Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute

Channel 404

Jan 2026

via Google ↗

The food was the only good part of this gulag, disappointed with the staff and the staff were loud, rude, and disrespectful, had to put up with their opinions on a daily basis. These were the most terrible months of my life.

CheVonne Barnes

Jul 2025

via Google ↗

As a family member of a patient receiving treatment at the facility, I can offer a unique perspective. I share a similar circumstance with the previous reviewer, living seven hours away from the facility. The staff demonstrated exceptional accommodation, easing my concerns about leaving my family member in their care. The staff's friendly demeanor was remarkable. They exceeded expectations in facilitating quality time with my loved one. Nurse Doss and Dr. Fields are deserving of special recognition for their expertise and warm welcome. While they are the only two staff members I specifically recall, the entire staff was outstanding. Their genuine smiles and kind words made a lasting impression.

Blizzle McMillan

Feb 2025

via Google ↗

My apologies in advance for the horrible punctuation or grammar for this review & know that this is solely based on my short duration here as a depressed teenager.<br><br>I had the unfortunate experience of being sent here a few weeks after my best friend had passed away due to an accidental o/d. The experience of this place in general would not have been completely horrible except for a moment when I witnessed a mentally challenged African-American female teen be mistreated by a nurse for not wanting to immediately take her medicine. Her name I do believe was Rashawnda & I will refer to her as R going forward for reference. The first day I met R she told me how beautiful my blue eyes were & continued to do so each day after which I always thanked her for & returned the compliment. Most days I would ask her if she wanted to go color in the coloring books with me which she always said yes to & enjoyed. One day the nursing staff came by to give everyone their medicine & when it was R's turn to take it she quietly said she didn't want to but the nurse immediately became irritated with her disobedience & started raising her voice where everyone else could hear it demanding her to "take it now!" which in return started to trigger R. Before it began to escalate any further I walked up to R & said it's okay to take your medicine, I just took mine & after you take yours we can go color in the coloring books & she calmly looked at me & said okay Nataniel & as R began to reach for the medicine the nurse yanked it away & yelled No! She is not taking it for you, she has to take it for me which immediately re-triggered R where she then began to flail her arms which led the nurse to call security demanding all the other kids including myself to the kitchen while R was being manhandled to the ground by the security officers. All throughout the night, we could hear R in the padded room pleading, screaming & crying for her mom & wanting to go home. That memory has been burned in my mind for almost 20 years now & I'd say she probably doesn't even remember me tbh but despite it, I just hope and pray that R is happy & living her best life far away from this place. All children & especially special needs children should be handled with care, kindness & patience, not the other way around.<br><br>In my honest opinion I believe that nurse knew exactly what she was doing when she started making a scene by yelling in R's face knowing good & well that it would trigger anyone with special needs. The nurse was either racist, sick & tired of working there day in & day out, having a bad day, or likely just wanted to make an example out of R so that all the other kids knew better than not to respect her authority at any point in time.<br><br>Anywho, I just thought I'd share this experience & hopefully save some kid out there from unnecessary trauma. I'd highly suggest trying counseling or a psychiatrist or any other place for that matter before this one.

E D

Aug 2024

via Google ↗

Deplorable and dangerous conditions, uncaring staff, no actual help at all

Jalynn Eatmon

Mar 2024

via Google ↗

If you love your family do NOT send them here. My mother had to be sent here for post partum depression and psychosis, with schizophrenia and she is bipolar. She was here for 4 days and all they done was put her on her meds she already took and sent her back home. We had to send her back because they NEVER HELPED HER they literally treat them like children in kindergarten. they never gave her anything that would help her out of the terrible illness after her son me told them that she isn't only bipolar as that is the ONLY THING THAT THEY ARE TREATING HER FOR, for about two weeks now, that she has post partum depression and psychosis with schizophrenia, and all they did differently was up her meds for being bipolar they do not listen or pick up the phone to hardly anyone and if they do you'll be put on hold and then they will hang up. I would just love my mother back home as they won't do anything to help her and our family