Newport Academy

"I am a colleague in the field and had the pleasure of going to visit Newport Academy recently. The only way to describe it is extraordinary. The physical space, the setting, the approach to care, and the staff are truly remarkable. I was blown away by every aspect of the experience. It would be a magical place to heal, build community and get back on track."

"As a parent who had to make the heart wrenching decision with my 16 year old to enter a residential treatment for mental health. I can confidently say we chose the right place. Communication was amazing. We were provided with cell phone numbers of most of the key staff my son worked with. We were provided with weekly school updates, weekly family therapy sessions, parent support zoom groups, an parent ap, 30/60 day updates and an invitation to contact anyone at any time with any concerns. My son worked his way from 5 min daily calls, to 10 to 15 when he was promoted to community leader. Any issues that arose within his house was communicated immediately. As you can imagine, a group of struggling teens in a home is somewhat of a powder keg. That dynamic actually worked in my sons favor as he had many supports around him to navigate social situations he previously struggled with. His number one complaint was missing home, his second complaint was the food. He did say that they changed kitchen staff and the food improved greatly. He participated in activities such as basketball, fishing, river surfing, hiking, MMA, yoga and equine therapy. He even wrote and recorded a song with one of the staff. I think compared to some of his pod mates, my sons issues weren't as severe, so he did make a ton of progress. I believe residential was necessary for him, though, because he was able to step away from life and just work on himself. We, as parents also made a lot of progress, through family therapy, in navigating the challenges of raising a teen with high anxiety and resulting defiance. You will see negative reviews from past alumni. From the stories my son told me about some incidents involving other clients there, it makes sense. They have a very low tolerance for violent or destructive behavior and many kids were kicked out while he was there. My son formed some meaningful friend ships there with clients and with staff. He got/gave lots of good bye hugs and that was so nice to see. I want to say an extra special thank you to David our family therapist for his amazing work! It was bitter sweet saying goodbye during our last family session. Overall I would not hesitate to send your teen here if you and his providers believe it would be benificial."

"I work as a clinical outreach specialist for Newport Healthcare. I've worked in the behavioral health industry for nearly 15 years and I can tell you without a doubt that Newports' programs are a wonderful option for teens, young adults and their families who are struggling with mental health and substance use concerns. The staff is warm and welcoming, the facilities are gorgeous and the academic and professional development support is amazing. On top of all that, our research outcomes show that teens and young adults who come to Newport get better!! I will also add that Newport is a great place to work. My manager is receptive to my ideas and opinions, so I always feel like I'm involved in the evolution and growth of the company."

"This review is from the perspective of an employee, as I feel it is important to hear from staff as well when selecting a treatment center for your client or child. Newport Academy Connecticut is a program where all of the buzzwords about "client focused" and "individualized treatment plans" are true. There is something different about this program, something that you feel as soon as you walk on campus and sense the commitment of the staff (many of whom have a very long tenure at this location), the tranquility of the setting, and the atmosphere of healing and trust that is developed between staff, clients, and their loved ones. Newport Connecticut does not promise miracles, but it does guarantee that each teen who attends will be met for who they are and that we will give our families the best tools possible for navigating difficult times. It is a great place to work and an outstanding choice for anyone searching for a program where your loved one will be safe and able to navigate their trauma in a supportive environment."

"I went to newport academy in March of 2023. I was only here for 2 weeks, and my experience was traumatizing. On my first night, I was having a breakdown, and all the CC staff that was assigned to help me told me was “go ahead then. Run away. There’s bears outside and it’s cold, so be careful.” Sarcastically. I still remember every day I spent at this place and it keeps me up at night. The therapists are very manipulative, and there is no communication with families within the unit at all. There are only 5 minute calls a day to home to family at assigned times of the day. After you made the call, that was it for the day. If there was an emergency that your family needed to be contacted, it would take forever for the staff to actually do something and call your family. Even getting in touch from staff to staff, they take forever to respond and it feels like the staff, CCs especially never know what to do or how to handle situations. I knew Newport wasn’t the right fit for me since the day I got there, but the staff was no help in my situation . My family therapist tried to manipulate my mom into telling her that I’m manipulative, and my mom needs to learn how to tell me no and that I’ll say anything to go home. I didn’t know this until after I got home. I wasn’t discharged, after exactly 2 weeks of my stay I woke up with a horrible feeling. I begged for the staff to take me to the ER from 8AM to around 5PM when they finally got in touch with the psychiatrist who told them to take me to the hospital. I remember that day I was standing in front of the workers telling them I seriously felt unsafe and i felt a danger to myself and they just sat there with a blank expression telling me to squeeze a orange. They told me it’s fine, I’m on a 1 to 1 (when the workers sit and watch you in a room alone) The workers have no empathy, and they are trained that way for the job because a lot of the therapy style is disciplinary. I would ruminate on when I was going home. How many hours were in the day. I never felt so alone in my life, and the staff weren’t helpful at all. After a week of me being there, they told me I could no longer talk to someone when I needed to because I need to learn my own coping skills. So I would sit alone in my thoughts. Not only that, but the food is also horrible. By the time I came out, which I was not discharged, but sent to another hospital from the ER, I was malnourished and physically sick. I lost alot of weight my parents didn’t even recognize me I was so sick. Please, research before you send a loved one to this place. It gave me new traumas on top of what I went there for."