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Admissions Overview
Assessment
Is Riverside the right fit?
One of our admissions coordinators will complete a brief phone screening to learn more about your struggles with mental health and substance abuse. From there, we will determine how we can best help. Our medical and clinical team will then use the information obtained during the phone screening to make recommendations on the most appropriate and effective level of care.
Approval
How will I fund Treatment?
Once approved for one of our programs, an admissions coordinator will explore your options to cover the cost of substance abuse treatment. We accept most major insurance carriers and have numerous in-network contracts. Additionally, we have self-pay options for all levels of care that our admissions team would be happy to review. Once the admissions coordinator reviews the cost of substance abuse treatment, we can set a date and time for admission. Learn more about utilizing health insurance for drug and alcohol treatment at Riverside Recovery of Tampa.
Admission
When will I start Treatment?
Once finances are discussed and the client has been medically and clinically approved for one of our programs, the Admissions Coordinator will schedule an intake appointment at our facility. Once the client arrives, they will meet with the Admissions and the Medical team to begin their recovery journey. We can admit clients 24/7, 365 days a year because we understand that substance abuse doesn’t keep “normal” hours.
Meet Riverside Recovery’s Admissions Staff
At Riverside Recovery, our Admissions team is composed of individuals either in recovery or with a proven track record in the behavioral health field. They all understand how difficult it is to pick up the phone and make that first call to a treatment center. Each day, they bring a great sense of compassion, empathy, and urgency to help gently guide you or your loved one towards a new life, substance-free.
Anastasia Castelli
Dominique LeBellot
Breanna Frye
FAQs
What happens when I call Riverside Recovery's admissions line?
An admissions coordinator answers the line, which is staffed 24 hours a day, and walks you through a phone assessment that takes about 15 minutes. The coordinator asks about your substance use history, family involvement, any legal matters, medical concerns, pregnancy status and current medications, and verifies your insurance benefits during the same call. Admissions coordinators are non-clinical staff, so the conversation is a screening rather than a diagnosis.
How quickly can I be admitted?
Same-day admission is possible. A call placed in the morning can result in an intake the same day, depending on clinical appropriateness and bed availability. Outpatient intake appointments are typically scheduled for the next day. Your clinical and medical team reviews the screening before admission is confirmed.
Do I need to be sober or medically cleared before I arrive?
No. Riverside Recovery applies no blood alcohol cutoff for admission. If you can complete the intake process and walk to your room, the team can admit you, and there is no automatic requirement to be cleared at a hospital first. Many facilities turn people away above a set blood alcohol level, which is one of the reasons hospitals in the area refer patients here.
Can Riverside Recovery admit someone with serious medical problems?
Yes. The medical team treats clients with complex co-occurring physical conditions, including people who have received liver transplants, clients with hepatitis, and clients with gastrointestinal complications. The detox provider carries a gastrointestinal health specialization. Riverside Recovery is one of the few facilities in the region that accepts highly medically complex patients, and it takes direct referrals from area hospitals.
What happens on my first day?
A nurse completes an admission evaluation, a medical provider completes a history and physical, and a psychiatric provider completes a psychiatric evaluation. You also complete a biopsychosocial assessment and three screening tools: the PHQ-9 for depression, the GAD-7 for anxiety, and the BAM. Staff then give you a tour of the facility, explain the program schedule, introduce the team assigned to you, and build your treatment plan with you rather than handing you a finished one.
Who is not eligible for admission?
Riverside Recovery treats adults aged 18 and over and does not provide adolescent care. Admission requires a substance use disorder, so a primary mental health diagnosis without co-occurring substance use falls outside the program. The facility does not admit people experiencing untreated psychosis, and accepts schizophrenia only where it is stabilized rather than active or primary. Gambling disorder is not treated as a primary presentation.
Is help with transportation available?
Yes. The admissions team coordinates transportation assistance as part of arranging your arrival. Raise it on your first call so the coordinator can build it into your intake plan.
What should I have ready when I call?
Have your insurance card to hand, along with a list of any medications you currently take and their doses. It also helps to be able to describe your recent substance use, any medical conditions under active treatment, and any legal matters affecting your availability. If you are calling about someone else, their consent makes the screening considerably faster.
To see self-pay prices by level of care, and what insurance usually covers, read what rehab costs at Riverside Recovery of Tampa.