Newport Academy Southern California

I have nothing but good things to say about Newport. They helped my daughter tremendously. She went in wanting to self-harm (she had previously) and thought of and talked about ending her life. She also had a general disinterest in growing up and facing life after high school. Newport was able to help her transition off of the meds she was on (which it's felt was the main cause of her feelings) and onto meds that have helped her get back on track with life. I was able to talk to my daughter twice a day and contact staff anytime I felt the need to check on her wellbeing. I even was given personal therapy sessions to help me be a better parent. When I felt she was ready to come home, there was no hesitation from the psychologist to agree with me and she came home just days later. She was well taken care of and given more than adequate accommodations during her stay. At no point did I feel I made a mistake taking her there. And if the need arises for her to return to Newport, I will not hesitate to send her again.

Melanie

If you have ever struggled with an eating disorder, DO NOT GO HERE. I had a manageable eating disorder when I was in middle school, but I took the steps to solve it on my own. I was fine and completely healthy until my parents forced me to go to Newport after finding out I had smoked marijuana with my friends. I was a junior in highschool when I was forced to go. Four years of healthy eating habits went completely down the drain when I went to Newport. It's a "sugar-free facility" so all honey, agave, snacks, etc were completely locked up. If I wanted more than one tiny squeeze of honey in my tea, I was told that it was too much sugar. They would squeeze so little in, that I couldn't even taste any sweetness. This sent my eating disorder progress into a downward spiral. On top of all of this, I wasn't able to use my "coping skills" to calm myself. You can only use a "coping skill" about once or twice (depending on your "stage"). That means you are limited to music for about ten minutes a day. Isn't a mental health facility supposed to foster the patients coping skills? It's not like we would have zero access to music or fidget toys in the real world. If you take someone's healthy coping skills away, they find other unhealthy ones to fill the void. The staff were completely unprofessional. One member would constantly talk about how she didn't want to be working there and how she's "stuck there (for 8 hours out of her day...)". We were actually stuck there against our will. They put me on medications that made me extremely tired. I found it super hard to find the energy to go to all the activities but no one bothered to make any adjustments. Instead, I lost my stage progress because I was chronically exhausted and needed to take naps to function. Not to mention, we often times didn't go to bed until about 10:30 pm or so (11 pm if you count the time it takes to get ready for bed). We woke up every day at about 6:30 am. Teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep per day, but those numbers tend to be higher for females. Everyone would get a maximum of 7.5 hours of sleep which doesn't even meet the lower end for males. We also were all in shared bedrooms, so it would normally be much lower as it is hard for strangers to sleep in the same room. Then they put you on medications that make you further exhaust you and then they punish you for being tired. Completely ridiculous and borderline inhumane.

No

I went to Newport academy voluntarily as a teen many years ago, so this is not recent but I did want to share my experience. I was trying to get help for severe depression, and had never gotten into any kind of trouble with substance use, sneaking out, disrespect, none of that. But the program felt more like a punishment than a healing environment. I felt as though all my basic rights and independence were taken away. I was forced to attend AA meetings despite never having drank or done drugs, and when I complained, I was told just to treat my depression as alcoholism and take the same steps. They talk about tailored treatment but it's really not. I had very little contact with my parents, who I was very close to. Everything I said to them was monitored. A lot of the staff wasn't very nice, and I feel as though the staff was trying to manipulate my parents. Of course I cannot prove these things, but I want to encourage parents to really do their research. And before you ask, Newport, I do not want to email you about my concerns. Best of luck to anyone seeking help.

Hannah Henry

I just wanted to thank Newport academy for all that they did for my daughter. She was there in California last year during the summer. They did not give up on her. They kept helping until she realized she needed the help. Olivia who is in charge of the therapists. She helped our daughter. There is know one like her. I wish there were more like her. The only bad thing was my insurance was gonna stop so she had to go somewhere else. But I want to thank the staff, all the workers, therapists, physchrtist, and Olivia. Thank you for not giving up on our daughter and God bless all of you. Newport academy cares!

alison rankin

I discharged from Newport August 2023 and let me just say, it was a life changer for me. If I could give Newport a 10 out of 10 stars, I would. I went to Newport not knowing what to expect. Turns out, it was THE BEST experience ever. I started at Newport severely depressed, with high anxiety, SH, SI, struggles with eating, sleep, trust issues, and family issues. Words cannot express how grateful and appreciative I am to all the staff. The first day I stepped in the door I felt an energy that was so uplifting and comforting. I was able to make so many new strong and healthy connections, especially with the staff. It is clear that the staff at Newport are working there because they genuinely care and it shows through their attitude and interactions. I have never felt so validated, supported, safe, and cared for in my whole life. The amount of support I got was above and beyond. The staff were always so kind, caring, supportive, motivational, patient with everyone and so on top of things. I learned how to advocate for myself, set boundaries, and so many new skills I continue to use as I move forward in my journey. Thank you so much to the staff for helping me start a new chapter in my life that I can look back on and see how far I've come in my recovery.

Mattie Howes