I wrote a Google review but it seems they deleted them.
I can only speak for my stays in 2016 and 2018.
To;Dr: find a better program, you deserve better. If you don't want to be trapped with angry explosive people and uncaring staff, find another facility or program. ALSO YOU HAVE TO SLEEP ON UNCOMFORTABLE BEDS WITH THE DOORS OPEN SO YOU CAN SEE THE HALLWAY LIGHTS AND HEAR THE NIGHT STAFF AS THEY CHECK YOUR ROOM EVERY HOUR. But, to be fair, they give you eye covers and ear plugs. They don't seem to care about the effects of sleep on mental health.
My experience:
I was admitted as a voluntary patient seeking help for suicidal ideation. I was placed with other voluntary patients as well as involuntary patients.
Involuntary patients tend to be people who are court ordered to be there. The problem with this is that they can't really get kicked out unless they really cause problems. However, it means that they are incredibly angry and are not focused on recovery, while half the other patients are.
So you have patients struggling with anything from anxiety, depression, addiction, suicidal ideation, mixed together with people who have angry outbursts and staff that don't know how to manage them.
My first stay there was a guy who kept trying to start fights with people. The staff then tried to put him in a room with the person he kept fighting with. Everyone suspected it was because the staff didn't like either of them or because one of the nurses thought it would be funny to mess with them. It was immediately fixed but it just goes to show that they are either incompetent or are willing to mess with people seeking help with their mental health issues.
The second time I stayed I needed treatment and didn't have many other options so I stayed again, thinking that things would be better. They were significantly worse. There was a woman there that screamed at staff and humiliated other patients. She constantly insulted other patients, complained very loudly about all the ways she was abused, got in people's faces, yelled at the staff, and that was my whole stay for a week. The staff couldn't do anything about it so she got to sit in on groups and say whatever she wanted to other patients while they opened up about their struggles. Because of issues I'd had in my past being around her was incredibly triggering, and I threw up during my whole stay. I kept wanting to leave but the case manager laughed and said I needed to work on healing.
You're minimum stay as a voluntary patient is a week, don't bother trying to get out sooner. You're labeled as a danger to yourself or others and they want you to stay that whole time, at least, just so they can "monitor" you and "help" you with your mental health. Also, doctors are the ones who decide how long you stay and they're not there on weekends and holidays. You have to be cleared by Dr and case worker.
Half the staff are genuine, the other half feel the need to put you in your place. If you're going because you are in a bad place, this place will do 2 things, make sure you're "safe" and make you beg to go home. I met people there that would have rather gone back to their abusive households. read more