Alhambra Behavioral Healthcare Center

Reviews 3

VA

Valerie Reyes

This place was quite the experience. I loved the staff and the therapists there were immensely helpful. Being on level two on my second day, thus giving me access to the cafeteria and other activities they had for level two were nice. Cafeteria food wasnt excellent but it was good. Eating what I wanted and and how much was a great privilege. Two things I wasnt so fond of but there were things that had its alternatives - I didnt like that gym time was in a room. It gets hot very fast and easily. I liked that they had patio/smoke break every two hours - it starts at 6am and ends at 10pm. Depending on what staff member giving the break - it can last to 10 minutes up to 20 minutes. Most patients there would smoke but it was nice to have the space divided to non smoking area to smoking area. I would have enjoyed maybe an hour of art but only had 30 minutes of it. They arent so strict on patients cleaning up after themselves but they do remind us every day. If you have a problem with roommates they try their best to fix the problem. Some patients there come off very rude and they feel they are entitled to demand than ask so treat them with respect and they will do the same. I loved how the rooms had windows instead of just a wall with a painting. I enjoyed waking up with the sunshine in my face and it helped me wake up on time for breakfast. Regardless if I had a parking lot to stare at occasionally while reading my book in the day time - it was nice to see the world go by instead of guessing and then finding out what it looks like when I can go to a patio break. I did complain a few times to the staff about patients there for being a bit offensive or just out right perverted and by the next day they transferred those patients. If you want to have a good experience here, utilize it well. Uncomfortable with something? Ask to see what the staff can do. Its up to you to have a comfortable stay - Sometimes the staff can be a little short handed with people but they do what they can and I see that. You are a guest so treat everything with respect. Wendy, Steven, King, and Nicolas are very chill and respectful. Though, like I said, most of the staff are very helpful. Even the cool rockabilly janitor was freaking awesome and had time to wish me luck, and say goodbye. Thank you Alhambra Behavioral Healthcare Center! I will be one of those people who will come back but only to donate clothes and books! Oh! and my doctor was Dr. Bavshar, I think thats how you spell it. He is a wonderful, chill Doctor. I know a lot of patients had him but didnt seem to ask the right questions or they were aggressive. Ask the questions you have, take in the information, be respectful, and dont look so damn eager to leave. Youre there for help and thats what they offer. If youre constantly asking to leave theyre not going to give you that satisfaction. Youre just showing them that you need to stay there longer. Accept why youre there and just relax. I was here involuntary and I stayed from April 1st at 1:15pm to April 5th at 11:30am. ALSO, if theyre giving you meds before you see your doctor - you CAN refuse until then. Dont be stupid, you have your rights to say no and they give you all the patients rights in booklets when you first get there.

GR

Greyzone

They lie all over the paperwork and try to hold onto clients as long as possible to bill the most possible. There arent any real services. You have a shared room and a tv room and thats pretty much it. There is no therapy at all, just a sad excuse for a group therapy that contains anti-science woo victim blaming nonsense. They preach "social order" "social hierarchy" "social roles" "inner-circle, outer-circle" "negative emotions are insanity" "autonomy is insanity" "freedom is insanity" "telling on abusers is insanity", etc... Art and gym have no supplies, and order to keep the pool clean for pictures and inspections, only staff are allowed to use it. I had seen one client had his arm broken by staff when he tried to escape (unnecessary to break his arm) and they pinned a small child down suffocating him while accusing him of disobedience when he did nothing at all. Randomly the staff will pick out someone on rotation to harass and make demands of, just to flex their muscles in a completely unregulated environment. People are not allowed access to a social worker, lawyer, etc. I literally had a 60 second meeting with my "appointed social workers" who was manic and rushing, and we never even sat down... our whole "State appointed meeting" was done as she walked down the hall to leave. They didnt get me help with my dental appointment, which they promised, but make sure to force me into outpatient care. For the record, by tooth (a molar, and it was swollen and bleeding when I was there) is still broken and without care one year later. The worst part of my personal experience was that they made up a wild background story for me that isnt true at all, claimed I said things I told them the opposite of, and lied to me during the entire process. This while they refused me medical treatment for a head wound which is how I ended up their to begin with (when I fell over and vomited, they claimed I stated that I had a panic attack and was suicidal; complete made up nonsense). And contrary to the comments on here, they do indeed drug everyone that comes in, even before they meet with the doctor thats supposed to prescribe the medications (yes, yes, they do actually do this). The place is basically set up as a pill mill used for grant fraud and insurance fraud. Their grievance manger just engages in personal attacks, bulverism, denial, etc... and their CEO laughs at clients and hangs up on them during complaints. Basically the place is run by two face narcissistic psychopaths who need a lesson in ethics, intellectual honesty and the consequences of their actions. Do not go here and do not send people here.

GI

Giselle Reyes

I went into the adolescent mental health ward in 2013 and again in 2014. The food is actually high quality, they provided fun activities in gym and in the art center, and over the summer allow patients to enter the pool. The only reason I give this place two stars is because they dont watch as closely as they make it seem, only provide two blankets (which isnt enough in the winter), therapy isnt helpful at all, some staff are very rude and uncaring, and they do like to increase medication dosage without proper understanding of the patients mental health. The place is really sanitary and they provide enough hygiene supplies but the path to the gym is in the way of an area where smoking is allowed and second hand smoke is a serious issue. My worst experience here was that I had anxiety and they gave me Ativan and unfortunately I got really high from it and one of the staff put me in a dark room with what seemed to have a bed and closed me in because I couldnt control my laughing and I couldnt walk properly and had to crawl around. He didnt locker the door but it had no handle on the inside so the only was to open it was to slide your finger at the bottom of the door and pull it open. The door did have a lock where they would strap a disruptive patient and keep them in there, though. This was honestly traumatizing for me. In a strange and disturbing way, this place is only good for an isolated vacation.