Wave of North Florida – Lake City

I would not recommend the wave of North Florida in lake City to anyone. The main reason is the primary therapist is rude and inconsiderate while lacking empathy and compassion. When I was looking for a treatment… facility I was told that they had EMDR therapy which they did not have. The the food during weekdays is highly over-salted in cold most of the time. The Wi-Fi in my room rarely worked and interrupted online counseling in psychoeducation classes. Lots of petty rules that change by the day. Tina the assistant facility manager and Meriam the housekeeper did do an outstanding job.

The wave has an excellent staff, everyone is so supportive and positive and nice, there is a therapist there named Tara, she puts so much love and effort into every single group that she leads, the groups are fantastic,… it’s a beautiful building, the clinical team is wonderful.. Juan is the cook.. he puts so much love into his food.. he is such a friendly and supportive and enthusiastic human being.. a tech named Natalie is a ray of sunshine!! She is so sweet and loves her job so much and it shows.. the techs were all friendly and great.. Marium is the housekeeper and the weekend cook.. she works very hard to keep the place spotless, all the nurses are wonderful.. Reina is an incredible human being with the biggest heart and she radiates positivity and kindness and love!!! Greg is such a great nurse.. the whole staff is so supportive and loving.. the only complaint I have is the provider is not so good with dealing with med management.. I have a lot of mental health issues, and I never felt as if she was open or listened.. but over all.. I feel completely ready to return back to normal life and stay sober and make my mark in this world.. the staff does a fantastic job!! Very good at making us feel heard and they always fill us up with positive feedback and hugs!!

This place is full of heart. The people at The Wave care deeply and it shows.

I can't say enough good things about The Wave of North Florida. My sister went there during a really dark time, and it honestly saved her life. From the very first day, the staff were kind, professional, and treated her… like family. They also reached out to us to make sure we understood the process and could stay involved, which meant so much. The therapists are wonderful and the whole team goes above and beyond to create a healing environment. They give people hope again and teach them how to rebuild their lives step by step. Seeing the difference in my sister now is incredible. She's healthier, happier, and finally herself again. Thank you to everyone at The Wave for all the care and compassion you give every single day.

The Wave of North Florida truly changed my best friend’s life. She went in completely lost and came out smiling again. The staff were kind and patient with her and always kept us in the loop as her family. You can tell… they actually care about helping people heal, not just doing a job. I’ll never forget how much they did for her and for all of us who love her.

The Wave is an amazing facility! I will forever be grateful for this place! They helped my friend out a lot with her battles she has been fighting. The staff was amazing to her, and the family and friends.

Long but informative review- My experience at this facility was deeply disappointing and, at times, concerning. While the main entrance and lobby appeared beautifully renovated, this initial impression was misleading.… Upon arrival, admitting staff apologized for the "state of things," which became clearer as I was shown to my room. Despite being told this was a medically assisted detox center, I received no medication for my kratom withdrawal symptoms. A promised sleeping medication was delayed and never administered due to what seemed to be a lack of internal communication and proper record-keeping. Amenities for relaxation were severely lacking; one "relaxation" room seemed to have minimal effort put into it, with cheap paint and generic coloring pages. Staff resorted to finding bricks outside for patients to paint. My initial psychiatric evaluation was unprofessional. The evaluator was disengaged, distracted by her phone, and ultimately ended the session prematurely, citing annoyance with coworkers. This meant I went nearly 24 hours without a full psych evaluation or meeting with a doctor. The food situation was equally dire. I found empty, dirty refrigerators in the kitchen containing nothing except a half franker milkshake and "Great Value" soda. Lukewarm coffee and oatmeal packets were the only other options readily available to patients. A particularly alarming incident occurred when I decided to sign myself out Against Medical Advice (AMA) after being triggered by a Netflix show depicting drug use, which was the only thing being shown on the one available TV. I was told I couldn't leave in the middle of the night, only the next morning. I was asked what medications I wanted that they get me right then and there that would change my mind on leaving which I found to be very concerning. When I asserted my right to leave, a person claiming to be in charge attempted to hold me against my will, falsely accusing me of wanting to leave to use drugs. I had to insist on law enforcement being called. When the police arrived, there was initial confusion where the officer mistook me for staff. After clarification, the officer determined I was mentally capable and free to leave. The facility staff who I will say were extremely kind, asked if the officer was willing to speak to their boss over the phone. The officer obliged and once on the call it was clear the director of operations began to berate the officer stating he had over 20 years of experience and the officer doesn’t understand how this works. He then told a complete lie claiming I had said I was leaving to go home and use. Thankfully, another staff member present corroborated on my account. Ultimately, a sergeant had to be called to resolve the situation, and both officers affirmed my right to leave as a capable individual. While I cannot speak to individual therapy or the full range of services as I was unable to participate, the group sessions I attended were uninformative. This facility seems to prioritize taking money over providing adequate care. The ability to keep your phone was one of the few conveniences. I strongly urge extreme caution when considering this facility. My experience highlights a significant disconnect between what was advertised and what was provided, with a severe lack of organization, professional care, and patient-centered treatment. I am now fortunately working with a different facility that genuinely focuses on dual diagnosis treatment and am on my way to a path to recovery.