I called Amy at A Better Tomorrow to seek help for my daughter who is an addict. I was told that the cost of the 28 day program was $8800 and the pictures on the their website was a beautiful condo type facility where she was supposed to receive MD visits; therapy with licensed counselors; and it was a dual diagnosis facility. Amy told me I could pay 1/2 of the total which I did $4400 to get my daughter to California and in treatment. On March 11 she flew to California for treatment, excited for the first time ever to finally receive help with her addiction. Upon arrival, she was picked up by a man who was from Stephouse Recovery and taken to a place called The Lighthouse at Anaheim which was not the location she was to be sent. Immediately I called Amy to see why she was not sent to Murietta and she informed me that would cost an additional $2800. None of this was disclosed to me at the time the arrangements were made. I started researching this company and they do business under several different names: A Better Tomorrow; A Better Tomorrow Treatment Center; ABTTC; Forterus, Inc; The Lighthouse at Anaheim and when researching I found this seemed to be their MO to get people over there and then require more money. After 2 days of being in the facility, she was sent to detox which cost an additional $2800 that I was not made aware of until afterwards. I decided after all of the complaints found during my search that I needed to go and get her and see this for myself. The Lighthouse at Anaheim is located in a terrible neighborhood and the facility is completely unclean, frozen food is served and looks like the middle of "crackville". On the day I decided to fly out and get her, Amy called while I was boarding the plane to tell me that they were discharging my daughter in 1 hour with no food, money, phone, or transportation. I convinced them to keep her at the facility until I arrived in California because she still had money in her account until 3/23. When I saw that facility I was shocked, it was filthy and the neighborhood was horrible. The staff that walked her out looked looked very unprofessional and you could not tell the difference between them and the residents. While my daughter was in detox, she was prescribed phenobarbitol, trazadone, clonidine, and suboxone by a doctor that never even spoke with her, Dr. Gregory Freed. She never once had a session with a doctor or therapist. When she asked to see a Psychiatrist, I was called to be informed that for her to see the doctor on a day that was not his regular visiting day, it would cost me $250 extra dollars. When asked what is the normal doctor day I was told Thursdays but she was still never saw one. It cost me $1800 to fly to California and get her, not to mention the cost of taxi, hotel, and food. I think it is ridculous that this company has been allowed to do this to so many families and someone needs to put a stop to their scam. On the Better Business Bureau of California, Forterus, Inc. Is rated an F and so are some of the A Better Tomorrow's that come up. There are many other complaints of similar nature, so it seems to be how they make their living. The Lighthouse at Anaheim doesn't even come up and when you type in the address, 1320 West Pearl Street, Anaheim, CA, it comes up as a home health business. The staff that are listed under A Better Tomorrow are not even at the Lighthouse, they have a different set of staff that seem to know nothing about helping an addict and are very verbally abusive to the residents. For example, telling them they will never be anything but addicts on the streets for the rest of their life. The better business bureau also states that the Lighthouse is unlicensed as of 8/23 and I would like to know how they are allowed to operate. This whole experience has been a nightmare and it is so unethical and morally wrong that these people pray on families desparate to help their loved ones.
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