Mental health is the cornerstone of a fulfilling life, influencing how we think, feel, and interact with the world. Yet, for many in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and across the broader East Tennessee region, navigating mental health challenges can feel isolating and overwhelming. From persistent anxiety and depression to the complexities of trauma and co-occurring conditions, finding the right support is crucial for building a life of balance and well-being.
At Riverwalk Recovery Center in Chattanooga, TN, we are dedicated to providing whole-person, evidence-based mental health care that truly meets you where you are. We understand that effective healing extends beyond symptom management; it involves a compassionate and personalized approach that addresses the unique experiences of each individual.
Our mission is to offer a safe, supportive, and accredited environment where healing is not just possible, but a reality for every member of our community.
Mental Health Support That Meets You Where You Are
At Riverwalk Recovery Center, our commitment to mental health care is rooted in a philosophy that prioritizes your entire well-being. We believe that effective treatment is about more than just addressing symptoms; it’s about fostering profound, lasting healing.
Restoring Mental Wellness, Rebuilding Lives
Riverwalk Recovery Center provides evidence-based, non-judgmental mental health care for adults in Chattanooga and surrounding communities. Our approach begins with compassion and curiosity, not labels. We understand that each person’s journey is unique, shaped by their experiences, strengths, and challenges. Whether you’re struggling with overwhelming anxiety, the lingering effects of trauma, or the weight of chronic stress, our dedicated team is here to walk with you, step by step.
We believe recovery from mental health challenges is profoundly possible when care is personalized, trauma-informed, and deeply rooted in genuine connection. Our goal is to empower individuals to heal the whole self – mind, body, and spirit – leading to sustainable well-being and the rebuilding of fulfilling lives.
The Need Is Real in East Tennessee
The need for accessible and effective mental health care in Tennessee is pressing. Tennessee ranks among the lowest states for mental health access, especially for adults with co-occurring conditions. Over 3.2 million Tennesseans live in counties lacking adequate mental health services, and affordability is a significant barrier for those who need care but don’t get it. This highlights a critical need for accessible and affordable mental health services in communities like Chattanooga.
Tragically, suicide is a leading cause of death in Hamilton County (where Chattanooga is located) for individuals aged 15–44, underscoring the urgent need for robust mental health services in our community. Riverwalk Recovery Center stands as a local, accessible option for care in a region that desperately needs it, committed to bridging this gap and providing vital support.
What We Treat at Riverwalk Recovery
Riverwalk Recovery Center offers comprehensive treatment for a wide range of mental health conditions, recognizing that each condition requires a tailored approach. Our integrated care model ensures that we address the full spectrum of your needs.
- Generalized Anxiety & Panic Disorders: We provide effective therapies for persistent, excessive worry (GAD) and recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, helping you manage symptoms and regain control.
- Depression & Mood Disorders: Our programs offer compassionate support for major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and other mood-related challenges, aiming to restore emotional balance and improve overall quality of life.
- PTSD and Complex Trauma: We specialize in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma, recognizing the profound impact past experiences can have on mental health. Our trauma-informed therapies help you process distressing memories and build resilience.
- Bipolar Disorder: We offer specialized support for individuals experiencing bipolar disorder, addressing both manic and depressive episodes with comprehensive mood stabilization support and therapeutic interventions.
- OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder): Our evidence-based approach to OCD includes specialized therapies designed to help you manage intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, empowering you to break free from repetitive cycles.
- Personality Disorders: We provide compassionate care for various personality patterns, including borderline, avoidant, and antisocial personality disorders, focusing on developing healthier coping strategies, improving emotional regulation, and fostering more stable interpersonal relationships.
- Dual Diagnosis (Mental Health + Substance Use): A core strength of Riverwalk Recovery Center is our expertise in treating individuals who experience both mental health conditions and substance use disorders simultaneously. Our integrated approach addresses both conditions holistically, recognizing their interconnectedness for lasting healing.
Levels of Care Available
Riverwalk Recovery Center offers a comprehensive continuum of mental health care, ensuring that you receive the right level of support at every stage of your healing journey. Our programs are designed to provide structured therapeutic support while offering flexibility to accommodate your life.
Get the Help You Need & Deserve
Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Our Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) provides intensive, structured therapeutic support for mental health challenges. This full-day program offers a high level of care without requiring overnight stays. PHP includes a robust schedule of individual therapy, engaging group therapy sessions, psychiatry services, and vital relapse prevention strategies. It is ideal for those who need significant stabilization and support but do not require the 24/7 supervision of a full residential program, allowing them to return home or to supportive housing in the evenings.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
The Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) serves as a flexible step-down from PHP or as a starting point for individuals needing substantial support while maintaining daily responsibilities.
Clients typically attend sessions 3–5 days per week, with convenient morning or evening group options available. IOP is designed for flexibility, allowing you to stay connected to essential care while integrating back into your work, school, or family life. It provides continued therapy and accountability in a less intensive setting.
Outpatient Support
Our Outpatient Support program offers less intensive, ongoing care for mental health challenges. Clients typically attend weekly therapy sessions and receive medication management for maintenance and continued well-being.
This level of care is ideal for individuals transitioning from higher levels of treatment or those with less acute needs who still benefit from professional guidance and support to maintain their progress and build long-term resilience. Both holistic and trauma-informed techniques are available within this level of care, ensuring a consistent and integrated approach to your healing.
We are ready to help. Let’s get started on your tomorrow.
Our Unique Treatment Philosophy
At Riverwalk Recovery Center, our commitment to healing is deeply rooted in a unique treatment philosophy that prioritizes dignity, connection, and individualized care. We believe that true recovery is a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Dignity and Connection Over Labels
We believe that no one should be reduced to a diagnosis or a label. Instead, we approach each individual with dignity and curiosity, seeking to understand their unique story, strengths, and challenges. Our goal is to help clients reclaim their voice and identity, fostering a sense of self-worth that may have been diminished by mental health struggles.
Our staff are extensively trained in trauma-informed practices, ensuring that every interaction promotes safety and healing. We are also committed to being LGBTQ+ affirming and integrating dual-diagnosis expertise, creating an inclusive environment where all individuals feel respected and understood.
Therapeutic Approaches We Use
Our trauma-informed approach integrates a variety of evidence-based therapies designed to help clients process challenges and build resilience:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps individuals identify and reframe negative thought patterns and behaviors that may contribute to their mental health challenges.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Teaches crucial skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness, which are vital for managing complex emotional states.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing): A highly effective therapy specifically designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic memories, reducing their emotional impact.
- Narrative Therapy: Focuses on helping clients re-author their life stories, separating themselves from their problems and identifying their strengths and preferred outcomes.
- Wellness Integration: We incorporate holistic practices such as mindfulness, coping skills development, and engaging group processing to support overall well-being and promote healing in a comprehensive way.
- Adventure Therapy, Expressive Arts, and Body Movement: These experiential therapies provide alternative avenues for processing emotions, self-expression, and healing, especially for trauma survivors who may find it difficult to articulate their experiences verbally.
On-Site Psychiatry and Medication Management
Access to psychiatric care can be a significant barrier in many communities. Riverwalk Recovery Center addresses this by offering on-site psychiatry and medication management services. This means you have direct access to ongoing medication support without being unnecessarily pushed into hospitalization.
Given that local prescriber access is often limited in East Tennessee, we proudly fill that gap affordably, ensuring that expert psychiatric care is an integrated part of your treatment plan when clinically appropriate. Our medical team works closely with your therapists to ensure a cohesive and effective approach to your mental health.
Most Insurance Accepted
We work with most major insurance carriers and offer a range of options to fit your lifestyle and financial means
Mental Health in Chattanooga – By the Numbers
The need for accessible and effective mental health care in East Tennessee is pressing. Tennessee ranks in the bottom 5 nationally for mental health provider access (Mental Health America 2024), highlighting a significant shortage of professionals. Chattanooga’s outpatient mental health infrastructure is often under capacity, especially for adults with dual diagnosis, meaning those struggling with both mental health conditions and substance use disorders. This creates a critical gap in care for many in our community.
Riverwalk Recovery Center is dedicated to bridging this gap by offering next-day assessments, ensuring timely access to care when you need it most. We also accept Medicaid and most major insurers, making high-quality mental health treatment more affordable and accessible for individuals and families in Chattanooga and the surrounding areas.
Our commitment is to provide a lifeline close to home for a region that desperately needs it.
What to Expect at Riverwalk Recovery
Starting mental health treatment can feel like a significant step, but at Riverwalk Recovery Center, we strive to make the process clear, supportive, and empowering from the very beginning.
Step 1 – Confidential Intake and Clinical Assessment
Your journey begins with a free and confidential intake process and a comprehensive clinical assessment. This thorough evaluation includes diagnostic screening, a review of your medication history, and insurance verification. Our compassionate admissions team is available 24/7 to listen to your needs and guide you through this initial step.
Step 2 – Individualized Care Plan
Following your assessment, our multidisciplinary team will collaborate with you to develop an individualized care plan. This plan is highly personalized, focusing on your specific needs and goals. You choose your goals – we help you get there. Your plan will include being matched with a primary therapist, a dedicated care coordinator to guide you through your program, and a psychiatric plan if medication management is part of your treatment.
Step 3 – Start Healing
Once your individualized care plan is established, you will begin your program. You will be assigned to a day or evening track, depending on your needs and schedule. Your program will involve a structured schedule of weekly individual therapy, engaging group sessions, and skills-building workshops. We conduct weekly progress evaluations with adjustments as needed, ensuring your treatment remains effective and responsive to your evolving journey.
Ready for a Different Kind of Mental Health Care?
If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health challenges in Chattanooga, Tennessee, or the surrounding East Tennessee area, Riverwalk Recovery Center is here to provide the compassionate, evidence-based care you need to find peace and reclaim your life. We believe that healing is possible and that you deserve support that truly understands your unique journey.
We make access to care as seamless as possible:
- Same-day or next-day assessments available: We prioritize getting you the help you need quickly.
- Accepts most major insurance plans: We work with a wide range of providers to make treatment affordable, including Medicaid.
- Located minutes from downtown Chattanooga: Our convenient location ensures accessibility for local residents.
- Call, message, or walk in — no referral needed: We make it easy to connect with our team and begin your healing journey.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mental Health Treatment in Chattanooga
What types of mental health conditions do you treat?
At Riverwalk Recovery Center, we treat a comprehensive range of mental health conditions, including Generalized Anxiety & Panic Disorders, Depression & Mood Disorders, PTSD and Complex Trauma, Bipolar Disorder, OCD, Personality Disorders, and Dual Diagnosis (co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders). Our programs are tailored to address the unique needs of each condition.
Do you offer treatment for both mental health and substance use disorders?
Yes, absolutely. Riverwalk Recovery Center specializes in Dual Diagnosis treatment. We understand that mental health conditions and substance use disorders often co-occur, and our integrated approach ensures that both are addressed simultaneously and holistically for the most effective and lasting recovery.
What is the difference between PHP and IOP?
Both Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) offer structured, intensive therapy. PHP is a full-day program, providing a higher level of care similar to inpatient treatment but allowing you to return home or to supportive housing in the evenings. IOP is less intensive, typically 3-5 days a week for several hours, offering more flexibility to balance treatment with daily responsibilities like work or school. Our assessment team can help determine which level is right for you.
Is medication management available?
Yes, Riverwalk Recovery Center provides on-site psychiatry and medication management services. Our medical team works closely with your therapists to ensure that medication, if appropriate for your treatment plan, is integrated effectively and monitored closely. This ensures you have access to crucial psychiatric support without external referrals.
How long does a typical mental health program last?
The duration of a mental health program at Riverwalk Recovery Center varies based on individual needs, the severity of the condition, and the level of care. PHP programs might last several weeks, while IOP can extend for months. Outpatient support can be ongoing. Our team conducts weekly progress evaluations and adjusts your individualized care plan as needed to ensure you receive the optimal length of support for your lasting well-being.
Take the courageous first step toward lasting peace and balance today.
Call Riverwalk Recovery Center confidentially
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We Have A Program To Fit Your Lifestyle
Whether you are struggling with depression, addiction, an eating disorder or some combination of these, we can help. All you need to do is make the first move and reach out to us. Let’s get you better, together.