Depends. One star for inpatient in the trauma unit. Absolutely horrible experience. A huge lack of experience and wisdom (and often compassion) among the staff. Very few staff here seem to be qualified to work with complex trauma survivors. I'd tell you to stay away from the very worst social worker/therapist I've ever met in decades of psych treatment (I hate to name names, but: Jessie), but if she's assigned to you, you're out of luck b/c there's no switching doctors or therapists. She didn't like me (admitted as much) and didn't wish me luck on the day I left. The doctors were OK although I had four in two weeks. It's known among patients (I later learned) to be the worst inpatient unit at Mclean. If the hospital cared to improve it, doing so would be easy. Better, more caring staff, basically. They were, on the whole, awful. One of them, probably 25 years old, told me she wasn't there to give me therapy the one time I cried during my stay, unfortunately in front of her. Some of them were really kind, but mostly not. We were treated like animals or freaks, seriously. I thought, This could be you someday. The rest of it -- terrible beds, terrible food, being trapped, hardly any outside or rec time -- are to be expected. The psycho-ed was good for passing the endless time in the prison and that's about it. But the Behavioral Health Program? Five stars. It was like a college course in how-to self-care. Masterful. Amazing. So helpful if you're ready to absorb what they're offering. Very skillful and well run. If you can avoid inpatient in the trauma unit, please do! I could not and it added to my trauma. read more

I am responding to a prompt to update my review of McLean hospital: My brother was hospitalized for several weeks. McLean did more harm than good. My brother killed himself two years ago. I lose track of time but I think it was about 18 months after his discharge. I spent a week at a hotel nearby Mclean and visited him every day. It was so painful to see how much harm and how little help he received. His "care" team would not communicate with me. His discharge plan included referrals to doctors who were not able to see him. We had to find follow up providers ourselves. After his discharge, he was struggling than before. Two years ago he hung himself in a hotel room. The loss of a family member, the loss of a sibling, is always difficult. It is sometimes soul-crushing. read more

Gunderson outpatient Our family member was recommended for the Gunderson Outpatient program by their psych. The psych works at Mcleans in some capacity but our loved one knew him just by individual psychologist meetings. Our loved one started the program and was taking part in the required 90 day sobriety and sessions leading up to possible admission to the outpatient program. Her psych presented her case to the Gunderson team because he is part of the team. He presented to the evaluating doctor and our parent therapist along with others. We didn't know this until later because everyone on the team acts as though they don't know the other members of her team. This means every person on the team can claim ignorance of the other professional's behavior. Institutional protection from accountability. Our loved one was supposed to take part in two sessions a week and be evaluated for appropriateness for the program. Our loved one would do one weekly session with a DBT therapist and one with the evaluating doctor. Our loved one completed a personal narrative, and we did as well. After 6 weeks we reached out to our Parent therapist on the team to ask if our loved one should do an addiction treatment month at Silver Hill. Our loved one was sober but struggling. Our loved one was interested in Silver Hill and had made a call to Silver Hill to gather information. We never heard back from our Parent Therapist so we asked again. Our loved one was interested still but was worried that stopping the Gunderson Outpatient Assessment would send her back to the beginning. She asked for clarification and confirmation that she could do the Silver Hill program. We were given a "Maybe, but let's see how this goes. The Doctor really thinks she is a good fit for the program and is probably going to admit her to Gunderson Outpatient". Two weeks later we had our first and only family zoom with the evaluating doctor. The doctor asked our loved one to explain what she had been doing in the DBT session with the other doctor. Our loved one said those sessions had never been scheduled. The DBT doctor had never run a session in over 6 weeks and the assessing doctor didn't know this. Supposedly the assessing doctor was conferring with the DBT doctor for the application. The doctor asked our loved one to remember to send in the personal narrative. Our loved one told the doctor she had sent it over a month ago and had recognition that it had been received over a month ago. We expected a more serious assessment process. What we saw was inattention and lack of concern. About a week after this family meeting we received the four sentence rejection email. It said that our loved one was not going to be admitted to the program and that they should take part in a program such as Silver Hill and then reapply through the whole process again. I reached out set up a meeting to talk about this decision and never heard back. The short rejection email did not offer an expediated re-application or to confer with Silver Hill. The rejection letter did not offer a time to talk through the findings. The rejection letter was completely unprofessional given these are supposed to be experts in working with people with fear of abandonment, low self-worth and need for validation. There was no response to our request to a follow up meeting to better understand the short email rejection. To make a long story short. The communication is awful. Get all your questions answered in the first two weeks because no one cares to respond after that. You can ask for clarification of the process of admission but it is not there. They do not give criteria or information. The attention to the assessment appeared terrible. The assessing doctor never talked with the other doctor who was supposedly leading weekly DBT sessions. Those weekly sessions never took place for over 6 weeks but the assessing doctor didn't know that. Clearly the doctors weren't communicating about the applicant. The assessing doctor did not even know about the personal narrative our loved one wrote that had been in the file for over 6 weeks. The Gunderson Outpatient Admissions process is calcified, poorly communicated and designed to protect the institution and promote priorities that are not about the person with BPD. I thought an institution full of BPD experts would have an admission process that was supportive of people with Abandonment fears, Need for validation and low self-worth. Instead the process actively hurts people with BPD by offering no clear outline of the assessment process, doctor's who show a lack of concern and interest, and a final outcome that is just an email with no follow up or assistance offered. There are people and programs that save us, and there are people and programs that harm us and set us back. Gunderson Outpatient admission program harmed our loved one. After the rejection they overdosed, finished the Silver Hill program and now ar read more

Went to McLean for ECT from in 2023-2025 to help with anxiety and depression. I completely regret it. I was desperate and thought it would help. I was left with severe memory issues and no change in anxiety/depression. As for the staff, I have heard the nurses making fun of me to other patients while I was in the room. A couple months after I completely stopped ECT, I started having seizures for the very first time in my life. They are under control now but neurologists cannot determine the cause of them. If you care about your overall mental health and wellbeing, do not go to this hospital. read more

Mclean saved my life. Period. The finest in psychiatry, social work, and psychologists. Thriving to be on the cutting edge of psychiatry. Connected to MGH psychiatry. And known around the world for caring, smart enlightened help. read more

PLEASE READ IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR LOVED ONES!!!!!!!!!! I spent 10 days in this facility where I not only experienced abuse, watched the staff actively laughing at the patients there, but also was misdiagnosed after 5 minutes of speaking to a real doctor ON A COMPUTER SCREEN and then placed on a medication that made me want to end my life. I am writing this review for the poor people who think this facility will do anything but harm. I don't think yelp will allow me to give 0 stars read more

McLean Hospital - Hospitals Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Terrible. Staff does not care. I lasted 3 days and had to leave with permission from a family member. Horrible accommodations. Horrible food. No one cares about you. read more

Tried to get into their partial hospital trauma program only to be openly discriminated against, rejected from the program because I have Epilepsy and they violated the ADA law by telling me my service dog in training wouldn't be allowed to accompany me. Per Massachusetts Law regarding service dogs, a service dog in training has the SAME public access rights as a fully trained service dog. Not once during my potential admission process was, I treated with respect, dignity and compassion. They told me their medical staff wasn't 'comfortable' with me joining in-person or virtually despite the fact my epilepsy is controlled. Disgusting behavior coming from what was the 'best psychiatric hospital' in the world. Beware for anyone with a disability! going to specifically the trauma program! read more

I was forced to take a specific medication based on a previous diagnosis. I wished they cared more about what patient wants not what they want for the patient read more

This is a militarized brainwashing facility that makes strong, capable, successful women believe that they are corrupted and are seriously inappropriate to society. Their tactics are only based on the women's complete compliance and they're grooming for submission to their staff. Their staff are undertrained and unprofessional. They do not study the communication styles or therapy that they preach and their demographic of staff are people who have never experienced adversity and view patients like sad puppies. They are abusing their power to make others believe they're all knowing and that becoming "better" is a destination only they can facilitate. If you choose to leave this program, they will lie to your future treatment teams that you were incompetent and resisting treatment, which only makes future pursuits of therapy compromised and difficult to navigate. Brandon Unruh is especially inappropriate. He is emotional and unable to regulate his own feelings of rejection. I have never had someone completely lie about my experience to treatment teams and future providers until my encounter with him. He wants to make this program look successful by eliminating any free thinker. Unable to peacefully leave, women are driven to seek extreme measures to leave this program such as attempting suicide on property and running away. Gunderson do not care about health or suicidal tendencies and fail to hospitalize serious attempts made by patients or critical health deterioration. Their only goal is to make their program look successful by promising care and understanding while only providing strict demands and punishment for not being robotically compliant. Mistakes and leniency are not allowed and will be used against you. For instance, if you become sick, the sick days lead to "session cuts" (no therapy) (which is why we're paying over 100,000$). The house is also under equipped and is so old the thermostat doesn't work. And if you need to get out of the sweat lodge they make the house into, you can only ask to turn down the temperature by 1 degree each day IF everyone agrees). The staff gang up on you despite your unique experience and use the symptoms of BPD to manipulate you into submission and trigger you into intense emotions just to enforce the idea that you're extremely sick. If you are unsure if you have BPD they will diagnose you with BPD and NPD on your permanent record before they even meet you. And If you disagree with your diagnosis they will get pushier and define your experience with their own biases. They are unable to be empathetic with adverse experiences unlike their own and do not realize their own perspective is incredibly biased. I personally do not want to be defined by an extremely privileged white straight cis man, but there is no diversity on the team and he is unable to fathom any experience unlike his own. Kelly Gunderson is a nepotism baby inexperienced in her field. She does not facilitate appropriate family therapy. She will tell you she will help you, but then lacks listening skills to do so. She then reports false narratives of who you are to the most important people in your life. Overall, Gunderson uses abuse tactics to make women obedient. They encourage insecurity and self blame only making it harder to live with a personality disorder. Throughout the duration of the program they make women who are in extremely successful careers believe that they can only work at cvs. I watched women who were once leaders with doctorates in the medical field engineering positive change to be forced to feel like they can only be a CVS WORKER. They are not encouraging strength and independence because they make more money when you are dependent on them. This pyramid scheme to prey on the insecure and confused to gain money and public recognition is abusing their power and is exceptionally dangerous and illegal. You will never be you again. DO NOT SEND ANYONE HERE read more

AB2 South was a horrible place to stay (twice). Terrible charge nurse named Mary Lou on day shift made my days hell. My attending psychiatrists gave me about 5 minutes of care 5 daily and allowed me no input into decision making about my medication regimen, which was ineffective and caused severe side effects after each admission. Do not recommend. read more

Quality care Beautiful campus Dated facilities My mother needed care and was admitted to the Belmont location of McLean in the spring. Leaving aside her specific plan of care, McLean offered a facility and patient population that allowed her to be with people of very similar needs profiles, with friendly day to day staff and physicians/social workers who cared. Admittedly, those same physicians/social workers occasionally seemed flighty (pro tip: always lend as much help to your loved ones as you can in agency and advocacy for their health), but the care plan was steady, warm, multi-disciplinary, and most importantly, effective. The Belmont campus is older, stately, and beautiful - but the downside of beautiful old facilities is their inner workings. Some draftiness and plumbing issues plagued my mother's stay - it's not a modern hotel, for sure. Speaking up about these issues brought no immediate resolution, and so it was a side project to assure she got what she needed on this front. Most importantly, my mom was supported by capable individuals who cared effectively for her, and her treatment was positively life-altering - she's a new person who credits her stay with this unlock. So for the drawbacks, the net positives are undeniable. Recommended. read more

McLean Hospital - Hospitals Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

horrible job conveying anything, awful experience in hospital. told me id be released on the first of last month and it's been a month since that date. The quality was TERRIBLE. read more

Omg is this the worst place EVER!!! If you finish out the 60 day program but DO NOT AND NEVER INTENDED to complete the total 6 months and 6 months of IOP after... they will HOSPITALIZE YOU and that's over a 10k bill... luckily I made 20 k in the 6 weeks I've had my life back so it's gucci. One girl begged to go to the hospital for 3 days and by the third time she attempted suicide they let her go (pretty sure if they didn't she coulda died... so basically this is a place they want you to spend a year doing everything they want.... Oooohhhhh... also making stage isn't determined by progress but kinda like the Scientology payment to level up... I was there 66/67 days and never made a single stage but everyone I was in the program with, said I'm doing the best at life of everyone there and who has left. it's basically a place they strip you of everything humane... no phone for 30-90 days (I got mine 2 weeks before I was done... and I had it for 7 hours of the day... maybe 1-2 hours I could actually use it.... I told them I loved my life and wouldn't change shit about it, and they told me I can't have loved my life or been doing okay in life because my parents wanted me to do the program. I did it to try to salvage that relationship because it's the only relationship I've ever had problems in... but got out and had to end my parental unit relationship for a bit. Had to leave my AMAZING DREAM job. However, got a new supervisor position that's not horrible. And I kinda love it. They tried to throw like 8 diagnoses at me and my therapist and psychiatrist told me they literally think I have ptsd which explains every single symptom and like 2 weeks before I left the GRs dr told me he suspected ptsd did tests, called informed, and said because of that nothing at the GR would or coulda helped me... Silver lining: Eddie the cook is amazing!!! I talked to him on breaks because new blood. The ppl in the program aren't all the worst. Just seem like I came in better than 60% of the people who had been there 4-6 months... I was I guess a little blunt and judgmental... but felt like a few people didn't have neurons firing in their brains and client last a week in real life. You have no outlets for frustration. Got back to RL moved in w my bf and his mom since our lease was up a couple weeks after I got back and I had no job to get a place or no phone to look and apply while I did. Thought I'd be able to pay rent and bills... luckily my guy was there to cover apartment bills, but I had my first EVER MISSED CC payments in my life, and I'm 31. If you need your heart and soul and alll control or happiness stripped away to be able to make it, then the Gunderson Residence is for you. I my first week there 3 people left. One graduated, and 2 were hospitalized. One for accidentally taking morning meds twice and telling them... If you can figure out how to leave everything that makes you do and do EXACTLY what they say... you might make it ... so sad :( both my parents and I wish I had never gone... read more

i was at the hospitsal last summer they said it was the best what drunl guy wrote it it was the worst stay an y where the staff sat around ignoring me i was dizzy and sick had to call 911 and ended up in the emergency room there was one staff that was resxzpecfull he mety with mer every day and talked to me the staff were very inapropiateate have you herd about hipa laws staff would stand everrywhwere and descuss patience issues out loud not leghsat i finaslly sighnerd as three day notice glad to leave read more

Worst mental health hospital in New England. Don't go here. They don't care and will overmedicate you and take you off antiphycotic meds abruptly. read more

WONDERFUL care and insight provided by the staff. A person that I love so much attended the partial-day program. Before that, they were in McLean's inpatient step-down program in Middleborough, MA. Please Note: You DON'T have to have been in inpatient in order to attend the partial-day program. **Some people just attend the partial-day. In conclusion, our family member needed care, support, AND skills that could help them become mentally healthier. McLean's did just that. In order for any of the skills McLean's teaches a person to remain solid and intact, the individual has to CONTINUE USING them after they have left the program.. Makes sense, right? read more

Suppose to be the #1 hospital in the country .. my husband came out worse then he went in! Not only did they over medicate him they have him another patients meds! Ended up in the ER Do yourself a favor and do not send you loved ones here. read more

If you are assigned to the Short term unit, request another Psychiatric Provider if you're assigned Dr Gelwan. He requires his patients to be passive to avoid his wrath. He struggles to collaborate with his patients. He uses his position to bully patients. Please just ask for someone else All other staff are professionals. read more

A traumatic waste of time. Food was ordered daily from a greasy pub or pizzeria, when we weren't scheduled to cook it. The townhouses look nothing like they do on their website at Gunderson Residence, where I unfortunately went for the worst "treatment". My parents sent me to another treatment center just to recover from the horrible traumatic experiences I went through at Gunderson. The counselors were often inattentive and rude. The family therapist that was on my team, was unprofessional and very mean, God forbid that you made her mad. She seemed to enjoy instigating fights between girls when she led group discussions, which were not productive at all and one girl was eventually found using heroin in her room. I mean, this place was absolute hell. My parents regretted sending me here and it was a complete waste of time and money. There are much better places than McLean and Gunderson for treatment, despite what they say. I was told by someone, after my stay there, that they did not go to Gunderson Residence because of the horror stories they had heard about. That was what a girl told me, word for word. Scary. I've talked to psychiatrists that have said they do not refer patients or recommend Gunderson Residence to anyone. Obviously, this place is not thought highly of, among many people. read more

Inpatient patient was given blood tests three times and denied explanations or results. Patient was not allowed to change social workers despite repeated requests based on documented retroactive trauma responses. Medicinals delivered randomly upon unwell patient's request. Patient self injured in full view of staff without medical intervention on 1/10/24. Patient and care team never received discharge papers one month later. Electric shock therapy (ECT) being administered to patients. Patient will not be returning. Not recommended as a facility. read more

McLean Hospital - Hospitals Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

No wonder they aren't claiming their reviews. . I'm glad I spoke with them before going. The staff seemed to have to respect for women, or their patients in general, and lacked basic competencies in mental health care. No one like this should be charged with the psychiatric care of patients. read more

Tried to make an appointment with the ketamine clinic at McLean, and even had a referral. Took them a month to get back to me with constant requests on my end. They made the appointment but then never sent the Zoom link. The doc showed up 15 minutes late, then was dismissive of my problems, ended the appointment quickly, and said they would follow up with a call but I never heard back. I emailed to ask what happened and they said once more that they'd call, but they never did. Avoid this place like the plague. read more

I believe my daughter was traumatized from her time at Klarman for eating disorders. Treatment was based on punitive methods and goal of "breaking down" the patients. I do not have an eating disorder, but I could never had eaten at this facility. Every meal was conducted in a sterile , bright room with a locked door sitting next to another person who may be screaming and crying. Once the patient's meal plan was determined (with no contributions from the patient or medical advice),it was placed in front of her. If my daughter didn't or couldn't eat the meal put in front of her she was punished with having to drink a bottle of Ensure and losing the privilege of talking a walk outside. Family therapy was hurtful for our whole family ...definitely not supportive or healing. No effort was made to "get to know" the patient or her family. Every decison made for my daughter was based on protocol or someone's philosophy, not individualized. I watched was daughter learn how to binge (which she hadn't been doing before she went to Klarman). She learned about other ways to carry out disordered eating. After being at Klarman, although weighing more, she continued to struggle with the eating disorder -trying to adhere to a structured way of eating and made enemies of her roommates in her senior year of college because of using their food for uncontrolled bingeing. After many years of therapy , including residential/ outpatient support , she is in recovery. At 31 she is in her 4th year of residency as a neurologist, but still cannot eat some of the foods that she was forced to eat at Klarman. She was told by one of her therapists that she has PTSD from the experience at Klarman. If the "professionals"at Klarman had recognized that "needing to be perfect" and being extremely sensitive to being punished was part of what allowed the disordered eating to take hold of her , they may have been able to help her. read more

I was interested in an outpatient program. After leaving several calls and emails for the past month, I finally received a call from a woman who said my message was forwarded to her. I sent the original message about a month ago. McClean has a very good reputation, but my experience belies this. read more

The nursing staff and mental health workers are amazing and really check in to see how you are doing on a daily basis. They actually have therapy groups! This is a place you can count on treatment if you get the right "team". They even changed my room to accommodate my c- pap machine. Every decision is thought out and made to uniquely fit individual needs. I wish I could remember individual names. There is a real sense of community on Proctor1. Patients supporting patients was common and staff was always available. There was only one bummer. Tobey is one to watch out for. She is like a drill sergeant/probation officer. Awful rapport with patients. She stalked me for a number I told her I would get for her. The "team" was careful to never ask me if I felt safe at discharge planning or discharge day. "Don't ask don't tell" I guess? Seems like this is a critical question and a huge liability. Other than Tobey and the nameless doctor she works with the place is better than any hospital I have ever been to. read more

A few years back, we have to utilize this facility. They were pretty darn good. The mental health treatment that people get in the facility? Pretty good. I have to say, this is basically we are mental health policies and procedures were created for mental health issues for the entire country, so this is the place to go if you're having issues. The admission staff and nurses there? Top notch. read more

DO NOT GO HERE!!! The worst I've been treated in any mental health unit I've been to. Also would give 0 stars if I could. The staff is rude and treat you as if you're a child. If you want to leave they can and will hold you there against your will. I came up with a discharge/aftercare plan with psychiatrist Dr. Lusik one morning and she said it sounded like a good idea, and that she'll get that process in motion. Later that day I asked one of the nurses what the progress is with my discharge plans and she told me Dr. Lusik didn't even write anything about me discharging!! I can't express enough how miserable it was to be a patient here. read more

i was on inpatient here for a week. the staff are for the most part incredibly nice & they clearly work hard to create a supportive environment. there was also a mutually supportive atmosphere among the patients that made me feel less alone. food quality was pretty variable. they have a no stuffed animals rule (at least the unit i was on) which was pretty frustrating for me as my stuffed animals help me calm down & sleep. there also seemed to be some minor communication issues between staff. but overall, this place is very good. if i had to be hospitalized again, i would choose mclean in a heartbeat. read more

McLane is the best we got, of the mental hospitals in the NE area this likely is your best bet. THAT SAID I will never be returning to this establishment and I watched it destroy my own sister's world for a long time. They will refuse a refund of your 13,000$, they will never listen to their patients, other patients can and will steal from you and abuse you IN HOSPITAL. So ultimately; seek outside therapy/help first, this is a last resort. read more

I spent 3 weeks here in 2020 being treated for major depressive disorder (MDD). That included being inpatient over Christmas. I can't speak more highly about my experience which even included receiving a new soft blanket on Christmas morning! From my psychiatrist to the social worker to the nurses and mental health specialists, I felt cared for and supported in a way I haven't at the one other hospital I've spent time in. read more

McLean Hospital - Sunset - outside North Belknap - Hospitals Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

I was in the ER sitting room so long (overnight) before going to McLean on 2 occasions. That needs to be sped up for emergencies. McLean brought me back from serious illness twice but failed to educate me on my diagnosis and did not get it even close to right the first time. The staff at inpatient is incredible both in Belmont and Southeast. The facilities and structure of inpatient at Southeast is notably worse. Outpatient partial programs are informative and tailored to your diagnosis but they seem to be completely restricted to those who have money and can pay for it. Diversity is lacking in Belmont staff. I'm grateful but there is a lot that needs to be improved. read more

Best service of any mental hospital. The staff will even do your laundry for you if you forget. You get to walk around huge hospital grounds through nature. You can get custom tailored dieticians with your food, a specialist who can give you any medical test in the world, and all the staff are extremely nice. You will however have your every move tracked and reported on which is traumatizing and be checked up on every fifteen minutes. You cannot leave until they want you to leave. The treatment team also wakes you up whenever they want to which is invasive and traumatizing and the female staff has to supervise injections of medication into your butt for you to leave. The place is very professional but they do demean and emasculate the patients. read more

I would give 0 stars if I could. I attended the Hill Center trauma program and witnessed multiple other patients being treated horrible during crisis situations/staff not knowing how to help patients in distress/flashbacks at all. The groups were not well run and lacked any structure which made the environment very unsafe for people with severe trauma. My case manager was extremely checked out and didn't advocate for me in the bare minimum way I needed to benefit from treatment, leading to a re-traumatizing experience for me. Especially if you have a dissociative disorder or severe complex trauma DO NOT come here. read more

Called McLean's hospital inquiring about ketamine infusions. On their website they listed how much it would be if you were to pay out-of-pocket in case your insurance did not cover it ( most don't). I was told that because of my Mass health plan that I not only I wouldn't be covered but I couldn't even pay out of pocket?! This is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of. There are plenty of places in the area that do ketamine and will be more than happy to take your money and not tie you up in useless red tape like McClain's is famous for doing. Had a very similar circumstance with my daughter several years ago at Mclane's. They are very quick to blame the insurance company but in fact it is their bureaucracy and lawyers that other major issue. They take president over helping people that truly need it. Avoid if you can. read more

I had a wonderful experience at McLean Hospital. I attended the Gunderson program for 6 months. I entered McLean suicidal and with debilitating anxiety. It has been more than 4 years and I am proud to say I am living a life I never dreamed of. I have a steady job, fulfilling relationships, and just bought my first home. I felt that I was in the best hands with the best doctors and they truly care about your mental wellbeing. For all the negative reviews, I will say that McLean isn't like those rehabs in California where they enable your champagne problems. There were several people in my program who ended up leaving and couldn't handle it. They don't let you live in denial. If you are ready to get better and WANT TO, this is the place for you. read more

Many of the lower-star reviews fail to take into account where McLean stands in re to other facilities. It's a state of the art psychiatric institution. Yes, it's busy, it's expensive, its staff are often too tired to care about minutiae and are not omniscient. Yes, being in-patient sucks, as a rule. However, speaking from experience: the short-term unit is fairly flexible and hands-off and the post-traumatic stress unit, slow as it ought to be, feels very safe. Communication between team members is far more prompt and comprehensive than it's been elsewhere. It's definitely one of the nicer places one could end up. The campus is surrounded by lush forests & hiking trails. The central lawn lights up with grape hyacinths and buttercups in the summer. There's a recurring clutch of lilies of the valley behind the Bowditch Building. None of this is to mention the thriving turkey and hawk populations. Neighboring a gated community gets a little awkward, but it's practically within walking distance of several cities and shopping centers. The cafeteria food isn't half bad either (can't say as much for the catering). I've met several people who've actually benefited long-term from stabilization alone, which is more than can be said for most competing institutions. If you can afford it and feel comfortable / safe in a slightly elitist New England environment, McLean is one of your best bets in convalescence. read more

I was recently in McLean on Proctor 1 for detox from alcohol. I chose to go there over another place I had been to years ago. HUGE mistake. The nurses and counsellors were very nice, and I do think they were short-staffed. But the unit as a whole could've been run better by a teenager. I went into admissions with printouts from my medical chart with my medications and physical issues. The first three days they didn't give me my thyroid med. If anyone doesn't know, your thyroid releases hormones which regulate your appetite, energy level, heart rate, rate of digestion and body temperature, among other things. So it's kind of important. I also have chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure, but even though I had a meeting with the nutritionist-twice-the closest they got with my diet was "Heart Healthy", which means low fat. Nothing to do with being salt-restricted or good for the kidneys. (I started buying my own meals in the cafe) I remembered one morning I was supposed to have a telehealth meeting that day with my therapist. They told me not to worry, they would take care of it. The next day when I asked about it I was told they "couldn't get through." ??? My therapist never got a call. She works in a large hospital. COULDN'T GET THROUGH??? Bullpoop. They just didn't call! They also changed some policies. . . or were going to. . . . .it's hard to say. . . because some staff do/say one thing changed but others have no idea. And now I'm talking about the doctors and the charge nurse!! Then when you ask questions they tell you you're deflecting from your treatment!! I guess if THEY can't walk and chew gum at the same time they certainly think you can't. I've got PTSD, major anxiety and trust issues, which they knew upon my admission. If they knew anything about trauma-informed care, a little bit of effort should have been made to explain some things instead of attacking me because I pointed out some discrepancies. After some discussion, they finally convinced me to go to McLean's two week program in central MA and told me they would fax them all my info. The next day a nurse told me I was being discharged, which was a surprise to me. Now the doctor tells me there is a two week wait for a bed and I would need to call to get in. So they pretty much sent me off with no after care program. There's even more, but I think this is enough. I left sober, but feeling worse about myself as a person than I did when I went in. NO ONE should go to ANY hospital, psychiatric or otherwise, and leave that way. If you have no other issues (really?) and you can deal with inconsistent rules and discrepancies in staff policies and half bum effort on the part of your providers, go to McLean's. If you've got PTSD and/or just expect a fair amount of consistency in your treatment and surroundings, STAY AWAY!! read more

this huge campus pretending to care about people with issues. i've been asking crap therapy corporations, ( because this is big business ) for help for years. i'm done waiting for snotty so called professionals to care about my mental health. well fuck you mclean money machine. i'll not ask for help again. you should be ashamed...... professional educated bullshit.thanks for nothing read more

There are many departments, and I have experience with only two of them. You need to understand that the irrational mind is commonly resistant to any kind of change, even if it's for the better. A patient goes to a hospital to change something bad about themselves. With that logic, a staff member should work at a hospital to help the patient with those changes. I think what went wrong with this place was its choice of staff. A place that's "ranked #1 among all psychiatric hospitals in the country" and from reading some of these high-star reviews, it's clear they pick and choose who they provide hospitality for. I actually heard, on several occasions, staff members remarking upon the "easy paycheck" this job was, and that they're only there to build a Resume. Imagine being a patient and having your entire existence serve their purpose, instead of your own. It's the equivalent of getting a burger at McDonald's, they're only there for a paycheck and you're the tool. This is further evidenced by their Detox program, which has people in-and-out within 1-3 days. I've seen many programs, but never one that was this short-lived, and a lot of it has to do with insurance - not patient needs. As for the longer residential programs, there isn't a whole lot to do (unless you're one of the elitist visitors) and the rooms aren't maintained well. The red brick buildings are aged, the pipes are noisy, water dirty, something off about the lighting, all very trivial stuff but hardly deserving of that #1 spot. In most facilities, it takes a lot to get restrained. Here at McLean, it's very common and the staff are perfectly okay with it. I wish some of them would endure it, so that they can be more empathetic. I actually witnessed somebody walk themselves to the bed. I was told it happens almost every two weeks, per unit, whereas other places it might happen like seven times a year. No violent tendencies are needed, just abnormal behavior. They'll just grab you, and expect your resistance (which is justified) to justify their reasons. I think that's why there are some patients that think they love this place - they force you to be happy, or suffer the consequences. They'll continue to get insane amounts of profits from their publicity, despite blatant negligence that will be dismissed by readers who are chalked up to having mental issues. That would assume, of course, that I was a patient here. I can promise you, nobody cares about the welfare of patients at McLean. read more