The reason why I gave this clinic a 6 out of 10 review is because they clearly have a will to help but in something as delicate as an addiction that is clearly not enough. They lack of knowledge and experience!
About Ralph H. Johnson VAMC – Trident Specialty Care Clinic
Located in North Charleston, South Carolina is the Ralph H. Johnson VAMC – Trident Specialty Care Clinic. This is VA outpatient clinic that supports veterans and their families. The services here will help you or your loved one work through medical or mental health struggles that are negatively impacting your life. There are also services here that help address issues related to drug, alcohol, or substance abuse.
Policies for most major insurance providers are included here as well as public insurance policies and VA benefits.
Services for Addiction Through Mental Health Care
Some outpatient VA clinics offer a dedicated addiction treatment department. However, here at the Trident Specialty Care Clinic, addiction services are available through their mental health care department. You’ll need a referral to receive services here, but referrals are easy enough to obtain, and there are generally low wait times according to past clients.
Once you start speaking with a specialist, you’ll undergo assessments and evaluations to determine what specific struggles you’re dealing with and the best treatment approach to manage your symptoms.
Referrals for More Specialized Care
If you need more intensive addiction treatment support then you can be referred to the regional medical center that operates under the VA Charleston Healthcare system. The VA does a really good job of integrating healthcare and if the services you need are at a separate location then transportation is provided free of charge to help you get to those appointments.
Ancillary Services
Other ancillary services you’ll find here include specialized treatment for clients who are suffering from PTSD, have struggled with suicidal ideation, have a chronic disease, or need psychiatric care for other issues that are at play.
Latest Reviews
Parking was difficult, had to park in Bee St garage.
Valet parking closes at 2pm, don’t know why. Luckily some medical personnel were walking by and saw me struggling and got a wheelchair for me!
Staff were very nice.
I have been trying to get assigned a primary care provider since October 2023. I call, they say “the point of contact will call you within 3 days.” Weeks pass and I call… same thing. I haven’t seen a VA doctor since I separated over a year ago. I’m polite on the phone, they’re apologetic every time. Nothing changes. The only doctor that will see me is when I walk in to urgent care. This sucks. I don’t feel very taken care of.
EDIT: Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center doesn’t assign PCM.. As soon as I called goose creek, I got an appointment. The employees that were telling me “you’ll get a call back” should’ve known that the appointment requests were going no one! Hopefully this helps..
From the moment I entered in the emergency department, the only thing I experienced was absolute professionalism, kindness, and even some well needed humor! It then transferred to floor four when I was admitted. This hospital has put every other one I’ve been in in the Charleston, SC area to shame! From the doctors to the nurses to the techs and everyone else that makes that place run, hats off to you all. If I see you around town I will buy you a beer! I’d give them 10 stars if I could.
Rehab Score
Our Methodology
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7.9 / 10
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Location
Accepted Insurance
Other Forms of Payment
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.
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 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.
Aftercare Support Completing a drug or alcohol rehab program shouldn't spell the end of substance abuse treatment. Aftercare involves making a sustainable plan for recovery, including ongoing support. This can include sober living arrangements like halfway houses, career counseling, and setting a patient up with community programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
Treatments
Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Rehab and other substance abuse facilities treating those with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder administer psychiatric treatment to address the person's mental health issue in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
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.
Programs
Adult Program
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
LGBTQ Program
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.
Military Program
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).
Young Adult Program
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
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.
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.
EMDR is a therapeutic modality originally developed to help process trauma. In an EMDR session, a patient is prompted to undergo eye movements that mimic those of REM sleep. This is accomplished by watching a therapist's finger move back and forth across, or following a bar of light. The goal is repetitive sets of eye movements that help the brain reprocess memory, which can significantly reduce the intensity of remembered traumatic incidents. Associated memories can heal simultaneously, leaving patients significantly calmer, more stable, and more emotionally relaxed.
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.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a way of getting nicotine into the bloodstream without smoking. It uses products that supply low doses of nicotine to help people stop smoking. The goal of therapy is to cut down on cravings for nicotine and ease the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Nutrition therapy, aka medical nutrition therapy (MNT), is a way of treating physical, emotional, and medical conditions through diet. Specific dietary plans are designed by professional nutritionists or registered dietitians, and patients follow them in order to positively affect their physical and mental health.
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.
Amenities
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Private Setting
Staff & Accreditations
Staff
Jaime Areizaga-Soto
Chairman of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals
Tanya Bradsher
VA Deputy Secretary
Kurt DelBene
Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer
Dr. Shereef Elnahal
Under Secretary for Health
Accreditations
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is a non-profit organization that specifically accredits rehab organizations. Founded in 1966, CARF's, mission is to help service providers like rehab facilities maintain high standards of care.
CARF Accreditation: Yes
Accreditation Number: 247732
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
Accreditation Number: 6587
Contact Information
(843) 789-6400 
109 Bee St
Charleston, SC 29401
Get Help Now - 803-575-2354
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Fact checked and written by:
Nadia El-Yaouti, M. Ed.
Edited by:
Courtney Myers, MS
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