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Act Fast – Limited Capacity

Act Fast – Limited Capacity

Marlboro, MD

IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery

The IAFF Center of Excellence is a flagship recovery center where IAFF members can heal from behavioral health conditions.

“After getting my life-changing treatment, I can now be home with a clear feeling in my brain, and not have to worry about if I will live through the day.”

John Bates, IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery Alumni

Facility Overview

Through a partnership between the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) and The Recovery Village, a nationwide leader in rehabilitation and behavioral health, the IAFF Center of Excellence is a flagship recovery center where IAFF members can heal from behavioral health conditions.

The first of its kind, the IAFF Center of Excellence offers treatment exclusively for fire fighters, dispatchers and first responders. We offer treatment for mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complicated grief, along with rehab for drug and alcohol abuse.

Located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, the IAFF Center for Excellence is approximately 30 minutes from Washington, DC, and an hour from Dulles International Airport. Designed with fire fighters in mind, our 15-acre campus is ideal for focusing on treatment and recovery. Our dual-diagnosis rehab programs balance medical support with mental health counseling, while our recreational therapies facilitate whole-person healing.

The IAFF Center of Excellence is accredited by The Joint Commission, a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, and licensed by the state of Maryland for both substance abuse treatment and mental health treatment.

Levels of Care

During this level of care, clients work through withdrawal symptoms under the supervision of medical professionals.

Also known as inpatient treatment, residential treatment is the most intensive level of care after medical detox, with continued monitoring while living at the facility full-time.

Partial hospitalization is a step down from intensive rehab like detox and inpatient care.

During intensive outpatient treatment, clients usually live off-site at a facility but are dedicated to preparing for life after rehab.

In outpatient programming, clients live at home or in a sober living home and commute to rehab during the week.

Outline each client’s next steps after their treatment ends, including follow-up appointments and recommendations for nearby support groups.

Clinically Managed Detox

During this level of care, clients work through withdrawal symptoms under the supervision of medical professionals.

Residential Treatment

Also known as inpatient treatment, residential treatment is the most intensive level of care after medical detox, with continued monitoring while living at the facility full-time.

Partial Hospitalization Programming

Partial hospitalization is a step down from intensive rehab like detox and inpatient care.

Intensive Outpatient Programming

During intensive outpatient treatment, clients usually live off-site at a facility but are dedicated to preparing for life after rehab.

Outpatient Programming

In outpatient programming, clients live at home or in a sober living home and commute to rehab during the week.

Aftercare Planning

Outline each client’s next steps after their treatment ends, including follow-up appointments and recommendations for nearby support groups.

About This Facility

Facility Amenities

  • Swimming pool
  • Exercise gym
  • Basketball court
  • Sand volleyball court
  • Walking trails
  • Pickleball
  • Yoga
  • Foosball table
  • Ping pong table
  • Video games

Other

Vapes Allowed
Off-site field trips

Available amenities and activities may differ depending on the level of care.

Accepted Insurance

The IAFF Center of Excellence is in-network with most major insurance carriers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, and United. 

If you don’t have health insurance or your coverage is limited, that shouldn’t prevent you from accessing care. The IAFF Center of Excellence offers private pay options to accommodate your needs.

We are simplifying the health insurance verification process with our online system, allowing you to verify your benefits in seconds. By streamlining the insurance verification process, we connect you to the care you need, as quickly as possible. 

Our online insurance verification tool is HIPAA-compliant, so your information stays completely confidential.

IAFF Center of Excellence Reviews

If any Brother or Sister is in need of help. This is an amazing place. You will find the help you're looking for, and probably have fun while you're there.
Friendly place that treats you like you matter.
I came here as a broken human who had forgotten who I was and how to live in this world long ago. War trauma, 20 years of work trauma, on top of some nasty childhood trauma had me with no self esteem and the worst trainwreck of negative thoughts. I was already diagnosed with PTSD, depression, anxiety and using any substance put in front of me to make it all go away. 10+ years of therapy and this was not my 1st go round with intensive residential treatment. This place was everything I needed all along. It took me 60 days to deal with it and I don't regret the time at all. It certainly wasn't lost time even though I left a lot behind to come here. It's worth it and you're worth it to take the step to come here.

The clinicians are great and between them and the classes, it will help you look at all the parts that you tried to hide away, learn from them and help yourself change to be who you want to be. The rules you see online aren't really how it goes. You're respected as being a professional with a bunch of other professionals. You won't be hanging out with "your patients" that you might be imagining. Youre not locked down in a building all day, you'll spend more time doing what you want on campus then you do in programming. You do have limited cell phone access but you have everyday phone access from their landlines. You may become an Amazon preferred client if so desired. Books, cards, games, Legos, etc are all welcome to be had here. The food is decent to good by Army standards, with meals made but also a good salad bar selection and assortment of snacks. You'll be able to order groceries as well to get what you want.

I'd say the average stay is around 30 days if you need a graduation certificate. 45-60 for significant trauma needing EMDR with designated trauma groups. Not a soul leaves at 2 weeks "done", so don't listen to what the ARS guys say. This place is run significantly different from the other ARS for a reason.
Excellent facility! This place saved my life! Great staff!
This place is amazing. I am in disbelief that a place like this exists and that it was available to me. Coming here was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. The staff from housekeeping, maintenance, kitchen, and clinical/ medical are not just employees. They care and are passionate about you and your journey.

When I got here I was broken, ashamed, exhausted. My life was falling apart and I couldn’t get out of my own way. They take you apart and help you examine yourself piece by piece. They are very good at what they do.

I will forever be grateful for the ways that the CoE helped me, and grateful to myself for making the very difficult decision to come here.

If you have questions, please reach out.
Where do I begin? When I came through the gate, I was broken (or as I've learned -- bruised). I was immediately let out of my car and met by two of my peers who whooshed me to admissions. From that point on, all I felt was acceptance, belonging, and that I was in a judgement-free zone.

In my mind, I was broken, unrepairable, and had issues that no one could fix. Boy was I wrong. Whether it was in individual sessions with Remi (My Clinician), or group therapy with Dan, Pat, Ashley, Tiffany, Alanna, Kourtney, Kimberly, and others -- I was given the tools, grace, and ability to begin to fix myself.

Plus, the clinicians aren't here to just get a paycheck. They genuinely CARE about the patients, you can literally feel that in the sessions.

At my clinician's suggestion, I underwent EMDR treatment and literally felt chains being removed, and childhood trauma no longer had the power that it did on me before coming here.

Insofar as the facilities, the station houses are comfy, the supporting staff are incredible, and the Fire every evening is the perfect place to unwind, and listen to your peers share their journey to what led them here to the COE.

I could go on and on about how magical this place is, but Google doesn't have the bandwidth for me to sing my praises. I feel like every single person in the fire service would benefit from coming here.

ONWARD!

Our Team

FAQs

Yes, rehab at the IAFF Center of Excellence is always confidential, and your presence here will only be disclosed to the people you choose. Your union leaders, fellow fire fighters, friends and family members will not be informed of your treatment without your consent.

Cell phones will be securely stored upon arrival and returned at discharge. Following an initial adjustment period upon arrival, clients may use our facility’s phones three times a week.

No, our facility does not pay for transportation to or from the center, but representatives can help clients coordinate travel arrangements, if necessary.

Read About Traveling to Rehab

Treatment program lengths at the IAFF Center of Excellence vary depending on each client’s needs. We understand that many fire fighters and first responders may be concerned about time spent away from their jobs, but typically, the longer a person stays in treatment, the better equipped they are to handle life after rehab.

Contact Details

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