What to expect
Initial Inquiry/Phone Call
Our intake coordinator will ask you about the issues you would like to address and any treatment experiences you have had in the past. We will collect details about your life circumstances (family, work, interests) and what brought you to consider coming to CMC:Berkshires.
If, after this exchange, it seems like CMC:Berkshires might be a good option for you, the intake coordinator will schedule a call with one of our clinicians, who will likely have a direct hand in your care from beginning to end of treatment. The clinician will do a deep dive into your goals and struggles so we can be sure that we have the programming to address your needs. They can also answer specific questions you may have about what your day-to-day experience would be like.
We will also get a sense of the people in your life who might be able to support you during the process of making this decision. It can be very helpful for us to talk with other treatment providers and/or family members or friends. We encourage you to involve anyone who can help you make this decision and will work with you to determine how best they can be involved (e.g., providing information only, offering financial support, helping you get to us, etc.).
Our team will work diligently with you to determine whether CMC:Berkshires is an appropriate fit. We understand that each person has unique needs, and that we might not be the best place for every individual. We spend a lot of time in this initial process to be sure you are the right fit for us, and that we are the right fit for you. If either party feels it is not a match, we will try to refer you to a program or treatment provider that would better suit your needs. Again, our main goal is to help you find the support and treatment options that work for you.
Detoxification Needs: One of our goals during this extensive phone conversation is to assess for potential withdrawal from substances. Many substances require medically managed detoxification, and we want to be absolutely sure that we can safely provide you the support and care you need. If together we decide that it makes sense for you to complete a detox before coming to CMC:Berkshires, we will help you make arrangements with a facility either close to your location or close to us. We will then help you get to CMC directly from the detox program.
Admission Process
Our administrative director will be in touch to finalize the documents you will need to fill out before your admission and to discuss financial and travel arrangements. We will also email a packing list and some other useful details about our program to give you as much information as possible before you arrive.
Travel Arrangements
One of the best things about CMC:Berkshires is its location: a beautiful, private estate nestled in the Berkshire mountains. It can, however, be difficult to find (one important way we protect your privacy). We prefer that clients do not drive themselves to CMC:Berkshires. It is important that we help you identify family members or friends who can bring you to the property. Alternatively, we can help arrange your safe travel to us (by booking a car service/flights/trains).
Travel time from nearby cities and airports:
- New York City (LGA LaGuardia, JFK, EWR Newark, TEB Teterboro) 2½ hours
- Boston, MA (BOS Logan) 2½ hours
- Hartford, CT (BDL Bradley International) 1 hour
- Albany, NY (ALB Albany International) 75 minutes
- Nearby FBOs
- KGBR Berkshire Aviation 20 minutes
- PSF Pittsfield 40 minutes
For clients arriving via private aircraft, arrangements can be made for pickup at local FBOs that are 20–60 minutes away (depending on the type and size of the equipment).
Should you require more assistance getting to us, we can refer you to sober transport services that will pick up you or your family member anywhere in the world and bring you or them safely to us. These are third-party organizations not affiliated with CMC:Berkshires with whom we have Qualified Service Organization Agreements to ensure that they meet our standards of conduct and confidentiality.
Your Stay at CMC:Berkshires
On your arrival day, you will be given a warm welcome by people from every part of our staff and treatment team. We will help you settle into your room, give you a tour of the grounds, and introduce you to other clients. You will also receive a complete medical assessment, history, and physical with our medical director. You will have a thorough psychological assessment the following day with your individual therapist and an evaluation with our psychiatric director within your first week.
After settling in, which can take a few hours to a few days, you will commence a regular schedule (click here to see what a typical week might look like). Each day at CMC:Berkshires is packed with activity, typically starting between 7 and 8am with breakfast. Every client attends individual sessions, group sessions, and specific skills training (relapse prevention and DBT). Depending on the issues you are hoping to address, we may recommend additional types of treatment. You’ll enjoy group fitness classes six days a week and meet with our wellness director to schedule individual yoga or personal training sessions. We are located on almost 200 acres, so there are lots of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors by walking our beautiful property and the surrounding area. The evening offers space and time to relax and work on introducing/re-introducing interests into your life. These may include attending self-help meetings, such as SMART Recovery, Refuge Recovery/Recovery Dharma, or AA/NA. You will be encouraged to develop healthy sleep habits and relaxation skills that you can take back to your life after CMC:Berkshires.
Family Services
Throughout your stay, we will work with you to identify the family and peer relationships that need to be addressed in order for you to maintain long-term change. Family members are almost always doing the best they can when it comes to offering support, but many lack understanding and the skills to manage this effectively. There is often a significant amount of anger, resentment, and hopelessness in a family by the time a person decides to seek inpatient treatment. We believe it is crucial to constructively engage the people close to you while you are in treatment so they can learn positive and effective skills to play a motivating and supportive role in your life moving forward.
Unlike many rehabs, we do not have a formal “family week,” as we feel it is important to address each family and its unique circumstances and members individually. To that end, you will work with a family therapist who can lead couples and family sessions at CMC:Berkshires, taking into account your family dynamics. Our therapists are trained in CRAFT and our Invitation to Change Approach® as well as a variety of other therapies to help you make strides as a family. We will send involved parties our book (Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change) and workbook (The 20-Minute Guide) and help them engage in the change process with you. Your family members will most likely be the community and support system to which you return. Having them on the same page can make the difference between a smooth transition home and a painful one.
Aftercare
At CMC:Berkshires, we start thinking about and planning for your life after CMC:Berkshires during the first week. We believe strongly that to be successful in the long term, a lot of thought needs to be put into how to protect the changes you have made while here. We will help you evaluate and set up outside support for when you leave.
If you do not have pre-existing therapeutic support in your community, we will connect you to treatment providers and will speak with them about your work at CMC:Berkshires. We have personally worked with a large network of treatment providers and whenever possible will refer you to someone we know. We value collaboration with outside providers! If you do have a pre-existing therapist, we will be continually speaking to them about your treatment while you are at CMC:Berkshires, and they will play an integral role in helping us design a continuing care plan. Our goal is to have everyone on the same page, with solid, well-thought-out plans in place before you leave us.
Along with making sure that you have appropriate treatment support, we will help you find outlets in your local community for activities that you enjoyed—perhaps discovered!—while with us (yoga, meditation, exercise, cooking classes, self-help meetings, etc.).
Finally, we have a dedicated clinical liaison who provides transition support services and will connect with you weekly for a month after you discharge to make sure your plans are working out. If they are not, the clinical liaison will help you resolve any problems you may be having. You will also have phone check-ins with your primary therapist for the first four weeks after you leave CMC:Berkshires. We want you to carry everything you learn at CMC:Berkshires back with you and be able to put it to use. It is sometimes difficult to remember everything you accomplished while in rehab; weekly check-ins are one way to reinforce the skills you learned and changes you made and to get refreshers if needed.
Alumni Support Group
Our clinical liaison runs a twice-monthly virtual alumni support group so you can remain tethered to the relationships you built while at CMC.
