1 /5 Julia I: I originally left this review on yelp but they removed it. they also removed another low rating.
I do not recommend this place if you have a specific mental health issue (or trauma related condition), or are looking for any kind of therapy/group/actual support other than medication.
During my 10 days there, I went from being voluntary to being given a 5150 then a 5250. I can only imagine I was given them because I pushed back on taking the medication (which I explained to the staff members multiple times Id had bad reactions in the past and was not comfortable with them giving me medication I wasnt familiar with. I was then met with an attitude by multiple staff members, especially Cheryl).
From the very beginning things were confusing, at times traumatic, and overall lacked real support for someone who was going through a mental health crisis. At one point I had felt so defeated by the staffs lack of listening skills I started to shut down and could no longer speak due to the stress of everything. And instead of trying to help, staff members sat there silently, stared, tried to push medication, and one even physically moved away from me.
From lack of privacy (having a nurse stare at my personal text messages for too long), to loud noises all night with the doors slamming shut constantly, to witnessing staff mistreat other patients (nurse Angie taking a walker away from a patient who needed it and had borrowed it with permission from another patient), to being hesitant to express any emotion without repercussions (witnessed another patient get tranquilized for having an emotional reaction and left the room another time when witnessing staff, with one holding a big needle, start to surround another patient who was taking too long on the phone).
This facility and most of the stuff seem to lack empathy, understanding and the ability to actually support those with mental health issues. Not to mention the lack of actual mental health education and skills in the groups that were held every day. Instead of building skills or having group therapy, there were music classes and bingo.
While having fun in a place that is so sterile and uncomfortable might be important- so might be building useful skills to help oneself once youre discharged.
And youre lucky if you get any face to face time with a therapist- but they wont seem willing to sit down with you and discuss what youre truly going through. The resident psychiatrist (dr. Ishmail) will also only meet with you for 30 seconds and base an entire diagnosis on those 30 seconds.
Even then, it seemed like the staff only lightened up once I had started complying with their "treatment" (pills and going to groups). For days I tried to explain to staff the past reactions I had to medication, yet I was still met with annoyance that I wasnt just immediately taking the pills. You have to push back a lot in this place to make sure they understand you know your own body. They also seem to hand anyone and everyone a 5150 then a 5250 who protests any part of their treatment.
The outdoor areas are a joke- painted white brick with cement tables. The white will blind you when the sun is shining and theres little to no comfort when being outside other than being able to feel the breeze.
It was also shocking for staff to have no reaction to my many complaints about not being able to go outside and how that is one of the main things that improves mental health. It seemed as though we were only able to go outside when the staff felt like it. And even then- there was nothing to do other than to sit or pace along the perimeter.
Inside, the only things to do with our free time when not eating or going to group were to sleep, color, read or watch tv.
The only highlights were the food, the kitchen staff, and some of the other staff members who actually seemed to care (Jocelyn, Beatrice, Kasey, Miguel, Veronica, and a few others)
