Anaheim Community Hospital

For the love of god don’t send someone here and think you're doing a good thing. No group talk therapy, only music therapy where you sing or listen and occupational therapy (yard time). The “yard” on google maps is that 3 car width solid concrete box with only a sliver of the sky visible from inside. Basically everything i'm seeing people say is true. At the start of my week I was kinda scared to see the zonked out faces of the longer term patients but by day 4 the meds were already making it so bad I couldn’t really talk.

Harper

I voluntarily came here because I was having a panic attack. When I asked to leave, they placed me on a 5150 hold without evaluating me at all which is illegal. The entire time I was here, there wasn’t a single therapist or therapy group offered. The “occupational” therapy was literally them letting everyone go outside and do nothing for 30 minutes. No instruction, no guided activities, nothing. The facility was also so disgusting and unclean it made me incredibly nauseous. Do not send your loved ones here if they need help. This place did literally nothing to help but pump people full of medication. Because I’m pregnant they couldn’t give me any meds so I was forced to sit there and do literally nothing all day. Not great for anyone’s mental health at all.

Elija slinkard

This place should be shut down. The treatment patients receive is disgusting. Everyone who works should be ashamed of themselves. You treat people like animals, don’t give water and proper medications needed.

Daniela Nieves

I had one appointment for psychiatry with Hieu Tran and will not be returning for any follow up appointments. Not only does this psychiatrist seemingly have an unwillingness to listen to patients but also offers undependable advice. I was given a 5 day prescription for my anxiety disorder and had to jump through several hoops as the pharmacy attempted to contact Hieu Tran and were unable to get ahold of him. I contacted him myself and he showed a complete lack of interest and urgency in prioritizing my mental heath needs. I wish I could rate lower.

Serena Sonoma

I originally left this review on yelp but they removed it. they also removed another low rating. I do not recommend this place if you have a specific mental health issue (or trauma related condition), or are looking for any kind of therapy/group/actual support other than medication. During my 10 days there, I went from being voluntary to being given a 5150 then a 5250. I can only imagine I was given them because I pushed back on taking the medication (which I explained to the staff members multiple times I'd had bad reactions in the past and was not comfortable with them giving me medication I wasn't familiar with. I was then met with an attitude by multiple staff members, especially Cheryl). From the very beginning things were confusing, at times traumatic, and overall lacked real support for someone who was going through a mental health crisis. At one point I had felt so defeated by the staffs lack of listening skills I started to shut down and could no longer speak due to the stress of everything. And instead of trying to help, staff members sat there silently, stared, tried to push medication, and one even physically moved away from me. From lack of privacy (having a nurse stare at my personal text messages for too long), to loud noises all night with the doors slamming shut constantly, to witnessing staff mistreat other patients (nurse Angie taking a walker away from a patient who needed it and had borrowed it with permission from another patient), to being hesitant to express any emotion without repercussions (witnessed another patient get tranquilized for having an emotional reaction and left the room another time when witnessing staff, with one holding a big needle, start to surround another patient who was taking too long on the phone). This facility and most of the stuff seem to lack empathy, understanding and the ability to actually support those with mental health issues. Not to mention the lack of actual mental health education and skills in the groups that were held every day. Instead of building skills or having group therapy, there were music classes and bingo. While having fun in a place that is so sterile and uncomfortable might be important- so might be building useful skills to help oneself once you're discharged. And you're lucky if you get any face to face time with a therapist- but they won't seem willing to sit down with you and discuss what you're truly going through. The resident psychiatrist (dr. Ishmail) will also only meet with you for 30 seconds and base an entire diagnosis on those 30 seconds. Even then, it seemed like the staff only lightened up once I had started complying with their "treatment" (pills and going to 'groups'). For days I tried to explain to staff the past reactions I had to medication, yet I was still met with annoyance that I wasn't just immediately taking the pills. You have to push back a lot in this place to make sure they understand you know your own body. They also seem to hand anyone and everyone a 5150 then a 5250 who protests any part of their 'treatment'. The outdoor areas are a joke- painted white brick with cement tables. The white will blind you when the sun is shining and there's little to no comfort when being outside other than being able to feel the breeze. It was also shocking for staff to have no reaction to my many complaints about not being able to go outside and how that is one of the main things that improves mental health. It seemed as though we were only able to go outside when the staff felt like it. And even then- there was nothing to do other than to sit or pace along the perimeter. Inside, the only things to do with our free time when not eating or going to group were to sleep, color, read or watch tv. The only highlights were the food, the kitchen staff, and some of the other staff members who actually seemed to care (Jocelyn, Beatrice, Kasey, Miguel, Veronica, and a few others)

Julia I