Every so often I go back and look through the reviews TLC receives. And once in a while I post an answer. But usually I don't bother because most of those who are motivated to post a negative review left TLC because they couldn't comply with program rules. And most of the time, if I look in our database for the name of the person posting the review, I find out that they were discharged because they didn't pay service fees of $125 a week. Or else they were under the influence of drugs. Or maybe they threatened physical violence. Bad reviews never come from anyone who graduated from our program and are living sober lives today.
And for some odd reason, they never mention that they were discharged for not paying service fees. Instead, they talk about our program being "all about making money." They're not smart enough to realize, apparently, that there are very few places in Arizona where you can live, eat three meals a day, and be in a sober environment for such a small amount of money – about $18 a day. The other thing they don't consider is that we're one of the few programs in Arizona that accepts anyone as a client, whether they have the money or not. The only exception is that we don't take sex offenders or arsonists.
Actually, these bad reviews don't surprise me because of where our clients come from. About 40% of them come to us through the justice system, either the courts, prison or county jails. The rest of those who come to us are broke, jobless, and homeless. Many have never worked. Or else they've never had the training or education to find a decent job. Or they lacked the social skills and emotional quotient to know how to get along with others. So when they fail to succeed at TLC they are understandably angry and want to lash out.
But because our mission is to help recovering substance abusers rebuild their lives we actually take people back who have left on bad terms. Even those who have left bad reviews about the program.
