Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are you a religious program?
Q. I have tried other programs, how is your program any different?
Q. I have legal/work issues, can you help me with them?
Q. How do you measure your success rate?
Q. What are your credentials?
Q. Where does your research originate?
Q. Is 6 weeks long enough or is there an aftercare program?
Q. What is the staff to guest ratio?
Q. Do I need to detox?
Q. Is there a waiting list or can I come right away?
Q. What if someone does not want to stay?
Q. How do you keep the environment drug-free and safe?
Q. How much does it cost? And do you accept insurance?

Q. Are you a religious program?

A. We understand that the Saint Jude Executive Retreat name could lead people to believe that we are a religious organization offering a religious program, however we are not .

The founders of the Saint Jude Executive Retreat are Catholic and have chosen to honor St. Jude Thaddeus by giving the program his name. The Saint Jude Executive Retreat was built from the ground up through the hard work, generosity and kindness of others. There were many volunteers who helped to rebuild our houses and financial supporters who kept our doors open through the first several development years.  Oftentimes the founders went to St. Jude, the patron of hopeless causes, to ask for his help as they built the program and today they credit St. Jude for helping them to make the Jude Thaddeus Program the most effective substance abuse program nationwide.
With that being said, the Jude Thaddeus Program curriculum is not a religious program, nor do we teach people they must “find God” or spirituality to achieve sobriety as those programs have been shown to have much lower rates of success. 

Q. I have tried other programs, how is your program any different?

A. We use a social/educational approach instead of the more traditional, yet less effective, medical/psychological/control methodology thereby putting power over a person’s recovery in the hands of the individual rather than a doctor, psychologist, or group. In line with the findings of the majority of independent researchers, our methodology has provided abstinence based success rates 10 to 12 times greater than programs using traditional 12-step treatment methodologies and has remained near or greater than 60% since 1992.

Q. I have legal/work issues, can you help me with them?

A. We have worked with law enforcement agencies and officials throughout the Executive. Upon your request we can provide enrollment letters, completion letters, drug screening results and any other information requested by law enforcement to help you to fulfill your legal obligations.

Q. How do you measure your success rate?

A. Statistical surveys and analysis are conducted by an independent research organization. A random sampling of 200 graduates are contacted and surveyed annually. Then a second phone call is made to a corroborating witness for each graduate. This is a person who is close to the former guest, usually a relative or close friend that has direct, first-hand contact with the graduate. Sober statistics are based on abstinence from all substances. Those graduates who have successfully moderated their alcohol and/or drug use fall into the drunk/using category for the purposes of statistical analysis. This is different than almost any other facility’s fabricated results, whereby they add moderated use as a subjective term that adds the patient to the successful category. Although moderation can be attained through the Jude Thaddeus Program, for success rate statistics a binary result is the only objective. Either the graduate is still using alcohol and drugs, or they are not. This makes for an accurate statistical analysis. Our surveys have been conducted on the entire graduate population for over 17 years! No one in the treatment industry comes close to that kind of thorough research. This is just another way that the Jude Thaddeus Program differs from those facilities that are not willing to track their effectiveness because they are fearful of what the results will be. We also publish the independent studies online for your close inspection. We are so confident in the methods we teach that our research policy is to have an open book to the public.

Q. What are your credentials?

A. We are regulated by the NYS Dept. of Health & NYS Attorney General Bureau of Charities.  We are a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization. Our instructors are New York State Certified Teachers or Teacher’s Assistants and have been provided extensive training by Baldwin Research Institute, Inc. to teach the Jude Thaddeus Program. Our program authors are the founders of Baldwin Research Institute, Inc.; Mr. Gerald Brown, a career researcher, and Mr. Mark Scheeren, Chairman of BRI. Both Mr. Brown and Mr. Scheeren have experience in the treatment industry that is vast. Both co-founders lived with the guests at the first St. Jude Retreat House for a period of ten years developing the program, and having a decades worth of on-site research. This level of dedication to research is unheard of in the industry, and is one more reason why the St. Jude Retreat Houses have expanded while the rest of the industry has declined over the past twenty years. Both co-founders are experts in the 12-step paradigm, and are Alcoholics Anonymous historians. This vast knowledge of what works and what does not work is constantly passed on to our staff, thereby making our staff some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry.

Q. Where does your research originate?

A. Baldwin Research Institute, our parent company, has been conducting research since the 1980’s and continues to develop and track effective approaches to substance abuse . Visit them at www.baldwinresearch.com.

Q. Is 6 weeks long enough or is there an aftercare program?

A. While 6 weeks seems a short period of time to change one’s entire life, for 85% of those who complete the program, it is long enough to create a new way of life, but for those that feel the need for additional help we offer the Jude Thaddeus Continuing Education Program .

Q. What is the staff to guest ratio?

A. At the St. Jude Executive Retreat we have 8 staff members per 5 guests.

Q. Do I need to detox?

A. The Saint Jude Retreats are not medical facilities. Therefore, we do not offer medical detoxification services. However, we can assist you with finding detox services to fit your needs. We have working relationships with two facilities in our area that accommodate our guests in most cases. We can also arrange detox services in your area, as well. Please call toll free at 1-888-424-2626 for information regarding detoxification.

Q. Is there a waiting list or can I come right away?

A. There is an average waiting period of 1-5 weeks, but immediate openings are available on occasion, and people can and do move up in the event of a cancellation or postponement. Call for availability at 1-888-424-2626.

Q. What if someone does not want to stay?

A. Even the most reluctant guests become open to the program once they experience the pleasant home-like atmosphere and see that they are guests in our home rather than patients in a facility. They are treated with the kindness and respect you would offer a good friend, and are shown that getting well is a pleasure not a punishment. An average of 9 out of 10 people who enter our program complete it.  

Unlike the vast majority of programs, the St. Jude Retreats gives you the opportunity to decide if our program is right for you. That is why we offer the following refund policy:

Please be advised that guests who are paid in full at the time of arrival and leave voluntarily are eligible for a pro-rated refund of the full tuition paid after the non-refundable registration fee. For guests who leave voluntarily within the first week, the payer may receive a 75% refund; for those who leave voluntarily during the second week, the payer may receive a 50% refund and for those who leave during the third week the payer may receive a 25% refund. All refund requests must be submitted to the Finance Director in writing by the payer(s) within 14 days of the guest's voluntary departure via certified mail. Guests who are asked to leave the program by the Program Director are not eligible for a refund.

Q. How do you keep the environment drug-free and safe?

A. We have a policy in place that if anyone drinks or uses drugs recreationally while enrolled, they will be expelled from the program with no refund.  Random drug tests are conducted throughout the six-week stay.

Replacement therapy medication such as but not limited to: Methadone, Suboxone or Subutex, Buprenorphine, Naltrexone, Revia, and Vivitrol, are not permitted at the Executive Retreat.

Q. How much does it cost? And do you accept insurance?

A. As Baldwin Research Institute, Inc. is a not-for-profit research organization, the cost of the Jude Thaddeus Program is 1/3 the cost of most traditional in-patient treatment programs. We also have financing programs available. In our continuing efforts to keep our costs as low as possible we do not work with insurance companies or accept medical insurance. Furthermore our research has shown that people who have received full scholarships or have insurance pay for their stay have much lower rates of success that those who take financial responsibility for the cost of the program by either paying for themselves or raising the funds through their friends, employers and family. When people are ready to change their lives, the more they become personally responsible in effecting this change, the greater the chances that they will be successful.

The Baldwin Research Institute™ and The St. Jude Executive Retreat ™ do not provide services requiring certification by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.