Kempsville Center for Behavioral Health 860 Kempsville Road, Norfolk, VA 23502

"I seriously don't recommend this place for any age or situation, I went here twice, for suicidal attempts, self harm, and schizophrenia, as soon as I got sent in there I didn't get food until the next morning, and they barely monitor you in your rooms at night, and that's what led to my sexual assault I ended up seeing many restraints, suicide attempts, failed escapes, and people getting screamed at for not eating. There was one time that I got a restrained and was given the "booty juice" or Haldol and then I was put in solitary confinement for 4 days straight, just for getting in a fight after this 9 year old kid threw his cup of water at me and was cussing me out after I told the staff. And that was only the first visit. The second time, there were two "groups" on the hallway that formed when we were doing hygiene, and that's when the most fights happened, I had multiple panic attacks while the staff did nothing to restrain them, they were taking videos of it while kids were covering their ears and screaming. The water pitcher always ran out before I could get to it which made my hallucinations worse so they gave me more Ziprasidone which is my schizophrenia meds, that made me feel like a zombie and so I didn't want to talk to the staff which made me get in trouble most of the time. I hate this place so much, sending kids here should be punishable by death. Never go here (I would like to say that Miss Jasmine, she saved my life, she was a staff worker)."

"Dawg, I was here for 5 days and I just got out yesterday and good golly was it terrible. The food wasn’t bad, but they didn’t give us a lot of water at all. Once the pitcher ran out, you have to wait for 2 hours. I told whoever assessed me that I will shut down if I’m yelled at or if people are yelling near me. What did the staff do? Yell at me! WOOOO. Anyhow, I was yelled at for things like talking too loud, not talking at all and not answering questions, and sitting on the floor reading a book. I had a panic attack because I felt unsafe and stressed by the constant pressure and yelling and they did nothing about it besides give me Prozac. I had to mask how I felt at all times because I was scared of someone yelling at me again. Every time I talked to Dr. Hansen, besides the first time, I lied to him about how I felt because I didn’t trust him. I only got to talk to a therapist once and it was only to sign my discharge paperwork. I’ve never felt so unsafe, anxious, and afraid of being around people ever in my life before going to Kempsville. Going here has made me feel worse off then if I was just to go about my day last Thursday. I begged them to call my guardian so I could go home. I told them that this place wasn’t helping, that I needed to go home, that I no longer consented to be held there, but I couldn’t do anything about it. I will never go back there again and I won’t allow my future children to go here."

"This place traumatized me so much. I left with more scars, a worse ed, and more trauma. I was sent here for suicidal ideation, disordered eating, and phycosis. I was not treating for anything other than self harm. I was put on close watch when I said I wanted to kill myself about 2 weeks after I got sent to the acute after saying the exact thing for those two weeks and having nothing happen. I was put on a food log after a month and nobody ever cared enough to fill it out. I was sent to their residential program and I saw so many fights, holds, and suicide attempts it was crazy. I was put on close watch once again and eventually a 1:1. My doctor told the staff to just sit there and watch me self-harm and the staff did nothing about it. I needed stitches after a suicide attempt and was never sent to an er or sent to a doctor for a check. I was one of the more aggressive and suicidal patients and was constantly threatened with holds and codes. I did meet my wonderful boyfriend here so that's good. but I told staff I was struggling with a very bad eating disorder and nothing was done. I lost 20 pounds from being and and no one documented it on my papers. I know so many people who were not treated correctly. this play has worsened more people than it helped. I was placed in 2 physical restraints and had 4 code yellows called on me. this place ruined me and didn't help with anything."

"If you love your child do not send them here. This place is very militaristic, you use the bathroom on their time. The community bathroom is absolutely disgusting, the paint is peeled off the walls and there is crayon scribbles and boogers smeared by the guppies (the younger kids.) The staff will degrade you and you are treated as a crazy person rather than a human being. When ONE patient misbehaves, the entire unit is put on unit restriction and everyone is punished for their actions. They physically restrain patients for no valid reason, including the younger kids. I listened to a little boy scream and cry because he was put in a hold, he repeatedly said “it hurts, it hurts, you’re hurting me.” and the staff member ignored his desperate pleas. On my first night, they didn’t give me my trazodone and I did not sleep at all. The night staff never bothered to ask how I was when they did their checks and I spent my night staring at the ceiling in misery. They scolded me for what I wrote in my PRIVATE JOURNAL which no one was supposed to see, and ripped out the pages. Dr. Hansen purposefully misgendered and deadnamed a trans patient. I am begging you, if you care about your child’s mental health, DO NOT SEND THEN TO KEMPSVILLE."