It's been a long time since I left the PEP program. I wish I could let the treatment go, but I…read morestill harbor deep resentment. Do not put your career in their hands. I was over diagnosed and over treated. These were the worst years of my life. I needed help, don't get me wrong. I transferred out after 4 years to Acumen in Kansas. Go there; it's much more reasonable.

I am writing this because future nurses and families deserve to know the truth about the Louisiana…read moreState Nursing Board and Pine Grove Rehab. Their system is not about protecting patients--it is about control, money, and punishment. Here is my story: I was one semester away from graduating nursing school when my life was turned upside down. I had already gotten sober and provided proof of it--three hair follicle tests I paid for myself and a pre-employment drug screen showing over a year of sobriety. Six weeks after giving birth to my daughter, I underwent a required "fitness for duty" drug screen. Unsurprisingly, fentanyl was in my system--because I had received an epidural during labor. I did the responsible thing: I provided the official anesthesia records from my hospital stay showing exactly what medications were administered. Instead of looking at the medical evidence, the Board and Pine Grove Rehab accused me of being a liar and an addict. They actually said I "used the epidural as cover for street drugs." Then came their outrageous demand: 90 days of inpatient rehab at Pine Grove. That would have meant 90 days away from my 6-week-old baby whom I was breastfeeding. Think about that: forcing a new mother into unnecessary inpatient treatment, cutting her off from her newborn, despite clear medical documentation. I want to make this crystal clear: I did not meet the criteria for Substance Use Disorder in the DSM-5. I was not addicted to anything. I was not dependent on any drug. Every shred of medical and diagnostic evidence supported that. Yet they ignored it all, because profit and punishment came first. This was not about "help." This was about money. Pine Grove benefits from mandatory referrals. The Board benefits by maintaining power and forcing compliance. Nurses like me get caught in the middle, treated as guilty until proven innocent, and pushed into debt and despair. And my story is not unique. Across the country, boards and rehab programs have been exposed for this exact behavior: * CalMatters Report (2024): "California Nurses Say State's Addiction Recovery Program Is a Trap" - documenting how recovery programs tied to licensing boards drive nurses into debt and out of their careers. Read here * AllNurses Forum: Hundreds of nurses describe board-linked rehab programs as corrupt and profit-driven: AllNurses IPN Issues * Reddit Nursing Community: Nurses share feelings of being "defeated" under unnecessary restrictions despite years of sobriety. Reddit Thread This system is designed to break nurses, not support them. It steals careers, destroys financial stability, and labels people forever, even when there is clear proof of innocence. But here's the part they don't want to hear: they did not break me. Despite their efforts, I went back, rebuilt my life, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and am now pursuing my Master's degree. I am succeeding in my career and supporting my family in spite of them, not because of them. The Louisiana State Nursing Board and Pine Grove Rehab should be investigated for their unethical, exploitative practices. They do not help nurses--they harm them. They do not protect the public--they protect their profit. To any nurse facing this system: know that you are not alone, it is not your fault, and you can rise above it

So... I am the parent of a 16 year old who is in desperate need of mental health services. I was…read morereferred to this provider by my local mental health care center and was told I would be getting contacted about an appointment. So fast forward several months out and I get a text message to call their office. Once I called the office I found out my son had his appointment the next day at 1030. So I confirmed with the intent to let my mom take him due to me having to work the following day and it being last minute. Well life happened and her vehicle stopped on her the following morning and with me being at work I did the only thing I could which was to call at 926, an hour before his appointment to attempt to reschedule, noone answered so I text the number to reach out to them. No response. I continued to call for several days afterward with still no luck. So today I called again and finally got an answer, which was that Dr. Welsh flat out refuses to reschedule my son and that he normally gives people 2 chances of missed appointments before he refuses to see them but in my case he flat out will not see him. So I pleaded my case with the secretary and even asked if I could come to the office and talk with the provider in which she responded, he will probably curse u slap out at the front door... I'm so disappointed in this provider and I'm lost for words