the staff is ok but the social workers are not good. food is alright good place but it's more like a day care then actually getting help

My name is David Olmscheid and I have experienced mental health issues for the majority of my life and Adventist Mental Health in Vallejo, California Changed my life forever. Nothing short of a heavenly experience. I love you guys.. read more

terrible the workers are fine but its a suffocating experience when youre in crisis thats alreafy a hard thing but to then be thrown into a situation where youre treated like guinea pigs is worse read more

My son was on a 52/50 and was sent to Adventist twice. He said thr staff was nice, liked the meals and did not complain about services from therapists, psychiatrists or other staff members. He had a therapist name Mike, he would call me to discuss my son, he was very nice, professional & informative of the info he shared with me. Also when I dropped my son some clothing the security at the front office were all friendly people. If my son goes their again I hope he gets Mike as his therapist! The building is pretty old, stuck in the 60'- 70's time warp. Hopefully the inside has been renovated! read more

Adventist Health Vallejo - Front entrance - Counseling & Mental Health Near Me - Vallejo, California

Horrible , tengo alguien apegado que estuvo ahí y salió con más trauma por como los tratan . Hubo una doctora en especial que le hacía tomar medicina por la fuerza con amenazas de que si no se toma la medicina no les van a dar comida . Y hsci mantienen mucha gente completamente sedados y sin dejarlos salir muy triste espero más personas hablen y no tengan miedo y puedan cerrar este lugar donde solo están empeorando la situacion de sus pacientes ... read more

I was admitted here a couple of months ago for suicidal ideation and previous self harm I was in the adolescence, unit and let me tell you that was literally fucking living hell My first day there was a literal fire happening so everyone was evacuated on the field the way it was set up was the kids were right next to the adolescence and the seniors were right next to the adult. There was an old man in his late 50s walking near us and the staff did NOTHING about it. Also, a woman shitting herself on the field and on the same day, two girls ended up getting in a really big fight and the girl who started the fight was only put on a 50/51 (a staff would have to supervise you at all times) for about three full days right after she was taken off for 50/51 she proceeded to start small arguments with kids and always was fighting the staff the f dorm room was really bad with drawings like kill yourself and like penises everywhere and past patients Instagram there will be a kid crashing out over something stupid every single night and code called every hour or so there was one literal fight with a staff and a kid and the staff proceeded to bang the kids head on the ground to make her stop and didn't even ask her if she was OK of apologized a kid tried to steal my own personal items (they did move him from the door room, though) the staff were also very rude to the kids, and the "nutrition" often don't really care about your own nutrition needs say you are lactose intolerant they would proceed to give you stuff with milk in it I got diagnosed with PTSD on the first day of me talking to my psychiatrist and I didn't even share much with her. I was just crying about how I wanted to go home. I do not recommend this place to anybody and if you were seeking help, please find somewhere else. read more

my experience was pretty darn horrible!!! do not go here if you want any actual help for mental health. Some anecdotes from the adolescent ward: i was sent to the 'quiet room' my first night because I was talking to my roommates. It is a very scary room with whitewashed walls, a matterress with no blanket or pillow, and a camera in the corner. The sounds echo there. I sobbed in there for 20 minutes before they took me out so they could sedate another kid (who became agitated after staff tried tos top him from getting a string cheese from the fridge) my second day, I was having a terrible time of it. As in crying sobbing et cetera. I was called in my the weekened psychiatrist, Dr. Hunter. As I tried to explain my current state to her, she steamrolled me with by-the-book questions. Scene: me: I feel like this place is making me worse. Hunter: Do you have a history of mental illness in your family? me: How can I get out when I'm only getting worse here? Hunter: Do you have any thoughts of hurting yourself or others. After about 3 minutes of this back and forth, she put her clipboard down and said that I was repeating myself and that we were going nowhere. I was sent out. I could not speak to a different psychiatrist for two days because I had the misfortune of being sent there on a weekend. the schedule here here inane. Origami, endless icebreakers, terrible quiz-show type programs that ask the differnce between beyonce and rihanna. And bland mush for meals. If you don't go to these genuinely brain numbing exercises and eat the slop they serve, you're not trying to get better. I might as well be getting a lobotomy. If you're looking for any real advice, I wouldn't advise you to go here. My mental health got worse than ever after my stay. I still feel my heart rate spike when I get my blood pressure measured. I think places like that really do make you go insane. At best, you're treated with similar regard to a toddler throwing a tantrum. Don't go here if you want to be treated as a person. If you have the misfortune to be going already, and just want to know what's going to happen, the best advice is the same as any other psych ward. Shut up, play nice, and stop trying to be a person. Good luck ! read more

I went there March 2025 after a suicide attempt,I was In the dorm room, my first time going to a psych ward and it was absolutely amazing,I called it Camp for mental health, my favorite was India,she inspired me to want to keep living, great consistency,food,and structure aswell as predictabllity which are all things I need in my life, I was able to talk to a therapist 24/7 and really made my life better,the only issue I have is the psychiatrist told me to change my religion because I'm not an LGBTQ supporter, besides that my stay was incredible,they have an amazing gym and beautiful outdoors, I really love that place, thank you for inspiring me to keep living, I drew/painted a crator lake picture and they hung it up,I hope it's still there! read more

Yk in the beginning of my stay it was good thanks to JOE! And JAY! If I could say anything to them now probably thank u for everything helping me see I'm worth more u guys have been the best truly thank u Ik I said I'll be back but not as a patient swear Joe see u guys soon maybe read more

My girlfriend went here and said going here made her mental health way worse. She couldn't sleep because the nurses checked on her every 15 minutes, she got socially isolated for talking to her roommates, and she was stuck in here for almost a week because the social worker wasn't in office. She also said the staff were very rude. From what the other reviews say, for a so-called "mental health service" Adventist seems to be very damaging to the patients who go here and their mental health. read more

My friend is literally traumatized from the bullshit care she received. She wasn't give privacy and she was forced into solitary confinement for talking at 7:30 pm. To be clear this is summer so it is damn fucking bright outside. The care was appalling for a mental health organization. Her name on the reviews is Aaaa Aa, please check it out for a more detailed viewpoint. read more

My feedback is based upon a recent hospitalization that one of my family members had at this facility. Their service was exceptional it was described to me as a very caring and nurturing environment "like a second home" to be exact, with highly professional staff. The treatment consisted of therapy and recreational time including participating in gym activities, let me not leave out how tasty the food is said to be & great snack. To all of the attending doctors and staff, Thank you for everything you all have made a positive impact in our life's I am so grateful to all of you I highly recommend your Psychiatric department. read more

I went there wanting to get off one Rx and increase another. Dr Stoddard did so much more for me. He changed the following...in a 7 day stay!! Off 10 Rx's Lowered 4 Rx's Increased 1 Rx Added 3 Rx's I feel so much better and I am mentally ready to be able to step back and stay on track of my daily life. The entire staff there are top notch and they are all a valuable resource to get help from. I am so grateful that I went to my local crisis center and they helped me go to my Emergency Room and sign myself in to receive help. I totally appreciate this place! read more

I was sent here after suffering an episode of psychosis due to stress. It was so frightening I still get flashbacks from being here. The staff was SO mean and uncaring, they scared me more than the patients. Really terrible place, I just pray that they can become a facility with a better system. A couple years later I had another episode of psychosis and was admitted to another facility, Restpadd. This facility truly cared for the patients. I was traumatized to go in because of my awful experience at St. Helena, but they truly care for their patients at the Restpadd. read more

13 years later I am diagnosed with ptsd and going to therapy because of what happened to me at this place I was being abused at home and they sent me back to the abuse after I got out and I was told to stay away from my friend to avoid a relapse but it was an abusive home life that caused it all. I found out I was falsely diagnosed with bipolar I have ptsd due to the abuse at home and the abuse that happened to me in here. I'm finally free from it all read more

I was there as an outpatient in group and was told numerous times by Boga that my sessions were all covered by my insurance, as he had to get them pre-authorized in chunks (a few days at a time) and then he'd tell me before I left for the day that it was ok to come back the next day or call and tell me to come in, I'm covered. This was frustrating, but it's how it went. Then, I began receiving bills. Large bills for being treated here...hundreds of dollars each. I went to him with this issue after the first one and he said it shouldn't have happened, it's a mistake. Don't worry about it. I kept going, as he kept telling me I was approved for more. After I finished with treatment, I received several large bills for hundreds of dollars. I called their Billing Dept. and was told that a bunch of sessions were in fact not covered, pre-authorization was not obtained and I better pay it. I reluctantly paid them all off and put it behind me. Now, a few years later I just received (today) THREE bills from a debt collections company stating that I owe HUNDREDS of dollars, according to Adventist Health. Really? How many times did you guys feel you needed to get money out of me?! I was literally in therapy because I was unable to work due to work-related injuries, acquired over my 25 year career and it caused severe depression, etc. Thank you for making matters even worse and screwing up my credit with BOGUS BILLS!! The staff at the front desk/security were friendly and the therapists were mostly really good. All but one. I forget his name, but nobody liked him. He liked putting people on the spot in front of everyone else and pushing them to their emotional limits and then pushing some more. Dr. Benington and Dr. C. were great too. That's what the star is for. The 4 taken away is for fkn up my credit with LIES. read more

The people at Adventist cared for my daughter and they were all so friendly. It was such a hard time for our family and they tried to ensure all of her needs were met. We really loved Demi, Chase and Rose. Thank you!! read more

Here is a documentation by a journalist who I was in communication with during my 8-day stay here. "R" refers to me. I relayed information on the ward phones, which the journalist made notes of. Part one is ambience; part two is staff incompetence and failure. PART 1: -Screaming patients "I'll kill you all", repeatedly clogged toilet. Woman defecating loudly approximately 5 feet from R's bed multiple times a day. -Staff prescribed pills in dangerously high doses to both R and her roommate, a young woman named W. Both experienced serotonin syndrome during their stay, which included visual hallucinations and feeling of 'being poisoned'. R describes lying prostrate in their beds for hours, watching the ceiling undulate. -Religious shaming by one staff member, who claimed that R would be cured of depression, addiction and PTSD if she accepted Jesus. R forced to nod and smile and wait for the woman to leave. -Another woman claiming to be a 'nutrition expert' harassed R for her vegan diet and refusing to leave her alone. She antagonized R and even yelled "why are you killing yourself?" at R, who is eventually forced to escape past her down the hall. -One male patient fixated on and stalked R to a degree that she did not leave her room unless she had to. Another older male patient sat beside her in a group session and expressed how enticed he was by the 'young girls' in the psych ward, and the difficulty in ignoring his desires. He turned and looked at both R and W. On another day, he made comments about R's body including her rear, and would leer at both R and W. -Racism towards R by patients (verbal) PART 2: At approximately 9:30am, R meets with a psychiatrist she's never met before. His name is X. She tells him that she's frustrated because no one has given her a concrete reason why she's still at Adventist. The Dr. then asks R why she's there, and she says that untreated PTSD had led her to excessive drinking, and she drank for four days with friends last week and went home and told my mom how depressed she was. She also made her friends mad at her for her heavy drinking. The next day, she and her mom went to a psychologist at KP, and she was still really, really drunk. The psychologist said she could either be 5150ed or start outpatient rehab. R asked to be 5150ed because she didn't understand its implications because she was drunk. The doctor then asks whether she drinks that much often? She said she didn't, only one or two times in the past. He asked, Why do you drink so much? She repeated that she had untreated PTSD. At some point in the conversation, the doctor said that she had a history of cutting. R replied that this occurred when she was 15. He mentioned a suicide attempt too, to which she replied, "When I was 15. I haven't attempted suicide suicide since 15, and there's no reason to think I would hurt myself." R told the doctor, "My mom and I feel like I'm being held here until Monday for reasons of paperwork." Then, the doctor stated that she saw Dr. Stoddard yesterday. R said no, she saw no doctor yesterday. She reported that she was told she would see him but she didn't. The doctor said, "It says here that you did see him yesterday and he told the nurses that you're still depressed." R reiterated, "No , I didn't see any psychiatrist yesterday." Then, he said, "The plan is you're going to be held here over the weekend until Dr. Punia comes in on Monday. Dr. Punia wrote that you drank and took ecstasy and slept with multiple men." R says, "What reason do you have to think I'll return to that behavior when I leave, since I'll be going to outpatient rehab and AA?" He said, "We're not sure you're stable yet so we need to watch you over the weekend. That's the plan." His affect was becoming annoyed and condescending, and he was starting to raise his voice a little and lean back in his chair. R then said, "Okay, thank you." He then dismissed her, saying she could leave the door open. Staff there are repeatedly inaccurate in their description of notes, or perhaps the notes themselves: On 8/14/21, Alona calls nurse Denise (?) and, once again, is given incorrect information by a nurse. The nurse says that R has been seeing Dr. Punia every day since she's been there, but R only saw him the first full day, Wednesday. When A said R had not been seeing Punia every day, only once, then the nurse corrected herself and said that the doctor had been on vacation. The day before, A spoke with a different nurse (Evelyn) who incorrectly stated that the notes say Alona reported that R was suicidal that day. A asked the nurse to correct the notes because this was false; A had only stated R was suicidal prior to the Tuesday ER hospitalization. The nurse then said that she must've "read the notes wrong". A concludes that these nurses must be CNAs or LPNs, not RNs, because their attention to detail and understanding of the importance of accuracy in the medical setting is very poor. read more

This "health care" facility doesn't even have enough organization to be able to discharge someone who came in with prescription glasses that they came in with! Then the soical worker claims that they where on her face the same day. AND still can not locate her prescription glasses! I couldn't imagine. If anyone was any lower functioning they would have really taken advantage of them which I garentee they do. Then let us know once our government report gets to her she will tell them we "were lying" Is this Healthcare or a zoo? Do NOT PLACE ANYONE HERE This place is NASTY read more

I was recently admitted here due to an impulsive decision which admitted me as a SI attempt. Some of the nurses were nice don't get me wrong, I'd always treat them with kindness. I told them I didn't drink milk due to it making me throw up but they still gave it to me anyways but I'd always remind them so I can get a juice instead. Some of the nurses didn't seem to care or pay much attention to. I advised two nurses that the toilet was clogged in the room I was staying at. They said they would let someone know. Once I went in again as time passed to use the restroom the toilet was still clogged so I had to let someone know a third time to get it handled. Also my psychiatrist was Prayaga. I wouldn't advise him to be a psychiatrist if I'm being honest from experience. Each time I'd talk to him he would make me feel invalidated as a patient. And I know that part of his job is building trust with his patients but I did not feel like I was being helped. He was unprofessional in my opinion. I had put a claim for Patients rights to be discharged early, once he found out he seemed to be frustrated at the fact that I was going against him. He said I needed to stay 3 days to monitor the new meds but I mean, how can you get so much information by monitoring a new patient starting new meds in three days, it takes a while to see change. If anything he could've just done a follow up a month later or something like my previous psychiatrist did. Again, Dr. Prayaga or whatever, seems to be very unprofessional & made me feel like I couldn't trust him. After a session with him he made me feel very overwhelmed because of the way he treated me, I started crying and hyperventilating because of how unprofessional he was. Thankfully I was given an anxiety medication which helped but again, a PSYCHIATRIST aka Dr. Prayaga shouldn't make his patients feel this way. I honestly advise that he should seek another profession if he's not happy where he is working at. Other than that, the patients I met were kind & sweet and again some nurses were as well but not all. They kept us busy with activities so the time felt like it'd go by pretty quick. Overall summary is I don't recommend but that's just from my experience again. read more

The staff there are alright 2 of em are chill af but I don't appreciate that my medication got fucked up and you guys put a needle in my arm for blood and then one of your patients kept harassing me wouldn't leave me tf alone so fuck you for that read more

They try and feed you pills and keep you there for as long as they can because that's how they make money. Would never recommend. The beds are too small for anyone over 6 feet tall. The foods ok but nothing special. read more

I was here twice as an adolescent patient and I'm still recovering from the experiences. My biggest issue concerns Dr. Punia, who clearly mistreats his patients. He lied and told me that I was going into foster care. I talked to the nurses about it and they said that wasn't in the plan. The next day, Punia tells me he never said I was going into foster care. He over-drugged another patient and she was hallucinating. But he didn't adjust her medication; he just told her that he didn't care whether or not she took the meds. Others have complained about nurses and staff. Yes, quite a few of them are awful. When I was there, Lisa isolated a boy in the restraint room (he wasn't restrained, thank god) on his birthday because his family brought him a cake that contained gluten or something. Many others would say terrible things about patients after bedtime. I know this because I slept near the nurses' station and they were so, so loud. I remember when they were cackling at this one girl's photo. Having said that, some nurses and staff are absolutely wonderful! I will forever appreciate the ones who cared and were kind. I've got to give this facility one star, however, because it's been about three years and I still cry when I think about what my fellow patients and I went through. I don't want anyone to believe that this place helps. I noticed that the positive reviews for this hospital tend to be written by family members of patients. Believe the patients. I, for one, left in a worse state of mind than when I arrived. read more

The nurses were very kind and helpful. Being hospitalized is never an easy situation & they helped me feel comfortable & cared for. I'm surprised by a lot of the comments here because I had the complete opposite experience. read more

Worst experience ever. This place is very unorganized and unprofessional. From the front desk, to the unit desk, nurses, doctors and staff. I especially didn't like the per diem social worker Linda. She is lazy and unsympathetic towards families. It's unpleasant to have to go through any of this but the facilities your family member goes to should help make the process less stressful. They should make you feel that you are in good hands and you can trust them. You should know what is going and and what to expect. I would advise everyone else, please chose another facility. If we had known, if we could've chosen, this wouldn't have been it. read more

I called to ask a question and Lisa cut me off completely. She is very rude and does not have the sympathetic feeling needed to work in this industry. Thank you Lisa, for nothing. I hope you recieve the guidance needed to be able to do your job properly. read more

Beware! This facility is nothing more than a money making scam. They falsify patient information and keep people hostage who do not benefit from being there. They offer no real help, do not keep family informed, and your family member will be more ill as a result of their malpractice. If you're stuck like me, call a lawyer ASAP! That's what I am doing, If you need help, go to a LEGITIMATE facility. PLEASE do not admit yourself or a family member to this horrific place. read more

Beware: I am a seasoned mental health professional who needed help for myself. This place wholly traumatized me. I am having to get treatment to recover from being at this place. There is NOTHING therapuetic about this environment. The phlebotomist was cruel in her lack of humane treatment. Patients were screaming. There was no quiet at all. I was given ear plugs. The physical environment is not healing. It is old, run down, and ugly. The food is disgusting. The nurses were nice when they had time to talk. I don't know how the groups were because I was too exhausted from not being able to sleep due to screaming. Overall, the place puts in the least amount of care and thought into the environment and general care. It is insulting. But worst of all it is harmful. read more

So basiclly iv been in many facility's and this is by far the worst. I was embarrassed to let my dad come see me. It's a short stay facility. But the staff are rude and have no patience. The patients are scary. One tryed to get in bed with me. And it's dirty. I can't belive it's still open. I needed a one to one cause I felt unsafe with my self and they didn't do anything at all. It's basiclly for people who have medicare and no insurance my dad said. Anyway I don't recommend this place for anyone cpecially young kids. read more

I personally went to St Helenas and the staff were CRUEL, I caught lice, at the time I was 12 in the childrens unit, but I managed my way into the adolescent unit (that was one of the only upsides to my experience) When I got to the adolescent unit, it was nice for a few days, but the staff let other kids tell me to shut up when I would talk. They had cool activities like ping pong and stuff, I got put on "Bronze" for some breakdown I had and I hit a wall. They made me stay in my room, for everything including meal times for three days, or until I was believed to have learned my lesson. THE WOMANS NAME WAS DEBRA @EMPLOYERS. On the day I had a breakdown it was because it was my mothers birthday. They wouldn't even let me call and say happy birthday to my mother because "I need to learn I cant get away with hurting myself" So I mentioned I caught lice there right? Okay, so this chick Linda is checking me out, realizes there's a bug in my hair and we do treatments and get it taken care of and stuff. After that, they made me have my own room. Cool whatever nobody else needs to catch it. But they wouldnt let me sit by any of the other kids there, they genuinely degraded me about it. They wouldnt let me participate in groups for at least two days because THEY didn't check our heads how their supposed to (once youre admitted you should be checked) At St Helenas, we had bathrooms between our rooms, One night four of the kids picked the locks between the door with cards and got into the room next to ours. That ended up with my roomate that they'd taken sleeping with her room neighbor EVERY NIGHT there. The staff rarely checked in as protocall said they needed to. I felt like I was being treated like a not well managed little kid more than someone who needs help. Once they finally let me start calling my mother again I would get strictly 5 minutes on the phone, other kids in the unit would stay on 20-30 minutes without asking but I have anxiety to where I ask to do everything so pay attention to the kid with manners right. I genuinely believe the only reason this place would get a high ranking is because of all of the Ping Pong and Art stuff they have, not to mention the gym equipment and unlimited supplies of notebooks. But genuinely, they didn't help me at all. This is the first place Iv'e wanted to fight the staff and Im very passive. I remember telling them sometimes I get super random urges to kill myself and this woman literally tells me "Your'e going to have to stay here longer talking like that" as i'm asking if there are any medications to literally prevent thoughts. DEBRA IS SUPER MEAN SOMEONE PLEASE FIRE HER @EmployersOfThesePeople read more

This place is terrible (aside from Chase and Elizabeth on the nursing staff, they're amazing). A lot of the other staff and doctors gaslight you and try to adjust your medications so frequently so that you need to be watched and stay longer, if you refuse or disagree then you're considered combative or difficult. I was told I was suicidal and "gravely disabled" by the space-cadet "I don't bother looking at my notes regarding your history or bother communicating to your current doctor that knows you best, but let me try to push a million different psychiatric pills on you" Adventist doctor that spent a whopping 15 minutes total with me.. even though I work a full time job, shower myself every day, drive my own car just fine, manage my own financials, take care of my own animals, live on my own, even helped look over some of the fellow patients there that needed the extra compassion, and I go to school and manage to maintain a 4.0GPA just fine- somehow I'm "gravely disabled".. even though MY personal psychiatrist of 4 years would beg to disagree, but that one little remark kept me four extra days against my will to give them extra funds. My biggest complaint is I asked MULTIPLE times for my insurance card to call my insurance to make sure I was covered and Adventist was in my network and not once did the staff ever give me my card so I could call to verify, instead they "reassured me" I was covered yet days later they had to ask what my insurance was and assumed I was medi-cal which I'm actually Anthem (WHICH THEY DONT TAKE BY THE WAY). On my last day they finally got me my card which was too late and once I was home to verify with my insurance I found out Adventist is OUT OF NETWORK and not covered and the staff had lied to me multiple times knowingly so they could collect more money the longer they kept me there though I was perfectly better by my 2nd day out of the week I stayed. I now have to dispute the bills once they come and take them to court if it gets to that, which I have no problem doing. Did it with one hospital before unfortunately and got every penny back due to being misinformed, apparently I'm going to have to go through the major stress of doing it again. Thanks Adventist for nothing. (Also, no matter how many times the staff here tries to dismiss it... this hospital IS St.Helena hospital, it also goes by Adventist, they're the same place. All the paperwork and insurance info states "St.Helena" on it.) read more

My daughter was just released from here. We received no call back from the doctor after numerous requests, also he put her on a medication that we wrote him and told him didn't work. He released her after two weeks in Vallejo without so much as a phone call to let us know they were releasing her. She was in Vallejo which she isn't familiar with, not knowing if she had any money. I asked if they gave her directions so I could find her, they said no. It was against their privacy rules. She has been hospitalized before and the doctors always called us and cared about her well being. I have never seen a hospital treat a person so uncaringly. Stay away from here. The employees were ok, it was the doctor that was very unprofessional and uncaring. KathyW read more

After Dr. Pryaga (spelling?) reviewed my son's case. He called me and spent a long time listening to my son's clinical history. He took notes and gave me few options to treat my son. Then, he proceeded with treatment. Meantime, the nurses were amazingly supportive. My son is a very special case that needs a lot of support, and the nurses understood him and cheer him always. I felt that my son was in good hands. I have no words to thank all of you for your kindness and support to my family. Thanks a trillion!!! read more

It hard to believe that some people have nice words about this prison. This really prison where you can enter but have no chance to go out. Old and dirty place, uneducated staff. They use medication for allergy to treat insomnia. Patients totally have no rights, staff ignore to inform them about right to defense themselves. Even if your love one provide consent, they never contact you to give you any information. They give medication to fill you worst, then they blame you that you do not follow their rules. This place should be inspected by DA and health department for legality of their business. read more

I have twin boys who have had multiple admissions at St Helena Hospital, over the last 13 years, for their very serious mental conditions. I have been a medical health professional for over 30 years, working in the field of neurophysiology. Although I have seen more modern psychiatric facilities in other counties who have much more money to spend on their facilities, I know not to judge a book by it's cover. Our county has been hit very hard in it's funding for mental health services; not to mention the almost non-existant funding for cosmetic repairs. I also know that reviews on this website are mostly from former patients who are angry about being there. In reality, patients who have had mental health problems are not happy about getting structure and following rules bestowed upon them, my children included. The rules are not punishment, but part of a very needed system of structure, in order for the therapeutic process to be effective. I have nothing but very positive comments to state about this particular facility and it's staff. It has changed owners and names throughout the years, but overall, most of the staff remained constant. The physicians are outstanding, the nurses are strict yet kind and caring, and the support staff has always been courteous and professional. Working in a mental health facility is one of the most challenging occupations in health care. None of the patients want to be there, many are physically aggressive, and the staff have to endure the patients' anger, which is often directed at the staff. Many employees in a facility such as this are grossly underpaid; they are not in it for the money... they want to make a difference in a patient's life. They go unappreciated, underpaid, and frequently abused by their patients. It has been my experience that St. Helena Hospital for Behavioral Health Sciences is a blessing for our county. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for mental health problems. There is no one pill or one type of therapy that will "cure" the problem. Usually, there are multi-modality medications along with different types of therapy which can help the symptoms, but absolutely no cures. I would like to commend and appreciate the many staff members at St Helena who have helped care for my children, as well as so many other patients. It's so easy for someone to criticize but very difficult to find the positives, especially when a patient or family member is in a mental crisis. Please thank God for what we have and take personal responsibility for your part in the problem... If you come across any extra money or time, perhaps donate it to help the facility. The time wasted complaining could be hours spent volunteering your time in finding a solution. Don't be part of the problem... come to the table with positive solutions. And yes, I am a fan, and not afraid to sign my name. With utmost respect and appreciation, Lorri Carlson-Lunceford read more

I was admitted here when I was 17 years old (2007) for 5150/overdosing. I had severe depression, an eating disorder, and bipolar. During my stay I had ONE nurse be kind to me. I made friends with the other patients, but the nursing staff and counselors there were CRUEL. One in particular was the "teacher" there who did groups and taught classes. Basically decided to call out my insecurities to everyone and lie about me. She asked us what we do to make ourselves happy in which no one responded so she pointed at me and said, "For example, Ashley throws up every morning to feel good about herself." It wasn't the first time she took shots at my weight and self esteem issues. All of us were in disbelief that an authoritive figure that was supposed to help us would humiliate us. And when I reported her, she gas lighted us and attempted to make us all believe we simply misunderstood her and didn't know any better because we weren't in our right mind. This place is effed. I was put into the "quiet room" just because I refused to eat one night. They punished us for not eating when told, being asleep when told, forced to stay in our rooms alone when we wanted to be part of group therapy, and forced us to be center of attention during anxiety attacks, it was miserable to say the absolute least.. Myself and 2 of the other patients faked getting better to get out, and once I ditched the meds that my doctor actually said was DAMAGING my liver and once I started associating with friends and family again did I get better. This place didn't do anything beneficial for me. I hope the three I befriended there ended up on a better path since leaving. read more

My son has been a psychiatric inpatient at several facilities from Sacramento to Fremont and Modesto. St. Helena is the only one that kept him longer to identify and address specific concerns. He was much healthier mentally when released from St. Helena than he was from any other facility. The social worker contacted me and worked with me to ensure he had adequate support at home. She answered all my questions and gave me resources to help him. Because my son is an adult, this rarely occurs. I thank the staff at St. Helena for going the extra mile for both my son and myself. If you ask my son he probably wouldn't have much positive feedback for any facility. He only knows he was locked in, given meds and expected to follow the routine. He does not like authority or anyone telling him what to do. But I've been through this journey all along with him, and I know what helps him and what doesn't. I commend St. Helena. God bless them for all they do. read more

Hello folks, well for starters.. I can say that this place was fine. The staff was kind to my Grandson who was in for 10 days, the food was good, and the place was clean, and I'm a cleaning fanatic. My boy had a one on one with Greg, who was a sweet heart, you know the kind of guy who really gives a darn :)) it's not easy dealing w/folks w/mental problems, they are different, the patients you need, is great. Please get better everyone who was in this facility, and don't forget to Pray.. cause it's really the only thing that works.. Lov Ya - Aloha read more

First of all, this rating does not apply to the front office staff/security guard(s) as they were extremely helpful, understanding, and compassionate. They get five stars for sure. This review is for MOST of the nurses who work on the adult floor. I had a family member stay in this facility on a mandatory hold for about three weeks, and I visited her many, many times. It's not hard to understand that people who are admitted to this place are scared, confused, and distrustful, but instead of a patient and compassionate approach, the nurses here are disinterested, impatient, unprofessional, and rude--if they're like this, why are they even nurses in the first place? Anyway, I digress. With the exception to a White male nurse, and a skinny Black female nurse w/a pixie cut, the rest of the nurses were VERY rude and impatient. Here are some examples: -The patient had a terrible side effect to one of the anti-psychotics: she was unable to move and speak. When trying to tell the nurse something was wrong, the nurse just told her to stop standing around. As someone who also works in medicine, I am MASSIVELY surprised that the nurses here were not trained to recognize side effects from the drugs that they regularly give their patients. -Patient was accused by one of the nurses of using drugs prior to admittance. I personally told the nurse that was NOT the case, and the evidence was in the blood/lab work taken by SEVERAL hospitals BEFORE admittance into the facility. As a nurse, one should know that drugs can be detected in the system weeks AFTER stopping use, and if they do not show up in the MULTIPLE lab tests (again, in the days leading up to admittance), and they're clean, then drugs are most likely NOT the cause. I explained this to the nurse (which she should have already known), and she only shrugged and couldn't respond to me. -The patient had an ongoing autoimmune disease that she was being treated for prior to admittance. She was taking medication daily to control the disease. After the patient was admitted to the facility, I personally told TWO nurses of her condition, and gave the name of the doctor and the medication that was managing the patient's condition. After about a week of constant phone call follow-ups, the nurses confirmed the autoimmune disorder with the managing doctor and proceeded to give her the proper medication. This is very reckless and dangerous. (If a patient has high BP, would you deny them of their lisinopril or amlodpine for a whole week? Or insulin from a diabetic?) -A Black nurse straight up asked the patient: "are you not talking to me because I'm Black? You scared of Black people?" ..........What.......? These are only TINY examples of the unprofessional behavior going on in the facility, but I believe they illustrate my point. Most of the nurses here just stand around at the front desk chatting--again, why are these people even nurses? I get it, psychiatry is a difficult unit to work in, but this is why people who are patient and compassionate should work in the field, not just people trying to collect a paycheck. Honestly, this was a shameful representation of healthcare and is everything a healthcare experience SHOULD NOT be. Here area some tips and advice: 1. The social worker will tell you that the patient is most likely 5150-ed, aka the government now gets to say what happens to them and for how long they stay. Do not take the chance of letting your loved one stay here. Get a lawyer, or legal advice, and have them transferred to a facility you trust. Also, the lawyer can help a family member, or responsible person, obtain power of attorney so if the patient cannot make their own decisions, you can at least have some sort of say. 2. Get an outside opinion. Yes, the doctors are competent, but these doctors meet the patients under the circumstance where the patients have already been classified with some sort of mental or behavioral illness, which may not always be 100% the case. Mental/behavioral illnesses are hard to diagnose, the field is still developing, so get a second opinion--especially from the patient's PCP as the PCP will know the extended history of the patient. The patient had Kaiser insurance and I know Kaiser is non-profit and centers themselves around patient care. Well, Kaiser, sending your patients here is the complete opposite of obtaining quality patient care. read more

My Daughter has been to nearly every psychiatric hospital in Northern California and this was by far the best. The environment is warm and friendly and you are treated like a member of the family and not like a customer. The customer is not always right at a psychiatric hospital and I was pleasantly surprised to just be treated like a human being. Unlike Kaiser and Burger King where you can "have it your way." read more