Recovery First Treatment Center: Hollywood, FL

Prospective Patients

Tours of our facility are welcomed and encouraged. Recovery First offers patient tours on a schedule that can be made through the facility’s admission coordinator.

Arrival

Our admission process is quick and easy, and usually takes an hour or less to complete. If you come to Recovery First, you will be picked up from the airport by a member of the Recovery First staff. Upon admission, you may be given the opportunity to contact your family to let them know you arrived safely in treatment. Then, a staff member will typically give you a tour of the facility and help you complete your admission paperwork. Following this, patients will be assessed to determine the level of care needed—that is detox, partial hospitalization, residential treatment, etc.

Meals

Patients are provided 3 meals daily, prepared by each individual. Patients may also sometimes be given snacks. At Recovery First, we can accommodate several specialty diets.

Housing Details

At Recovery First, patients occupy a 2-story apartment-like complex with 9 apartments each with shared bedrooms. Each apartment is equipped with its own kitchen, including 2 BBQ pits in the courtyard area. Facility staff is available on-site 24/7. Those in residential treatment get weekly stipends on their Publix card so they can go grocery shopping as they are working on integrating back into society and building life skills. Additionally, all rooms have a TV and are fully furnished.

Recreational Activities & Outings

Yoga is available Monday through Friday from 8-9 AM for eligible patients whose treatment team has deemed it safe for them to exercise. Additionally, supervised off-site gym visits are permitted a few times a week. There are also outdoor outing opportunities such as visits to the park Monday through Friday. Those interested in combining organized faith with their recovery efforts may attend church on Sundays. Recovery First also sometimes takes residents out into the nearby community as requested for haircut services, nail services, etc.

Technology

At Recovery First, patients may bring and use their electronic devices during free and designated hours. We provide free Wi-Fi to all patients and guests.

Recovery First Treatment Center offers a multitude of services to our patients (but not limited to):

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Recovery First offers MAT to patients in our Hollywood, Florida rehab center. Medication-Assisted Treatment can prove beneficial in helping those with substance use disorders – especially those with addictions to opioids or alcohol – curb their cravings and remain abstinent from their drug of choice.

Co-occurring Mental Health Disorder Treatment

Clinicians at Recovery First Treatment Centers treat underlying mental health conditions in tandem with substance use disorders. This way, you are able to positively contribute to your recovery from mental health conditions while also healing from substance abuse issues.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy sessions typically last one hour in duration and are held at least weekly with a patient’s primary therapist. Individual therapy sessions at Recovery First may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing (MI), and rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT).

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a trauma-focused treatment offered to patients at Recovery First who feel safe to begin addressing their trauma in a therapeutic environment. With the help of clinician, those who participate in EMDR at Recovery First can work on healing their trauma while recovering from substance abuse issues.

Group Therapy

Group therapy sessions are usually led by a trained therapist or other clinician and last 1 hour in length. Group therapy sessions generally occur 3 to 6 times a day, 7 days a week. Some of our group therapy offerings include:

• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
• Pain management groups.
• Process groups.

Family Support and Therapy

For patients who would like to integrate their family in their treatment plan, Recovery First offers a monthly family program and regular family therapy. Additional family programming is available every first and third Saturday of the month, and families can visit patients on Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon.

Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care Partner

Recovery First is a VA Community Care Partner. We work with clients assigned by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Local VA to meet patients’ needs.

Genetics-Informed Addiction Treatment

Recovery First Treatment Center utilizes pharmacogenetics, or the practice of using genetic information to determine whether certain medications may be more effective than others for you in the treatment of your substance abuse issues.

Customized Treatment Tracks

In addition to informing treatment with genetics, Recovery First ensures that each patient receives a personalized plan, filled with relevant individual and group therapies. Special populations get the support they need with an in-house trauma track and first responder’s program, along with a veteran’s program.

Co-occurring Mental Health Disorders

By using an integrated treatment approach, Recovery First’s expert clinicians are able to treat a variety of secondary and co-occurring mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and bipolar disorder.

At Recovery First, our professional treatment team includes board-certified psychiatrists, case managers, therapists, an attending physician, behavioral health technicians, biomedical techs, and licensed vocational nurses. Master’s-level therapists (LPC, LCSW, LMSW) lead experiential therapies. Our clinical team is staffed with master-level professionals and certified substance abuse counselors.

This gives the staff a level of compassion and empathy that is evident throughout the treatment process. Several staff members are fluent in Spanish, including one who is also a Veteran. This therapist started a group specifically for Spanish-speaking Veterans.

Denise O’Connell, CEO

Denise O’Connell is a dedicated, licensed mental health provider with more than 30 years of experience treating mental health and substance use disorders. Prior to joining the Recovery First family, she served as the executive director of behavioral health for another medical facility in Florida. There, she created an IOP program that expanded significantly during her tenure. Because of her management and expertise, O’Connell quickly developed a reputation in the community for quality and integrity.

O’Connell’s career in addiction treatment was propelled by an early interest in the inner workings of the mind, substance abuse, and mental health. A licensed mental health counselor with a master’s degree in counseling psychology and experience with dual diagnosis conditions, she thoroughly understands the particular needs of individuals with mental health disorders and with the substance-abusing population. O’Connell’s leadership, knowledge, and experience combine to ensure that patients receive the highest level of care at Recovery First.

Richard Seely, Medical Director

Dr. Richard Seely received his medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University in 1979, and went on to complete his residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Dr. Seely brings nearly 40 of experience as a practicing psychiatrist to his position as medical director at Recovery First. Prior to coming to Recovery First, Dr. Seely practiced at Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, working alongside Recovery First CEO, Denise O’Connell.

Charles Smith, Addictionologist

Charles Smith is an addictionologist, also known as an addiction medicine physician, at Recovery First Treatment Center in Florida. He holds a doctorate in osteopathic medicine and has worked for American Addiction Center for 2 years.

Jorge Hincapie, Clinical Manager

Jorge Hincapie is a licensed mental health counselor in the State of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. He decided to become a therapist in 2012, and has been working in the substance misuse field since 2017. Hincapie speaks English and Spanish and has experience working with survivors of domestic violence, court-mandated clients, children and families, and private therapy.

At Recovery First, Hincapie began as a primary therapist at the detox level of care and also worked with partial hospitalization patients. In 2019, he was promoted to clinical manager of inpatient and outpatient programs, furthering his passion for helping adults recover from substance use disorders and other co-occurring mental health problems.

Hincapie’s extensive training includes: cognitive processing therapy (CPT), EMDR, seeking safety, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), grief and loss, LGBTQ, the Gottman Method, emotionally focused therapy (EFT), child-centered play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), and person-centered therapy (Rogerian Therapy).

David Galat, Clinical Operations Manager

David Galat is a Veteran of the United States Coast Guard and has been working at Recovery First since 2018. He started as an overnight treatment advocate and was promoted to program supervisor based on his accreditations, hard work, and leadership.

In 2020, Galat began his current role as the clinical operations manager, leading the treatment advocate and client support teams. He holds a master’s degree in health administration from Capella University and is dedicated to improving care and services for individuals suffering from substance use.

Susan O. Feldman, Director of Quality and Performance Improvement

Susan Feldman has over 30 years of experience working in acute care and psychiatric hospitals. She spent the beginning of her career working in operations and management before eventually transitioning into quality, compliance, and performance improvement.

Feldman’s expertise lies in ensuring organizations are compliant and prepared for Joint Commission accreditation surveys. She holds a bachelor’s degree in health management from the University of New Hampshire and a MBA from Loyola University.

Recovery First is accredited by CARF, an independent nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that various areas of healthcare treatment meet lofty standards. The standards, policies, and accreditation process are actively overseen by an elected board of 11 directors.

CARF’s mission is to “promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of persons served.” According to CARF, “Providers that meet our standards have demonstrated their commitment to being among the best available.”

The Joint Commission for Behavioral Health Care Recovery First is accredited by The Joint Commission for Behavioral Health Care, an internationally recognized symbol of healthcare quality and the gold standard of care for the industry. This accreditation signifies that, through external, unbiased evaluation, we have met or exceeded The Joint Commission’s standards for providing addiction treatment for all of the levels of care offered at Recovery First, including high acuity medical detox.

Programming

The educational family program at Recovery First is led by trained therapists and clinical staff and takes place twice a month, two days a week, on Fridays and Saturdays. Family members who participate in our educational family program learn about the science of addiction and gain a better understanding of the concept of addiction as a disease. Our family program is an opportunity for our patients to heal their relationships with their loved ones, teach loved ones about the disease of addiction, and lend support to those who have a loved one in recovery.

Visiting Your Loved One

Family visits are generally not permitted while a patient is in detox due to the nature of the withdrawal process. However, Recovery First encourages family members to visit recovering patients during the residential and inpatient phases of their treatment. During your loved one’s treatment, we can work with you to plan a visit. Your loved one’s treatment team will provide you with all of the information you need to schedule your visit. Recover First is about a 25-30 minute drive and is located just outside of Miami.