Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital 1004 Pawlak Parkway, New Lenox, IL 60451

"My experience was relatively okay. I had never been to a behavioral hospital before. Staff was okay. Some staff liked to yell to get the attention of patients. This was triggering especially since a lot of people do not like yelling. I for one hate yelling. The nurse Ana who took me in told me I was not allowed to see my parents on the Sunday I had gotten there. She then stated “that’s why we have so many phone calls.” I then was told otherwise by the techs. They stated “it was patient rights.” Melanie who was a tech was very cold and not personable at all. She was very dry and not welcoming. Elizabeth the med nurse threatened me on my last day there with the Haldol shot because I yelled at a girl to leave me alone after I had told her to several times. Haldol in shot form was only to be administered if physical violence occurred between staff and another patient. This in turn made me very scared that I was going to have to stay another day. Thankfully I didn’t have to. I never got into any altercations there, in fact everyone there liked me. It was just this one other patient who was causing problems. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner should be optional to attend. If patients aren’t feeling up to it socially or mentally they shouldn’t be threatened with cold meals for not attending breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the cafeteria. That made it feel like jail."

"My mother specifically said not to put me on a certain medication, because it caused chest pain for me, and despite that I was put on the medication and the nurses didn't tell her, even though she had said that with any new medication they MUST call her before I was put on it. Without my mother's consent the doctor gave me medication to slow my heart rate because my chest hurt and my heart was racing due to the medication I wasn't supposed to be on in the first place. Another patient who used a choclier implant and could not hear the patient phones, was denied help when they wanted to talk to patient advocate about how they were getting treated by the staff, I will not add any more details of their situation as to keep their business private, but I had to help them with talking to patient advocate because they were refused help many times by the staff on our unit. I wouldn't recommend this hospital to anyone."

"I stayed here about a year ago and decided to come back and leave a review after reflecting in some odd experiences that still come up that I experienced during my stay. First off, I signed for a 5 day stay. After getting there I was told they couldn’t say when I could leave. After having a meeting and being approved to leave at 7 days, I was told hours later that the decision had been reversed because I’d had a medication increase (which I was never informed about). This was the day after a rough night, which I wouldn’t even ask for a melatonin supplement for fear that they would keep me longer for any medication change. So they had increased my medication dosage (or at least claimed that they did) without informing me whatsoever. They told me I was then only being considered to be released after 10 days, and could write to appeal it. But it might hold up the process and cause me to stay longer. Then after requesting my medication records while there, I was given a printed out sheet of paper with the title “Medication Worksheet”, which didn’t even accurately account for the number of pills I was being given each day. The first day I was there, I (admittedly) tried to walk out the door and was subsequently told I’d the doctor decided I needed to given medication. After attempting to inquire about what the medication was, who the prescribing doctor was since I’d never met one, and other basic rights of medication administration (dosage, etc.), I was surrounded by 5-6 staff with latex gloves who told me I could take a dose of medication out in the day room, or they could carry me to my room to hold me down and administer it because I was determined to be anxious after asking so many questions. This happened 2 days in a row. The second time, I was held down by at least 5 staff, and after they pulled my pants down and gave me an IM shot in my thigh, told that they would not release me until I stopped talking and asking questions as they counted down from 10. And if I talked, the countdown would start from the beginning. And something that still bothers me to this day involved my first phone call home. This was my first experience anywhere, so I don’t know if it is common for staff to poke fun at the patients. But I was told I could call my mother (you give them the number, they dial it and you sit at an assigned phone). The very first phone call I had, “my mother” picked up. But it didn’t sound like my mom, and as inquired more she couldn’t even tell me where she worked (and sounded a lot like one of the staff members I just spoke with). [I should mention that I was experiencing signs of psychosis during my stay, but was still very aware. And I think it was unsettling and/or surprising to the staff that I was very present considering the circumstances that I was there for.] But after talking with the staff and stating that I didn’t think the person on the phone was my mother, they offered to try and redial the number. And my mom picked up with no recollection of having just had a conversation with me. Thinking back, this alone is concerning because my condition had me in fear for the safety of my family and I before that instance. And a lot of the reasons I was told I was too “sick” to go home, were issues that seemed to be fed by being there. And seemed to resolve after time of being out of that environment. I don’t want to completely put down any positives or ways in which they may help other people. But my personal experience was strange, and the treatment felt unfair at times considering the state of mind and awareness I had while I was there. To me, it felt as if they set you up to eventually come back. And despite whatever condition I was there for, I found it ridiculous how I couldn’t get access to an official medical log, or even direct communication with the doctor who was deciding that I be on whatever medication they decided to start me on. I never met the doctor until multiple days into my stay after I’d been taking medication that they somehow professionally determined that I needed without ever seeing me"

"My daughter was in here we told numerous nurses.that the medicine she was on would not work she was on it before. Never got to talk to a doctor found out they are contracted they could care less. When they sent here home it was a joke. They sent her with instructions that looked like a four year old wrote it. They said they increased her medicine, then they said just give her what you were giving before made no sense. Why would she take less than thy were giving her at hospital. She had to back to hospital that night silver oaks refused to take her. She spent in ER 7pm to 6am and moved her to Chicago hospital don’t know where. I can’t believe they couldn’t find hospital close."

"The outpatient experience has been really welcoming, Sam is a very inviting person and she validates all of her patients concerns and worries in group. The group itself is very well ran, Sam is very good about keeping the group on task and working on skills that we need for outside of group. Im excited to continue the group and believe this would be beneficial for anyone looking for therapy but maybe intimidated by the one on one interactions."