Meadows Behavioral Healthcare FAQs

The admissions process at Meadows Behavioral Healthcare is designed to be simple and efficient. Our admissions team handles the details, from verifying insurance to arranging treatment. We make sure the process is quick, ensuring people get the right care when they need it most. Visit our admissions page or contact our admissions team to learn more about the process. 

We accept most major insurance plans and provide flexible financing. We’re also a TRICARE provider and treat veterans through the VA MISSION Act. Whatever your circumstances, our admissions team will work with you to find the best way to pay for treatment.

We’ve treated addiction, mental health issues, and trauma for over 45 years. Learn more about what we treat and how we treat it by visiting our Treatment page.

Unlike many treatment centers, we focus on addressing the root cause of addiction and mental health issues — unresolved trauma from childhood. By healing the core trauma, we help patients achieve lasting recovery, not just short-term relief.

Learn more about our industry-leading approach by visiting our treatment page.

The Meadows Model of Developmental Immaturity was developed by Senior Fellow Pia Mellody in the 1970s and has become the gold standard for trauma and addiction treatment.

Yes. We’ve found that the 12-Step model provides a path to accepting that addictions and trauma are powerful and destructive, so it is a component of our program. Of course, we understand that one size doesn’t fit all, so we develop personalized recovery plans to fit our patients’ unique needs. These plans are all based on our proprietary “Meadows Model” and include a variety different therapies and modalities.

We incorporate individualized therapeutic modalities, such as Somatic Experiencing® (SE), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Emotional Freedom Technique as appropriate.

We believe in treating the whole person — physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We offer a variety of complimentary regulatory activities that enrich the recovery process, including acupuncture, meditation, yoga, tai chi, and mindfulness.

Our treatment plans offer many experiential ways of learning, including Equine Assisted Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy. Unlike many programs, we have horses on-site at our nearby sister facility overseen by MBH staff, allowing for weekly equine sessions. No horseback riding experience is necessary. 

In fact, equine therapy doesn’t actually include riding. Instead, it involves groundwork with the horses that can raise issues and provide an opportunity to work through problems that are harder to access in group or individual sessions.

Detox, or detoxification, cleanses the blood through metabolizing alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, and neutralizes and destroys poisonous and harmful substances. If you have used alcohol or drugs for your body to feel normal, then you should seek help to guide you through the withdrawal process from those substances. The effects of withdrawal on your body and mind can be uncomfortable and dangerous, which is why they should be done under strict supervision by qualified clinicians.

Inpatient treatment provides care 24 hours a day in a residential setting. Sometimes, it is better to be taken out of your home environment in order to focus fully on recovery. After an extensive evaluation, our therapists, counselors, and psychologists create a unique, personalized treatment plan. That plan is based on the patient’s diagnoses, interests, and personality, and usually consists of individual and group sessions, therapeutic modalities like EMDR and Somatic Experiencing®, neurofeedback, and interactive holistic offerings like expressive arts, mindfulness, tai chi, and equine therapy.

Treatment consists of individual and group work. You will have a primary therapist who will work with you to meet your needs as laid out in your master treatment plan. While it might seem like more individual sessions would equal faster healing, that’s not necessarily the case. Our treatment program includes a varied schedule that allows for time to process the information and insights gained during individual and group sessions, get peer feedback, as well as explore feelings and emotions through holistic therapies like mindfulness, equine, or expressive arts.

Patients can expect to heal and regain a sense of control over their lives. During treatment, each patient follows a personalized plan that includes different types of therapies to meet their needs. Through these therapies, they develop coping skills to manage emotions better and gain a new sense of clarity. 

As a result, many of our patients report a significant decrease in symptoms related to depression, anxiety, and trauma. Life starts to feel more balanced, and lasting recovery becomes achievable.

The average length of stay is 42 days inpatient and 60 days outpatient. However, the length of treatment depends on each person’s progress and can be adjusted to make sure they get the support needed for lasting recovery. By the end of treatment, many patients feel more confident and ready for the next step.

If everyday life has become unmanageable because of substance use, unresolved emotional trauma, uncontrollable mood disorders, or compulsive behavior, then you should consider treatment. If dysfunctional behaviors have had a negative effect on your job, relationships, finances, or health, then you should contact a professional counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or addiction specialist who can better assess the situation.

All patients are screened prior to admission to make sure they are clinically appropriate for the program. They also receive an extensive assessment and diagnosis to uncover their specific core issues and to create an individualized treatment plan.

Yes, we believe family support plays an important role in long-term recovery. For inpatient treatment, families can attend Family Week, get weekly updates, optional support groups, and resources like education on psychological topics. 

For outpatient treatment, families have more contact and access to weekly family groups to help set boundaries and heal. Both options focus on building healthier communication and supporting long-term recovery. Visit our For Families page for additional information and other helpful resources.

Our flagship location, The Meadows, was created as an addiction treatment center more than 40 years ago at a former dude ranch in the lush Sonoran Desert northwest of Phoenix, Arizona.

Our inpatient facilities have an experienced 24-hour nursing staff.

The Meadows is licensed as a Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility by the Arizona Department of Health Services. We are also accredited by The Joint Commission. Such standards assure patients that they are receiving the highest-quality care available anywhere.

Our locations are each equipped with a multi-disciplinary team of providers, including a psychiatric specialist, a medical physician, 24-hour nursing (for inpatient), registered dietitians, and licensed master’s- and doctoral-level therapists.

Patients of Meadows Behavioral Healthcare and its family of treatment programs benefit from the expertise of our team of Meadows Senior Fellows, who provide clinical leadership and guide our treatment approach. This distinguished group of leaders, teachers, and thinkers constantly challenges our organization to excel and remain innovative in our continuum of specialized treatment programs.

Yes. We are able to detox patients on our campus with clinical supervision.

Our therapists lead primary groups ranging from 6-12 patients.

Our alumni receive regular check-in calls during the first 90 days and can reach out anytime for help. We also provide weekly support groups, special events, and app content to keep you engaged. Plus, our alumni newsletters share resources, updates, and encouragement to help you stay connected and supported as you transition back to everyday life.

We check in with patients at different times (discharge, three months, and six months) after treatment to see how they’re doing. By tracking their symptoms and overall well-being, we gather accurate data on patients’ recovery and the effectiveness of our treatment. This gives us a well-rounded picture of their progress once they leave our campuses.