McLean's Addiction Treatment Center at Fernside

Our approach to addiction treatment

Fernside provides private, attentive, individualized care for drug and alcohol addiction. Beginning on the day of admission, each patient works directly with our board-certified, Harvard-affiliated psychiatrists, who provide comprehensive evaluation and medication treatment for both substance use and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Our intensive, seven-day-a-week program focuses on relapse prevention and recovery and specializes in caring for patients whose substance use disorder has not responded to other treatment or is further complicated by conditions such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Relapse prevention therapy

As part of comprehensive residential drug and alcohol addiction treatment, relapse prevention therapy is a cognitive behavioral approach. This therapy focuses on building self-control, understanding high-risk scenarios, and developing effective coping mechanisms to support long-term abstinence.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

DBT is a highly effective, evidence-based approach integrated into Fernside’s drug and alcohol addiction treatment program. It empowers individuals to manage intense emotions and destructive behaviors that can fuel substance use. DBT focuses on developing four core skill sets:

• Mindfulness
• Interpersonal effectiveness
• Emotion regulation
• Distress tolerance

McLean applies DBT as a therapy for both adolescents and adults throughout our various treatment programs.

Motivational enhancement therapy (MET)

MET is a counseling approach that focuses on helping individuals overcome their conflicting feelings about starting treatment and ending drug or alcohol misuse. It helps foster swift, self-driven transformation.

Integrated group therapy

Developed by McLean’s Roger D. Weiss, MD, and Hilary S. Connery, MD, PhD, integrated group therapy is a proven approach for co-occurring mood and substance use disorders. It teaches crucial recovery behaviors and relapse prevention skills applicable to both conditions.

Addiction treatment team

The Fernside drug and alcohol addiction treatment team is a multidisciplinary group of board-certified psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, registered nurses, and community residence counselors.

Our well-trained and experienced staff specialize in alcohol and drug addiction care and are dedicated to providing compassionate treatment and support for patients and their families.

Fernside is an integral component of the internationally recognized McLean Hospital Division of Alcohol, Drugs, and Addiction, led by Roger D. Weiss, MD. McLean has an unparalleled history of clinical, research, and educational leadership in the field of addiction.

Alumni Program

Many Fernside patients report that the connections they make at Fernside’s addiction recovery center are lasting and life-changing. To help support ongoing connections with fellow Fernside graduates and with the program, we offer alumni services.

This program begins prior to leaving residential care, where current patients join the program and meet alumni. The alumni program includes:

• Weekly group meetings run by program team members and including fellow Fernside alumni
• A quarterly newsletter
• Ongoing capacity to connect with Fernside staff whenever there is a need for support

The alumni program is provided free of charge and is intended to support each member and continue to establish a familiar, connected network invested in supporting long-term recovery.

What to expect during your stay

Admission

Fernside fields inquiries for the program 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information about program admission or to make a referral, please contact us at 978-464-2331

People come to Fernside from across the United States and around the world. Our knowledgeable admissions staff have information about resources nationwide, and can help arrange drug or alcohol detoxification services as needed prior to admission.

Accommodations

Located on 15 private acres of lawns, gardens and woodlands, with views of Wachusett Mountain and Boston, the building itself is a historic and elegant 19th century mansion. In addition to exceptional accommodations with fully equipped en suite bathrooms, Fernside includes a gym and an art studio. Tennis, swimming and skiing are available through local resources.

Cost

The fee for Fernside is $70,500 for 30 days, and as a self-pay program, we do not accept insurance or any third-party reimbursement.

A 30-day minimum stay is recommended to help ensure full benefit from the program.

What is included in the day rate?

Fernside’s private addiction treatment program provides clinical services, such as:

• Professional evaluation, diagnostic assessment, and treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses
• Physical examination and treatment planning to address the related medical conditions
• Intensive individual and group therapy
• Symptom education services
• Medication evaluation and management
• On-site medical director and psychiatrist providing treatment for all patients
• 24/7 direct care staffing including day/evening nursing care
• Case management services (ongoing consultation with referring clinician and aftercare planning)
• Family and couples meetings
• Basic laboratory testing
• Nutritional consultations for an additional fee
• Smoking cessation treatment and support
• Yoga, personal fitness training, recreational cooking classes

Additionally, the following are non-clinical services provided to each patient:

• Private room/private bath (single occupancy)
• Chef-prepared meals as well as snacks and beverages
• Arrival and departure transportation services available
• Transportation services for scheduled clinical appointments
• Housekeeping services
• On-site fitness studio
• Art studio with professional easels and supplies

Additional services available

Ancillary services that are available as appropriate but not included in the day rate:

• Psychological testing
• Neurological consultations
• Specialty imaging – MRI, CT
• Specialty psychiatric consultations

Other medical services:

• Ambulance services, emergency room visits
• Specialized pain management
• Dental services
• Medications
• Sleep study
• Additional off-site laboratory testing
• Special duty nursing
• Specials 1:1
• Additional specialized medical services and consultation
• Physical therapy

Non-clinical services:

• Transportation services (other than to scheduled appointments)
• Off-site meals
• Personal beauty/hair salon services
• Personal laundry and cleaning
• Complementary services (massage, acupuncture, etc.)

These optional ancillary clinical and medical services may or may not be covered by the patient’s insurance.

Patients who benefit most from our program and family involvement

• Fernside’s residential addiction treatment program focuses on treating individuals with serious drug and alcohol misuse, many of whom will have co-occurring psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, trauma and PTSD, or personality disorders.

• Family involvement is strongly recommended to participate in our drug and alcohol addiction treatment program. With permission of the patient, family members can be involved in assessment and in treatment/aftercare planning. We also offer a weekly family support and education group that includes the option to participate via video teleconference.

Visiting hours, cell phone and smoking policy, and patient privacy

• Visitors are permitted, following program policies. Visiting hours are 12-8 pm, Saturdays and Sundays.
• Smoking is allowed in designated outdoor areas only. No smoking is allowed inside any of our buildings. Use of chewing tobacco and “e-cigarettes” is not permitted.
• Individuals are permitted to hold and use their cell phones and computers, with some guidelines to prevent disruption of the program and other patients.

Patient Privacy

• Privacy is of the utmost importance to Fernside. As an addiction recovery center, we ensure confidentiality through our highly trained, professional, and discreet staff.
  No third party, whether known to the patient or not, has access to medical records, health information, or any information about a patient’s stay without prior written authorization from the patient.
• Patients may request their medical records by following the steps in this page.

Support, resources, and aftercare planning

Support and educational resources

• From helpful online resources to self-help groups and more, McLean Hospital is committed to providing support and mental health education to aid patients and families on the path to recovery.
• To complement our programs’ services and encourage individuals’ initiatives in their own recovery, many self-help groups are hosted by McLean, including Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and SMART Recovery. For information about self-help groups local to Fernside, please ask program staff. These groups are not required, though we expect addiction treatment program participants to attend some form of self-help five evenings per week. We offer several alternatives to AA, such as SMART Recovery and mindfulness-based self-help. Individualized plans can be created to fit a patient’s needs.

Aftercare planning

• The treatment team works closely with the individual as well as with family, significant friends, and outside providers to develop a personalized aftercare plan. Recommendations by staff are made based upon clinical needs, progress made during treatment, and long-term treatment goals.

Patient feedback

• McLean is dedicated to maintaining high-quality and effective patient care. To ensure that those standards remain at the highest level, we utilize a number of feedback instruments and quality indicators.