AllHealth Network - Acute Treatment Unit

"I’m going to write a fairly detailed review, as I understand that looking for places to get help in your darkest of times can be a frustrating thing. I stayed at the Santa Fe House CSU for 5 days, and my overall experience was very beneficial and positive. I’ve been to 5 different units now, and this one was the most helpful by far. Of course no crisis unit is a perfect place, but it was clear that a great deal of the staff were client-centered, compassionate, and passionate about what they do. The first person I spoke to at the window was personal and reassuring, and that was a good sign. The waiting room can be difficult thing for a lot of people though, I had to wait about 6-7 hours to go up to the unit, which seemed like the norm, and I’ve heard of another having to wait 16 hours because certain staff of the day shift decided they wanted the night shift to do admitting since they had a lot of discharges. They were good about providing food and checking in while waiting though. I suggest bringing a book or some sort of crisis center approved coping mechanism to deal with the time. The unit itself feels as homey as a unit can feel, less sterile than other places I’ve been to. There are many windows to get some good daylight, some with mountain views. Beds are standard, meaning not the comfiest, as usual. There’s a patio and walking paths to use if it is warm enough outside. Food is a variable as I’ve heard, but in my experience, they did get the job done. There are some understaffing issues in the kitchen, but they do the best they can. You won’t go hungry here, they provide 3 snack times along with meals. I will say, I’ve never drank so much Kool-Aid in my life. Daily schedule consists of ideally three group therapy sessions, morning and evening check-ins, and individual visits to providers as needed. There is also a good amount of time to pretend like you are in preschool again. You can color, paint, play with play-doh, make bracelets (some people were blinged out, it was awesome), and the staff can play music of your choice on the speakers in the day room. Group therapy sessions can be a hit or miss on an individual basis. For example, CBT may not be your style at all. It can show you what you prefer in individual therapy though. Shoutout to Emily, she’s a gem and we looked forward to her groups. Staff in general are very attentive and approachable. It can feel scary to ask for what you need, and some other places I’ve been to can ignore you for basic needs like socks. Not like that at all here. And there were so many details that I appreciated. From having a night nurse engage in deep breathing with me while I was in an anxious episode, doing a group stretching session before bed, and being able to talk things out with techs in times of need. If you are feeling like crap, there is going to be someone that can help you cope. Additionally, a psychiatrist and therapist that I saw were absolutely incredibly and restored my faith in seeking mental healthcare. And perhaps the most valuable can be the friendships that you form with other patients. I was very closed off for my first two days, but opened up to a group that shared things that I usually felt alone for. We supported and listened to each other to an incredibly healing degree. You’re not at your best, but there is still a whimsical sense of having a long sleepover while letting your inner child out, with trauma-bonding in the mix. I will never forget our evening tea party at the window while giggling at some dumpster diving raccoons all named Harold (they are celebrities). I absolutely got the help that I needed. I understand that things can be different for everyone, but I was provided the safe space away from life to heal. And I have good faith that you or the person you care about can as well."

"I think the 2.9☆ rating is about accurate, so I chose 2☆ so as not to bump it up to 3. I got there on a Monday night, and was forced to leave by Friday at noon. I was not mentally stable enough to go, but I had reached "5" days. Never mind that two of those days were not full days. They wanted me out of there so fast that NO ONE SAT DOWN WITH ME TO GO OVER MY SAFETY PLAN!!! I could have written anything, and they wouldn't have noticed. They just wanted it done so they could get it off their discharge checklist. The doctors switched my meds in a way my psychiatrist found questionable. (She ended up switching them back) A couple of the providers and therapists were decent and seemed empathetic but one therapist and Dr. Donna in particular were extremely unhelpful if not damaging. They gave out a schedule so you'd have some expectation of the routine...and then didn't follow it. Mealtimes and snacks were always about half an hour off, if not more, and if you weren't there within the first five or ten minutes of them serving it you had to hunt someone down to go back to the kitchen for the food or they straight up skipped you. I expected hospital food, and for the most part, got bad hospital food. About two or three days in, we all got excited to see a vegetable: one stalk of half edible asparagus. There were supposed to be about 4 groups a day on the schedule. The Tuesday and Wednesday I was there, we had two groups per day. People were playing Uno and Cards against humanity while waiting for group and managed to get through the entire deck because group just never happened. One star facility to be sure. I think most of the individuals there were trying to help but they're understaffed and maybe under trained. That second star is for the peer specialist, Jake, who actually led a morning "Goals" group at the time the group was scheduled on Thursday and Friday. Thanks Jake. Also thanks to Bajar (I hope I got that right) for comedy yoga. The stay was almost worth it just for that. Most of the peer specialists were pretty great, tbh, but there were a couple who...maybe shouldn't be peer specialists. Credit to the case managers too. They were both great. This is the 4th time I've been to a crisis unit/acute treatment center, and it was by far the worst experience I've had at one. Someone always says "you can always come back if you need to" but I'm now hesitant to ever try again."

"My experience at Santa Fe house was amazing! I am so grateful for all the staff there! They took very good care of me and treated me with kindness, dignity and respect. They SAVED me from myself and I will forever be grateful for them. Thank you!"

"I was in there a few months ago, Marcus the counselor talked with me during a manic episode (he's the man for that).... But at the end he told me to look into having schizophrenia. Told the physiatrist on staff and she told me it's ok he's cool. Why would a counselor tell me to look into it? Isn't that your guys job? Also groups are a joke... They take people outside to just hang out and the schedule posted on the wall means nothing. I remember just one group a day. Went to leave and the nurse taking my vitals put the cuff on as I looked at a blank screen and she started taking it off and I asked if she was going to take my vitals... She replied that she didn't want to get fired again then laughed. I got a weird vibe from most staff there and they sit around in the front and talk all day. People going without meds most of the day and people allowed to be threatening. I couldn't believe it. I was told that I would be discharging at 6am (was supposed to start a job) but was lied to. I didn't get out until that afternoon. During med time the nurse called me by the wrong name, like how do I know I'm getting the right meds? This place was a mess. I'm sad that all of this happened and I will never forget. Should of just stayed home."

"I came in voluntarily and requested discharge after 48 hours. They held me against my will on a 72 hour hold, I was not suicidal. They literally just wanted my insurance money. When I got upset and cried they told me that crying makes me look more crazy. If you want to be traumatized, come here."