The Menninger Clinic 12301 South Main Street, Houston, TX 77035

"Paid for what we thought was the best sent our child off premises for drug testing. Purchased urine! We got the negative results. Quite a set back!"

"I was in the Adolescent Treatment Program in 2020 when I was 13. I have been to multiple treatment centers and I am very familiar with the mental health industry. Menninger is the best place I’ve ever been to. They didn’t help me, but they didn’t cause me any harm. Considering the current state of youth inpatient treatment in America, any treatment center that doesn’t actively abuse children is automatically one of the best. I do not recommend inpatient care for any child, but if it is truly the only option, Menninger is the place for your child. Here is some stuff about my experience: - We had unrestricted access to the internet. This was very successful in diminishing the feelings of isolation that come with living in an institution. - We had unsupervised access to flip phones. Unlike most facilities, we were allowed to call friends, not just immediate family members. They never restricted phone calls as a punishment. At other facilities, dangerous situations would arise and I would have no way of reaching out for help. Access to a cell phone made me feel much safer because I knew I could call emergency services if I needed to. - They did not monitor conversations or peer relationships. In many inpatient programs, children are prohibited from “making friends” with their peers. This was not the case at Menninger. We were even allowed to share phone numbers so we could stay in touch. - The staff left us alone. They were not constantly micromanaging or controlling our behavior. However, the lack of staff involvement could become problematic when you need help or comfort from an adult. If you asked for help, you were typically ignored or verbally berated. The staff were very unkind. - Unlike most lockdown treatment centers, the patients at Menninger are not violent. - They were unable to accommodate my food allergies or sensory needs. Thankfully, my parents were allowed to send me my own snacks that I ate instead of meals. - Menninger does not utilize behavior modification therapy. Unlike most facilities, we were not forced to work a level system for basic human rights. - Unlike most hospitals, Menninger does not look like a prison. The patient rooms look like bedrooms, not prison cells. We got our own bathrooms. - They do not utilize patient wristbands. In most programs, your wristband is essentially proof the institution owns you. This was not the case at Menninger. - The doctors were incredibly rude and apathetic. - They overmedicate children. Everyone on my unit was taking 50mg of hydroxyzine at least twice per day. Some patients, like myself, were also prescribed a variety of antipsychotic medications. Thankfully, they do not punish patients if they do not comply with medication regimens, however, most children on the ATP unit are too young to understand they shouldn’t be accepting the drugs. - Their program is entirely based in DBT. DBT can be incredibly harmful to neurodivergent kids and kids with complex/comorbid diagnostic profiles, including myself. I was shamed because DBT didn’t work for me and told I wasn’t trying; in reality, DBT was simply unable to treat my complex issues. - There is no academic support. The morning “school” has absolutely no structure. This was highly problematic as some kids spent months on the ATP unit with no academic supplementation. - Very little individual therapy. I wasn’t assigned an individual therapist until the week before I left. Lots of kids didn’t get a therapist at all. - Menninger sends children to various abusive institutions after they complete the Adolescent Treatment Program. From what I’ve heard, Menninger is aware of this and is actively working with anti-TTI organizations to decrease the number of children they send into the TTI. I am unsure of the progress they’ve made or if they are making progress at all."

"All be honest I been to a lot of bad treatment centers this was one of best treatment centers i’ve gone too back in 2015 i believe , they give you your own private room which looks like a hotel room they don’t invade your space or make you feel uncomfortable anyway the staff there are loving and compassionate people who genuinely want to help people get better, they help me find the right diagnosis the therapist there were caring helpful to me, they even had game room where you could play super smash bros lol literally was the best they let you experience having fun while also working through your mental health not many places do that or say what they actually mean on the website, they allow the parents to come directly into the facility and be able to see all of the spaces! There were fun activities and you could even go on outings I felt very safe and supported in this environment highly recommend this place!! It’s pricy but worth it."

"This place is great. Their doctors - the best, apparently - pressured my best friend to be social and join the community of patients. He hated it, resisted. They wouldn't allow him back into his room. Then they said he could go. So he hung himself. Fearing a lawsuit they ceased communication, ghosted. Top notch, classy."

"No. They really tore apart my family relations and made my mental health worse. They illegally forced medication on me after I told them it gave me bad side effects. They refused to listen and even though I went in there voluntarily, they held me hostage and gave me medication that made my mental health 10 times worse. When I asked what symptoms they are treating me for they laughed at me and said I'm delusional because I'm rubbed my chin for about 3 seconds. They said that was delusional because I didn't have 'thick facial hair' so i shouldn't be rubbing my chin (???) so therefore I am delusional. Never had anyone say I was crazy and didn't have any hallucinations but got diagnosed crazy and they just lied to my parents about things I said. I came in there for depression/anxiety but they forced antipsychotics in my private parts that made my anxiety 10x worse without consent. Seen plenty of psychiatrists since and they were confused why they thought i was 'crazy' as well."