I've been going here for about 5 years, mainly because I have little choice to go somewhere else at present. It does have its good points, but it has some glaring shortcomings.
First, the good:
- Clean and spacious office. Plenty of seats to sit in with some tables for children. There are automatic doors for the disabled. It's cleaner than some general doctor's offices I've been to.
- Nice receptionists. Sometimes you'll get someone a little snippy, but that happens anywhere. Usually they are very helpful and give you the information you need.
- A number of programs/activities to choose from. You can do plenty of arts and crafts programs there. They also have jogging and the like. There are several group therapy sessions for things such as anxiety, sexual abuse, dual diagnosis, depression, etc.
And now the bad:
- Psychiatrists just serve as pill dispensers (or at least the 2 or 3 I've seen, as well as stories of other doctors), provide little insight or guidance. They have funding from the county, which they use as an excuse for their lackluster treatment. I'd figure they'd just make things more efficient by making better decisions for the patient, increasing recovery time and lowering resource cost in the long run. Somewhere they lost their way, as this is a center to serve mentally ill individuals who need help.
- Budgets have been slashed, which affect patient care. Many people who need therapy and have a low income now cannot get the counseling they need. All that is offered is group therapy which isn't quite the same.
-Long period of time between doctor visits. Two to three months now. It used to be every month. Their staff are overworked and underpaid. This can feed into the jaded, tired vibe you get from the psychiatrists/therapists. They have too many patients to handle, so it's hard to be effective.
If you are low-income and need medication, it fits the bill. If you have some money and are seeking some quality treatment, go elsewhere. The Mesa Clinic could be so much better with better planning, but I don't see it happening. The staff does try hard, but their efforts will be in vain if they don't change their approach. read more