become chemically dependent on a substance like alcohol, opioids, or benzodiazepines (like Xanax or Ativan), quitting abruptly can cause uncomfortable or even dangerous side effects. Licensed medical professionals ensure the process goes as safely and comfortably as possible while monitoring you 24/7 and administering any required medications,
Treatments
Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.
Alcoholism is a pattern of alcohol use that involves continued drinking even when it causes problems. Alcoholism is also characterized by a physical dependence on alcohol, which causes the body to experience withdrawal symptoms when alcohol is not present. Due to this physical dependence, medically-supervised detox is often necessary to safely recover from alcoholism. Alcohol rehab in Georgia offers a three-step process of detox, rehab, and maintenance to help individuals recover from alcohol addiction.
A quality drug rehab in Georgia can help you overcome addiction. This environment is designed to help you address the complex issues contributing to drug dependence. The goal of treatment is to give you the tools you need to make a full recovery.
Opioid AddictionPrograms
Recovery is most successful when clients feel accepted and validated by their peers and treatment providers. Facilities that offer LGBTQ-inclusive programming are committed to creating a safe space where everyone can grow and recover without fear of judgment or discrimination. They will have dedicated policies in place to create a safe and supportive environment that fosters free expression.
Serving in the military is both mentally and physically challenging, and can result in trauma that persists even after combat ends. Military programs are tailored to the specific and often complex needs of active duty personnel, veterans, and military families. Clients often access these programs through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The providers who specialize in the children's rehab space understand the specialized needs that this population faces. School-based and social services such as tutoring and family counseling are often central to treatment. Child programs may also address the needs of youth experiencing substance abuse in the home, including a parent's or sibling's addiction.
Teen programs are designed to address the unique pressures teens face, pressures that can drive them to experiment with dangerous, addictive substances. They need programs that meet them exactly where they are and give them tools for long-term recovery. Therapy can help teenagers understand and work through underlying issues so they can reclaim the life ahead of them.
Clinical Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a treatment designed to help people understand and ultimately affect the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT is often used for individuals who struggle with self-harm behaviors, such as self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal thoughts, urges, or attempts. It has been proven clinically effective for those who struggle with out-of-control emotions and mental health illnesses like Borderline Personality Disorder.
Eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and dysfunctional eating patterns. Many psychologists and other mental health professionals consider eating disorders to be food addictions, meaning food is being used in an addictive way (similar to drug or alcohol addiction). Certain substance abuse treatment programs will have treatment for eating disorders as one of the services offered. An eating disorder may also present as a co-occuring disorder or dual diagnosis alongside drug and alcohol addiction.
Experiential therapy is a form of therapy in which clients are encouraged to surface and work through subconscious issues by engaging in real-time experiences. Experiential therapy departs from traditional talk therapy by involving the body, and having clients engage in activities, movements, and physical and emotional expression. This can involve role-play or using props (which can include other people). Experiential therapy can help people process trauma, memories, and emotion quickly, deeply, and in a lasting fashion, leading to substantial and impactful healing.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.
Nutrition therapy has short term and long term goals. In the short term, it helps restore your health so you can recover from the physical effects of addiction. Long term, it helps you understand overall health and nutrition to set you up for a healthy lifestyle in recovery.
Animal TherapyBy incorporating recreational therapy into an addiction treatment program in Georgia, you learn to discover new interests and develop health and healthy coping mechanisms. Activities could include painting, group sports, or yoga. These encourage social interaction and support your physical fitness, which are vital factors in a successful recovery journey.
Amenities
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Gym -
Day School
Staff & Accreditations
Staff
Emily R. Acker
President & CEO
Dr. Sheritta C. Carmichael, MD
Medical Director
Kimberly Young, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Residential Clinical Operations Director
Russell Wagner
BOD Chair
Tommy Herrington
BOD Vice Chair
Mark Simmons
BOD Secretary
Rhea Erichsen
BOD Treasurer
Accreditations
The Joint Commission, formerly known as JCAHO, is a nonprofit organization that accredits rehab organizations and programs. Founded in 1951, the Joint Commision's mission is to improve the quality of patient care and demonstrating the quality of patient care.
Joint Commission Accreditation: Yes
Contact Information
690 Courtenay Drive NE
Atlanta GA, 30306
Get Help Now - 470-866-4553
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