Lakeside Behavioral Health System

"So if you are coming here voluntarily don’t expect a hotel stay, what I will say is mentally prepare yourself for the journey ahead. This place isn’t perfect by any stretch and there are a few things I could complain about, but that’s like everywhere. Unfortunately I had to spend a good number of hours in the narc after my assessment. This was a really difficult time when you’re not allowed nicotine and you have the golden girls on the TV with 3 straight hours. I wouldn’t have minded it so much if you could hear it. When I got to the West unit it was 1am, I was scared and timid, I didn’t have a pillow so I had to improvise, however my first impressions were that the staff were nice and I was there to get better. In the morning I met the other patients and they made me feel so welcome it was unreal. Unfortunately I wasn’t told the rules of the unit and I had to pick them up as they came up. However I did get in to the swing of things. I was told that this stay was a vacation for the mind and I firmly believe that you get out what you want to get out of a place like this. I made some amazing friends here, for the most part the staff were caring albeit very overworked. (The were a couple who were just plain rude but being over worked can do this). The group sessions really helped a lot, I just wish we had more time for smoke breaks. The recreational therapy sessions were really fun and I looked forward to them, kinda wish there was more of them. The food was okay, not restaurant quality but if you’re cooking in bulk it’s hard to be creative. The only gripe I really have is the eggs we had for breakfast everyday, I was sick of eggs by the end of it. If you’re gay or transgender, expect to be put in a room on your own. I didn’t mind it so much but it did get really lonely. If you can get yourself transferred to the landing. I spent my entire 9 day stay in the west unit and it was a little too regimented for my liking. However I was glad for the care I got. Lakeside did save my life, and as much as I never want to go back there, who knows what the future will bring, but at least I know I will be in good hands. To the bosses of Lakeside itself, invest some money in training and extra staff. During the busy periods some of the techs get extremely flustered and it’s not fair on them. All in all thank you Lakeside for looking after me."

"I was in lakeside for about 2 weeks and my doctor, Dr. Trautman, was absolutely amazing! I was misdiagnosed before I met him and he has absolutely changed my life! Lakeside has a ton of amazing staff members that have helped me have a different perspective. I’m very blessed to have had this great experience. If you ever have any thoughts about going here, ask for Dr. Trautman."

"My bathroom was covered in BLACK mold. It was embedded in the shower curtain, shower head, and vents, They zombify you by over medicating you. They don’t respect religion. 90% of the staff are awful. The place is disgustingly dirty. They don’t accommodate your diets or food preferences. I lost over 10 pounds in a matter of 3 weeks because I was literally starving. Lakeside has 2 stars for a reason and I’ve been there 3 times and each time just got worse. If you need help, choose another hospital"

"I was admitted to recovery academy after 8 hours of waiting, at 4am. Mr Jason was one of the only kind and empathetic workers in the adolescent unit. the food was okay, there were bugs some places but the main issue i have is the treatment of me and my peers at lakeside. They claim to be thought but kind, however that is NOT the case. Other than the night staff, such as Mrs Shannon and Mrs Jason, most of the unit caretakers were absolutely horrible to us. One staff member yelled at a girl for asking for help, then mentally and verbally threatened and attacked her and made her feel awful. She then called us into a group session when we weren’t even supposed to and were yelled at for at least 15 minutes. Two girls what panic attacks and many were sobbing, me included. then on monday the weekday staff informed us that we were on circle freeze, which is a 5inch thick packet of work. for absolutely nothing. this place is a nightmare and doesn’t help anyone. one patient killed themselves three days after being released."

"Be prepared to wait 4-6 hours for an assessment. No one will tell you about this wait time. One nice gentleman that was an employee explained that to me. This facility, as well as others for the mental health, are way understaffed and in need of good workers (thanks COVID-19 for making people lazy AF). The workers that's there try their best to accommodate everyone but with an assessment time of up to 6 hours, the lack of doctors are to blame. Call head, ask questions and pray that you're talking to someone that's not over worked and under paid."