I have been involved, largely as a client, supporter, volunteer, or board member in several mental health and recovery organizations. I can truly state that it is hard to imagine that there could be a better organization for the treatment and care of major mental health issues than CooperRiis. Whether it is through their outpatient work, partial hospitalization program, or residential program at the beautiful property in Mill Spring, NC, each is quite simply first class. The level of care both medically, psychologically, and probably most importantly, the humane, empathetic, loving care at a top grade facility is beyond compare. CooperRiis revolutionizes mental health care. It deserves great financial support and deserves #1 choice status for anyone seeking help.
I was a Resident of CooperRiis at Asheville from June - August of 2023.
Every staff member, as well as other Residents, do care about your well-being! I felt CooperRiis at Asheville (on Zillicoa) was a worthwhile investment in my Recovery.
In the 6 years leading up to the time I arrived in June, I did not care about my Recovery at all, and I was in a steady decline and emotional downward spiral.
Over the course of time at CooperRiis at Asheville, I started to care about my well-being, for the first time in my life. I actually started to take care of myself. Every staff member whom I interacted with on a daily and evening/weekend basis, even those I rarely interacted with, absolutely every single staff member was supportive, at a time where I needed the support the most. I even started to laugh again. I started to eat healthily for the first time in my life. I gained strategies and coping skills during the structured day, as well as receiving intense therapy during appointments and Groups. The new coping skills I learned in all facets of my life there, have changed my line of thinking in a much healthier and recovering way of being.
The therapy, both individual and family, were top-notch. Very insightful and helpful.
I really appreciate the supportive, safe, and healing nature of the CooperRiis at Asheville Program. The professional qualifications of the staff are amazing. Because of every single staff member, I feel as though I am in a good place to start over at home, and in a healthy way. My family and friends have noticed a positive difference since I attended CooperRiis. I am forever grateful to CooperRiis at Asheville, the founders, and the amazing staff there.
I’ve matured into the human being that I am now proud of…. much to the help, support and guidance of individuals at CooperRiis. My 5 years in the program has definitely aided in my recovery from mental illness and propelled me into becoming great…. and surpassing what seemed to be impossible lofty goals. I’m now employed as a personal trainer, a life long dream come true! I have plenty of good memories from the program! It was fun, deep, warm and totally worth it!
Cooperriis both saved and changed my life! This nonprofit put me in a position to influence others with mental illness to make the effort to focus on their health. I'm honored to be involved in something so rare and beneficial that I know will always support others. I absolutely had nowhere to go before CR. Please take my review seriously. There's nothing else like Cooperriis.
This healing community holds a standard I wish all treatment centers / behavioral health care could aspire to. They are constantly growing and offering new ways to care for their clients. Their emphasis on growth is apparent in their staff, culture, and this generates great care to the clients they serve. Their impact is long term. It is not a rotating door which some centers are. From the top to the ground, they care for the success of the people in their program. They care for the families just as much. Recovery is possible for the clients and their family and is a growing process even following discharge. Their programs give clients a safe place to practice skills, for example work service, which prepared me for life after CooperRiis, as well as a remarkable community program to ease the transition back to regular life. It has been almost 10 years since I was lucky enough to receive the care provided by their farm campus. In those 8 years since my discharge, I have not had the need for hospitalizations. I have positively navigated my recovery. I have continued to grow. An example of how urgent my situation was prior, I had unnecessary and expensive hospitalizations due to my mental health. I was sadly hospitalized at ages 17, 18, 23, 25, 26, these programs offered no hope. Age 25 was terrible , I had zero hope and my life was at such a low I attempted suicide. Now at age 34, I am steady, strong, independent, and have love, joy, and hope in my life. Something I certainly would not be able to say would be true without the CooperRiis program. I made the effort, and they helped with skills and community. Thank you, CooperRiis for helping me establish a backbone for my mental health and future.
CooperRiis truly is a healing community with caring, compassionate and invested staff focusing on the mental health needs of adults and their families. I am thankful for their community serving Western North Carolina and beyond.
The seven months that I spent at CooperRiis changed my life immeasurably. The care and support provided by the entire community helped me to find the motivation to move from New York to Asheville and build a fulfilling life for myself. I created so many genuine relationships, and learned to see the world from a new perspective. I was introduced to yoga and meditation, both of which have continued to be important practices in my life. I am so grateful to be where I am today, and I couldn’t have done it without the love and support of the CooperRiis community.
A.M.
I have been a part of the CooperRiis Community for seven years now and as each year passes, I am even more proud to work here. The staff are some of the most caring and compassionate people I have met in the industry. They are helping our residents along their recovery journey by supporting them and guiding them to make the best choices for themselves, choices that make long term positive impacts toward them living the best life they can. They empower and support the residents to make those choices. We hear time and time again from parents that we "saved their child's life" and it was their child's time with us that made all the difference. I'm so proud to be a part of this community.
Cooper Riis was an overwhelmingly positive experience. I was surrounded by great people day in and day out, where I learned various coping strategies to help manage my OCD and, most importantly, feel like I was part of a loving and supportive community which made all the difference. Because of my time spent at Cooper Riis, I can also run a clothing brand in stores around Asheville, including REI. Many thanks to everyone who supported me there on my journey.
I am a friend and previous employee of CooperRiis Healing Community, and a retired mental health professional. The services at CooperRiis are like no other in the field of psychiatric treatment. What makes this program above and beyond is its philosophy and its activation of it. This philosophy entails respecting the whole individual including their strengths, their talents, their wishes and their struggles. It does not just focus on the diagnosis. The mental health/behavioral treatment team includes not only psychiatry and other clinical workers (Professional Therapists, Occupational therapists, Speech and Language therapists and Educational consultants), but staff who also engage, connect and teach and support valuable life skills through therapeutic activities such as gardening, animal husbandry, creative arts, mindfulness/meditation, dietary consultation and employment consultation. All of these staff members have equal investment in the treatment of the individual at CooperRiis. Finally, CooperRiis philosophy also includes realistic goals that sometimes includes accepting one's struggles while enhancing strengths and resources to reach their highest potential. This philosophy is refreshing as individuals who are served at CopperRiis move on most often into a life of greater self-acceptance and better management of day-to-day life. It was a real pleasure for me to work at CooperRiis, particularly observing the development of so many of the individuals being treated there. CooperRiis far exceeds my expectations as a mental health healing community!
When I approached the long driveway leading up to the Farm at CooperRiis, I didn’t know what to expect. I was at my lowest point, and none of the treatment programs I had previously tried had made a dent in my major depression and anxiety.
During my time at CooperRiis, I learned how to function again. Through the amazing programs at CR, I was able to get back on a routine and devote myself to my passions again. The most impactful moments for me occurred during Crew hours, working out in the fields with Emily and the incredible animals at the farm. I do not have the space or adequate words to describe the shift that occurred in me during my months at CooperRiis; I am grateful for CooperRiis for saving my life. I would not be here without the amazing staff at the Farm. I hope this provides a slight window into the depths of my gratitude.
I was a resident at CooperRiis for 27 months starting in September of 2010. I'd been having a hard time with my mental health since 1992. CooperRiis helped me to turn the situation around. I learned how to trust some people. I learned that my being was precious. It was so supportive.
While living there, I was gently guided to embrace healthy habits in my diet, my exercise and my thinking. Eventually, I was able to have hope again. I made connections that still nurture me to this day. I highly recommend CooperRiis!
I had a great experience at CooperRiis and would recommend it to anyone in a similar situation. I went through all levels of the program at the time from the farm through the community program and was able to learn and implement strategies for positive daily living in a peaceful environment.
I have been working for Cooperriis now for over 18 years in different capacities. We have seen so many vulnerable people coming through we were able to support in their healing process and regaining a healthy sense of life. It is so rewarding to hear back from past residents that are doing well now and living a good life.
I had been in and out of treatment for over a decade. Cooper Riis is the first program that worked for me. It took willingness to better myself but from that willingness blossomed a wonderful flower. I wanted to go to a work based program and Cooper Riis was my first choice. The therapy work I did was ground breaking.
I may be biased, having been CooperRiis' first executive director, but am happy to take a moment to point out that CooperRiis is an amazing philanthropic organization. It was founded by the philanthropy of a couple (Don and Lisbeth) because of (not for) a family member's needs. It has been fueled by philanthropy annually from hundreds of grateful parents, making it possible to offer generous rate reductions to families of limited means. The year I retired, (end of 2016) CooperRiis provided $3.5M in scholarships to about 50% of the families using its services. CooperRiis embodies the true meaning of philanthropy, the love of humankind, especially the love of those who are most vulnerable.
CooperRiis gave me my life back. I attended their program over 6 years ago. I have been sober since then, and in active recovery since attending their program. I was hospitalized 4 times prior for depression, with no hope for my future. I have hope now. I have healing now! I have not needed a higher level of support since discharge. I maintain my mental health with therapy and a twice a year appointments with my psychiatrist. I am on half the dose of meds I was prior to attending. CooperRiis starts their process with a dream statement, and I feel like I worked hard with their support to reach every dream I set for myself. CooperRiis makes dreams come true. CooperRiis gave me the gift of recovery. CooperRiis strengthened my family and friend relationships. I am now empowered by my recovery to continue to dream further, and accomplish more than I ever thought I was capable of. Thank you, CooperRiis!
I am happy to be able to support CooperRiis in my role as a board member. As a psychiatrist, I am intimately familiar with the struggles of those with mental illness who are seeking treatment in a scattered, disconnected and often chaotic environment. Not until a person finds themselves surrounded by a caring community of people can long lasting healing begin. CooperRiis has created this type of community that has flourished over the years. My professional work has allowed me to overlap with some clients from CooperRiis off and on since 2006. Since that time I have seen steady increases in experience, creativity, and dedication from the entire organization. Witnessing this evolution has had a profound impact on me. I remain amazed at the talent and commitment of those who serve on staff. CooperRiis is making the world a better place by easing suffering and bringing light into dark places.
Cooper Riis offered tremendous help and encouragement to my son when he was going through a difficult time. They provide strategies for him to utilize to help him after he left Cooper Riis program.
Established over 18 years ago, CooperRiis has become a nationally recognized source for recovery for adults struggling with mental health conditions. The organization places an emphasis on "community" as a foundation for people to learn coping strategies for living a more fulfilling and rewarding life despite their challenges. CooperRiis has grown to where more than 75 residents and 180 staff work together for lasting value.
I was looking at homelessness for the third time when I heard about CR. I was totally overwhelmed with DID/PTSD. They were so gentle and patient and effective to talk to. They gave me a substantial scholarship to get the help I needed. Together we turned my ship around and today I'm doing really well.
They include a spiritual component if you like that kind of thing. They are very LGBTQIA+ supportive. I got to practice NonViolent Communication with the staff. It's just an amazing place. I highly recommend at least looking in to it if you need something like this.
It is a peaceful place. Which is important. Like anything there are always ups and downs. There are more ups than downs here. My most honest review is that I was extremely frustrated to go anywhere however I am grateful for the kindness/caring of the staff and for the friends I met there.
The only thing I personally feel was missing is more gym training / physical activities. Personally when I’m not busy with life I crave physicality as I think a lot of the world does.