I would like to start this by saying many of these issues derived from this facility being severely…read moreunderstaffed. I have made a separate account to review in case I ever have the misfortune of returning. Also, there are worse facilities than this one. But, I was very disappointed in my recent experience.
I have been a patient at University Behavioral for nearly 10 years. I have seen the adolescent unit, I have seen the crisis/banker act unit, and this last time I saw the recovery unit.
Finally seeing how the recovery unit operates made me very upset. While other patients had their complaints, as they should, they had no idea how good they had it.
The recovery unit has multiple groups per day. They have snacks, coffee, drinks, books, and board games readily available. It's where you want to be if you're admitted here. Basically, there are plenty of distractions in this unit so your stay is tolerable. The techs treated the patients with respect.
This was not the case for the crisis unit. They are so understaffed. That unit is being extremely neglected. I understand why there isn't fresh hot coffee, and there isn't many boardgames, there are people in the crisis unit that could use these things to hurt another person. What I don't understand, is how you can only have one group a day, and leave us to do absolutely nothing else. You had to beg someone for something to read to pass time. There is zero mental stimulation for these people who are in crisis. They are left there to think and talk to each other. Which, in my experience, is the worst thing for someone confined to that unit. Those people deserve distractions as much as the recovery unit does.
Why were there no soft cover books to read? Why did we only have one group, maybe two? For the rest of my last day on the crisis unit, we sat un that day room for hours just talking to each other. Sometimes there wouldn't even be a tech in the room because again, they are understaffed and sometimes they are by themselves. I had to find ways to distract myself. If I, a person with some type of mental capacity, found myself feeling like an animal trapped in a zoo, imagine how the worse off patients feel. They walk around and around, antsy, pissed off and ready to blow up on anyone who bothers them.
These people need more mental stimulation. They need to be distracted by what is going on in their lives. Groups help talk things out and help patients connect with each other. Things to do reduces feelings of anxiety. If you treat someone like an animal, they will act accordingly.
I'm not even going to get into staff being on personal phone calls in the day room, or talking in full volume in the middle of the night, or faculty laughing at patients experiencing episodes. It's like you don't get a moment to breathe in the crisis unit. I feel terrible for those still stuck in there. I have met some of the most intelligent people on that unit.
You people treat the recovery unit with more respect because there is a mix of people who are paying to be there. This facility needs to have the same respect and decorum with the crisis unit. Give them things to do, give them someone to talk to if they are sobbing. Let them watch a movie or two during the day. Something. I will never understand the vast difference between these units.
People are starting to pay attention to your facility, as you are one of the only ones accepting Medicaid in the area. And instead of taking the opportunity to be a tolerable facility, you have chosen to neglect it. Just because most of your clientele are Medicaid recipients doesn't make them any less deserving of respect. It doesn't mean you can operate at a lower level.
I saw a psych for a whopping 5 minutes, for one day. It was on a one way video call. They made me sign that I saw them daily. What a joke.
I can tell some of the faculty is as frustrated as I am. Do better for your staff and your patients. You already have several people trying to sue this place. How much worse is it going to get before there is some type of reform?