My stays at this facility have left me with PTSD. The staff were vindictive, incompetent, and tended to escalate conflict. They were bullies. I was told by staff, at 12 years old, that I was "going to hell," that I would "never leave my hometown," and that I would "never get better," and I was the most well-behaved patient in there, they were incredibly cruel to my peers with disruptive issues. Staff were also mean to each other and encouraged inter-patient relationships. A peer of mine threatened to kill me and told me how she would do it. I told the staff that I was legitimately scared for my life and they did not listen until she nearly cracked my head open on the floor. Then they put me in a restraint chair for hours and refused to let me leave the common area or my room for a week, meaning I could not engage in any treatment, for trying to push her off of me so I could escape.
I only met with my care team briefly, about once a week. They clearly did not listen to me. Throughout my second stay, my therapist, psychiatrist, and I told them that I have clinically diagnosed PTSD as a result of what I had witnessed and they completely denied it. Nearly everything I told them was disregarded. They simply did not care what I had to say. They would frequently misrepresent my actions in my reports and never listened, apologized, added the truth, or changed them even with staff backing me up on my claims.
Everything I did was used against me. If I stayed in my room during downtime, I was isolating. If I socialized, I was forming unhealthy relationships with peers. If I sought help for my distress, I was attention-seeking. If I didn't, I was masking my emotions. If I was working on my WRAP plan (the workbook that needed to be complete for discharge) then I was rushing recovery. If I wasn't, I wasn't engaged in treatment. There was no winning. They kept me there until my insurance ran out and kicked me out when I was still an evident danger to myself.
They stripped me of my humanity. They took my clothes and made me wear a kevlar gown for two weeks. They took my bodily autonomy and strapped me to a chair while I presented no intention of harming myself or anyone else. They stole all the connections I had to the outside world. I wasn't allowed to call my family for more than 5 minutes, while patients whose family could afford to drive to meet them were allowed hour-long meetings with them. We couldn't even listen to music. It was just uncomfortable. The hard linoleum floors, huge, bright windows, fluorescent lights, plastic chairs, rubbery bed, stringy blankets, and shared bathrooms were quite unpleasant.
Though most of my trauma stems from the actions of ill patients, the staff and environment certainly did not help. It was a holding facility for the mentally ill, not a recovery program. They gave me herbal supplements instead of medication and put barriers between me and treatment. I am so glad they shut down the adolescent unit. No child should ever be subjected to that kind of environment. I truly hope things are better now. Do not send a loved one here. Throughout my 6 months there, I have never seen a patient leave better off than when they came. The state is not a place to turn to for help. There are better options. Please, go anywhere else.
I was there in 2019 June and July but I still had voices telling me to stick my head in the river and keep ot there so I went in August too.The first day I was there I couldn't go outside for fresh air, that is one of rules. I really like the arts and crafts time, they even finished my hat for me. The 3rd time (Feb-April 2023) I went they didn't have church ministry anymore because of Covid but I think they have live feeds from a church. The ones that are charged from jail say it's like a 6 week vacation. They have a lot of motivation to keep your bed clean and walking to get snack cart coupons. I want to send the library Luis Palau Movie and Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. They play a lot of Avengers movies or super hero ones.
Heather was a good provider and I had a nice clinician too. I'm trying to think of what they could improve on. In the groups I felt a little vulnerable sharing fears but I liked the saying we're not here to make friends we're here to work on yourself. There was a patient that kept saying he had 7 baby mommas and his grandma took pictures of all of them. I liked having the earphones to listen to music too. Mike rocks!
I went here When I was 14 About to be 15 It was nice to be able to enjoy the gym, yoga, the café, laser tag, and bowling. Christmas was really nice so was Thanksgiving Overall, the experience was really pleasant, and most of the staff were super nice. However, I did have one very bad experience with a staff member.
I went in with a friend who was having a mental health crisis, and the staff weren't very helpful. I tried to assist her because she wanted my help, but the staff wouldn't allow me to. A male staff member ended up yelling at me, and, at one point, he spit in my face.
When I pushed him away, he became upset, twisted my arm, and dragged me into one of the padded rooms. Another girl witnessed this and tried to help me, but she was also placed in one of the padded rooms. She was then forcibly stripped of her clothes by one female and one male nurse.
This was an extremely traumatizing experience for both her and me.
When I was in the padded room, they tied me to a chair so tightly that I ended up with huge bruises on both my arms and across my torso. This experience was so distressing that I now feel uncomfortable sitting in chairs. It left a lasting emotional and physical impact.
I have been a patient here several times and each time I experienced unpleasant and non-ethical situations and staff, regarding my treatment, staff, and witnessing other patients experience similarly. I highly recommend they re-evaluate their faculty and staff and treatment snd care if patients. Taking things away from patients like myself; such as clothing, etc. is unprofessional and expresses a lack of integrity and respect for one organization. They in summary, need to improve significantly if Idaho is not going to trail as we do in mental health, in my opinion.
I doubt that many mental hospitals get high marks, so always grade on a curve. Based on my experience, there are much worse places you could end up. My son stayed here twice and also at three private hospitals in Boise or Meridian. This was his favorite by far and I thought they did the most good for him. People were always helpful and friendly to me when I visited. Most people in Idaho are nice. Most people in smaller cities in Idaho are nicer than people in larger cities. You'd have to work pretty hard in Blackfoot to find the kind of surly folks you get in states that touch oceans.
My only gripe was that on his first stay, they released my son without much of a plan. The second time was much better coordinated.
I have the feeling that negative reviews come in part from family members who don't make an effort to stay engaged with their patients and the medical staff. If I left a message, someone usually got back to me within a day, and I could call or visit my son during very generous hours relative to other hospitals.
