Our family's experience with Newport Academy was life-changing. One of the most important lessons we learned came from Parker's therapist, Catherine, who taught us to "be comfortable in the uncomfortable." Recovery isn't easy, and growth doesn't happen overnight. Newport helped us understand that healing often comes through working through difficult moments rather than avoiding them. Our "Shift Happens" moment came when we stopped focusing on how long the process would take and started focusing on small daily victories. Instead of looking for one big breakthrough, we learned to appreciate the little signs of progress--better communication, improved confidence, healthier choices, and a willingness to keep trying. As a parent, I realized my job was not to fix everything immediately. My role was to support, encourage, and believe in my daughter while she did the work herself. That change in perspective gave our family hope and allowed us to recognize just how much progress was happening along the way. The therapists, academic staff, and residential team genuinely cared about Parker and challenged her to grow while supporting her every step of the way. We are especially grateful for the guidance, structure, and compassion shown to our family throughout the process. Newport Academy gave our daughter tools she can carry with her for the rest of her life and helped our family see that progress is measured one day at a time. We will always be grateful for the role they played in Parker's journey. read more

As someone who provided mental health treatment myself, I really hate giving such a low review but I was so disappointed in the lack of appropriate discharge care given to my child. It should not be a full-time job for two parents who have advanced degrees in this field to advocate so hard for the safety of their child. Even with a caseworker from the state involved and advocating for a discharge plan that met adequate safety standards, the Newport treatment team would not communicate clearly with us to facilitate a safe and smooth discharge process. While we can understand that Newport might not be the right fit every child's needs, it is important that their needs are met after discharge, including making sure they have psychiatric follow-up confirmed. The Newport team was more interested in setting a discharge date than working with parents and caseworker to ensure that all plans were in place to ensure that a high risk child would be safe post discharge. This was against everything that was shared with us by the same therapists in parent support groups and we felt absolutely failed by the treatment team in a very stressful time of transition, where extra support was needed. read more

Overall, I am going to give my experience working with Newport Academy a 1. While there are certainly staff there that deserve more than 5 stars, the system as a whole is setup to create repeat customers. While this is an effective business practice, it's unacceptable when dealing with an extremely vulnerable population. The research is proven that 90 days of sobriety is needed for effective treatment. Parents considering Newport Academy need to understand that they are currently pushing 45 day programs with a check-in after 21 days. My son first went to Newport from February to April of this year. At that time, there wasn't a check-in until he met the 30 day mark. That's when the team met to decide on how much longer my son would need. They were on board with extending his stay and listened to our concerns. Unfortunately, about a week before he was going to leave, my son was witness to a violent and bloody assault on a client by a staff member. This tainted his entire experience there and they were never able to get the boys back on track. This did not surprise me based on the minimal efforts the operational manager, Mareta, gave to the incident. All we received from her was an email days later that was lackluster to say the least. She never once thought to contact the parents directly. For the remainder of the stay, my son was angry, scared and looking for retribution which made complete sense to me. We decided to end his stay as I could see he was not going to get back on track and they gave us the impression that they wanted any clients directly involved in the incident to go home. My son came home and maintained his sobriety, but eventually relapsed. The painful decision was made to send him back for treatment. In spite of the violent incident, I reached back out to Newport Academy and was told he had aged out of their program. This was due to his recent graduation and turning 18 the following week. We tried another treatment facility that actually makes Newport Academy look like a 5 star treatment facility. While panicking about his safety at the new treatment facility, another staff member from Newport reached out to me. They heard my concerns and made a continuous effort to help which was greatly appreciated at the time. I was told I had been given misinformation and my son could return to Newport. Knowing my son's struggles with anxiety, I knew that returning to a place he already knew with (most) staff being people he was comfortable with was going to be best option. He and I both held reservations as he did experience a traumatic event there and would need to deal with that at the same time. He spent about 30 days there and was not willing to fully engage with the program. Most of the time, he was trying to rile staff and clients up and Newport did not have the capability of managing this. When I would point this out, Mareta's responses were supportive of the efforts of staff with the implication that my son was the only issue. To wrap up, if you decide to go this route, there are a number of amazing staff members who will be of great benefit to your child. But you will need to ensure that you are ready to enact a solid 45 day plan for when your child comes home. Most of us are not well-versed in this enough to even know how to effectively create such a plan. Yes, they do have an aftercare coordinator who will make the effort on your child's behalf. But they are not personally experienced with the follow-up treatment options available in your particular state. My son ended up in a PHP that he attended virtually due to the distance away from home. This allowed me to hear and see what was being provided and it was a waste of time. We pulled him in less than 2 weeks. My final word on Newport Academy: Nothing changes if nothing changes. It's time for you to let Mareta go and find a more effective operational manager. Put the effort into recommitting to a 90-day program. Note: I am a veteran school teacher (24 years), a mandated 51A reporter and an addict myself in recovery for the last 4 and a half years. read more

Program was decent. Specific staff was disappointing. They do not have equestrian services. There was no daily yoga. These are both advertised online. I was not placed into an aftercare program after being discharged from treatment. read more

My experience here was extremely disappointing. The staff were overly strict with patient dysregulation and didn't give anyone a real chance to adjust or stabilize. I was only there for four days and still ended up being discharged, which felt unfair and premature. It was also extremely difficult to contact my parents because of the staff's rigid and unnecessary restrictions around phone access. For a place that treats young people in crisis, the communication limits were unreasonable. There also didn't seem to be enough staff on the unit, which made everything feel chaotic and unsafe. On top of that, they played The Edge of Seventeen on the unit--a movie that triggered multiple kids, including me. It was upsetting and showed a lack of awareness about what is appropriate in a mental health facility. Overall, this facility needs serious improvement in staffing, patient support, and trauma-informed care. read more

My daughter and I were both very unsure about going to Newport after reading so many mixed reviews. Residential seems like such a drastic and scary option that we deliberated for a few weeks. We were at a point where we were having difficulty moving forward from my daughter's anxiety and depression without having a change of environment away from all stressors. Since making this decision, I am a huge advocate of residential as I would like to normalize adolescents that need this level of care. If you truly feel that your son/daughter is not able to break out of this cycle, I highly recommend you try Newport Academy. Like any program; naturally, there are some negative components that others have mentioned in the reviews. However, the big picture is getting your son/daughter the quality care that they need to truly move forward. My daughter went to Bethlehem, CT location for 37 days. In this time, the quality therapists were able to help my daughter see herself in a neutral, almost positive light. She came to them with negative self talk and through the group and individual sessions, she was able to make meaningful, lasting change within herself. Shout out to Emily, Jenna, and Jenny for providing quality and compassionate therapy. I heard my daughter saying goodbye to them and she told them she loved them. It is possible to form real connections and make real change in a short time. With that being said, your son/daughter need to want to change. That is the only way they will get results. Here is some input from my daughter about the food, some of the staff, etc: I believe the food was good with various options! There was always something to eat whether you like the food they made or not. I kept my habit of eating clean, which worried me at first. I wish dessert was a more normal thing to have, ice cream once in a while would have been amazing. I healed lots of things within myself while I was there due to the environment change and not having a lot. I built new habits and coping skills along with the amazing people and girls I met. There were some staff I truly miss so much, I know they really did care about us. Like everywhere, there's always going to be mean staff, but we all worked together to get our voices heard and stand up for ourselves. Carly and Jordyn held our community meetings in the mustang pod and really did make us feel heard, like we deserve. I do wish we got longer phone call time. There was some awful days, but definitely some really good days. I repeatedly told myself this is temporary and it will all be worth it in the end, and it was. I do not regret going. I did what I needed to do and learned to be proud of myself for doing such a hard thing. read more

If i could give it 0 stars I would, I was a patient in May of 2023 where I experienced many racist actions by both staff and other patients. All of my concerns surrounding comments made to the effect of they're going to eat the therapy dog to my picking at grass was because my natural desire was to pick cotton exc. were completely ignored or asked what I could do to discourage any further harassment. As a result the verbal harassment became physical with the patients in question touching my hair and calling it nappy among other derogatory terms for textured hair I snapped and said something hurtful and punched a wall, I was then kicked out for creating a hostile environment. Overall the treatment there is subpar by any measure, I did not come out of that experience with better mental heath nor any added information on how to best support myself in the real world. I am in a good place now mentally not because of this place but in spite of it. This place is absolutely not worth the cost and you couldn't pay me to ever set foot in their halls again. read more

There are alot of positive review from parents but I attended Newport when I was 17. I'm 23 now, and it's safe to say this was the worst therapeutic program that I ever had to participate in and most detrimental to my health as someone who was not as seriously ill as many of the others. I truly think this facility can ruin the wellbeing of someone irreversibly. I was not a destructive teenager whats so ever-- I was miserable because of the staff and my therapists. When I fell ill, I wasn't allowed any relief (no soup, no mucinex, even regular TEA was banned because the boys unit tried to smoke it!!) I sat in my bed for days staring at the ceiling. Let me note some things that felt like torture: You were only allowed a 5 minute phone call a day with the outside world. I'm pretty sure prison inmates have longer time. Girls and guys are banished from LOOKING at each other, like out the window, let alone walk past each other/ be in the same room. You would get punished if you looked at them as they past by. So bizarre. We weren't allowed ANY SUGAR. No dessert, you know, a completely normal thing for teenagers to enjoy occasionally? It was banned. Some of us resorted to sneaking it in for some kind of joy. There's no gym and no other way to be active. I was punished for "improving too quickly". I was doing the exercises and moving up the ranks too fast and they accused me of faking it. I begged for more schoolwork because I was so bored and was denied. They often took you to offsite NA/AA meetings and we got to look and smell delicious desserts like donuts but we were punished if we ate any. Most of us were hungry 24/7 from the lack of proper nutrition. Staff were addicts themselves and allegedly(for legal reasons) engaged in drug behavior with the patients. Cool! My mom regrets sending me here everyday. Don't be the parent who does this to their child and regrets it. read more

I went to newport boys campus in CT almost exactly one year ago for 70 days, I honestly had a good time, I was able to work on my treatment and actually have fun with my pod-mates, my cc's and treatment team were amazing people. However, food was not good. At the time I went at-least 15 people got covid, they were quarantined properly but I was forced(not physically) to quarantine about 1.5 weeks later when I tested positive even though I didn't have a single symptom and most likely caught it the weeks prior. I went for drug use and was taken via transport but it ultimately wasn't that bad, physical health was not taken as seriously as it should have. I am still sober over 1 year later. read more

So I was there for 57 days and I strongly suggest not sending your kid to Newport academy the food is horrible therapists show lack of support and they literally use wanting to go home as a reason to keep you there longer they write you up for the smallest of reasons including social anxiety AND the kids were drawing fucking swastikas in the yoga room that is my review of Newport and I strongly suggest that YOU DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO THIS SHITTY PLACE read more

Newport Academy - The entrance - Counseling & Mental Health Near Me - Bethlehem, Connecticut

This place barely provides any actual theraputic service and the staff is highly unprofessional. They will not take seriously or believe their adult patients and argue with them or purposefully trigger them. They will not actually talk to you and perscribe you medications you don't need, and anyone who does not comply with them or actually expresses any real sign of struggle or mental illness will be kicked out. They create a dangerous space for vulnerable people that is built around authority and control with the illusion of some kind of summer camp rather than any real care. No one should be sent here and no one should give them money. read more

I was at Newport in 2019 in Connecticut for mental health and substances. The care I received there as a young teen was life-changing. I'll never forget the amazing staff, particularly the care coordinators I interacted with everyday. I'll never not feel a sense of community and gratitude when I think of my fellow former Newport housemates. It's been a while since I was at Newport, but it gave me the tools I needed to succeed to this day. There were many healing activities to do everyday, whether it was community-building, hiking in beautiful places, group therapy, family therapy, art therapy, music therapy, cinema therapy, yoga, eft, NA meetings, horse therapy, cooking, or fun outings. The holistic approach filled with support from everyone helping each other really helped me grow as a person, beyond just growing in my own mental health journey. read more

Admissions will tell you they specialize in oppositional defiance disorder; but they don't. They asked my 13 year old to leave after 6 weeks when she refused to participate, which is what ODD does... read more

reguard of what anyone says, being a patient in the men's health care unit of Newport the kids I met there struggled a lot just like me. I hated it so much but looking back it did a great deal. there's leaders and therapists that care. the reason kids "hate it" is because they don't have the freedom they'd expect and they treat it like a joke. I commited my self to my treatment and honestly it helped a lot. I'm very thankful to have gotten the chance to go. and believe me it's one of the best. there other places but believe me they are not anywhere near better. so I hope you do choose Newport cause it will ultimately save ur kid. they're the reason I'm alive and have a good relationship with my family. thank you Newport staff. you guys saved my life. read more

Coming from someone who attended this facility in the summer of 2024, it is the worst place you could send your kid for help. I was severely depressed and was looking for somewhere to help me with that. This whole place fucked me up so bad I came out worse than how I went in. I was surrounded by kids who had very different issues than me which made me pick up their negative behaviors. With the 60 days I lived there, the kids taught me how to self harm. I never did anything like that before I was there but everyone else did and I was encouraged to do it by the other kids. I now have permanent scars all up my arm because this behavior was normalized there. The staff did nothing to prevent us from doing this. They searched the everyone when they arrived and did a very shitty job considering that a lot of people snuck in vapes and drugs including my roommate. We were taught to be so open about our emotions and trauma to everyone that it was a daily occurrence to hear and share about your personal life with no limits on what u could say. This lead to me doing the same thing when I went home and I didn't realize how not normal it was to over share the way I did to everyone. The staff were beyond inappropriate. They would make nasty comments to all of us only making us feel worse. They would pick fights with the kids they knew couldn't defend themselves. They could keep track of the kids even though there were atleast 2 staff there to monitor a maximum of 8 kids per group. Girls would run away at night and get miles away before anyone even noticed they were gone. Police and sniffer dogs would have to find them which would take hours or days. This is not a safe environment for mentally unstable kids. Please find somewhere else to send your child before they ruin their life with the terrible things they will learn there. read more

Waste of $42,000 for less then a full month stay for our 18yr old, came home and had to call the police, do not recommend. Looks better on paper.... read more

Very discriminatory towards adolescents with special needs. You can't get passed admissions to speak to anyone higher up. They do not live up to what they proclaim they serve. read more

Even though we research this place for our son they did not live up to what they portray. Our son was 18 when he went there. The therapy was not appropriate for an 18 year old. One conversation with him he stated they played duck duck goose. When I questioned why 18 year olds are playing a game intended for 5 year olds they said, "it's up to the therapist as to what they do and they have their reasons" I have not found any reason 18 year olds should play duck duck goose as a form of therapy (when their mental status is an 18 not 5 year old. We took him out at the end of the week but continue to be charged every month $328.00. I would not recommend this overly priced facility. read more

My child was in this residential program and we were very pleased with the outcomes. The experience was holistic and home like which was important to us given the distance from our home. The experience for my child was life-changing and has started on the journey to recovery which will be a life-long endeavor. We have used other facilities and I have to say this was the very best experience for all. If you are nervous, don't pay attention to bad reviews- those are from people that did not engage and did not really care. If your child is ready and willing- send them here. read more

Newport Academy - Beautiful and peaceful location - Counseling & Mental Health Near Me - Bethlehem, Connecticut

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I would like to say my overall experience was awful! I had my child there to receive help for his mental health and well being and because he had "verbal altercations" with another child he was asked to leave after only 5 days of being there. you are dealing with young boys who have mental health and drug addictions and should be able to provide enough help and support to guide them to better themselves in your process. the second awful experience is that when they discharged him it was very unprofessional like here's your kid sign twice and goodbye! Extremely unprofessional persons I dealt with at many levels . I was told to take my question about stats and put them in a drawer! I also met a parent that said had to send the child there 3 times!! I would ab do not send your child there ! read more

Our daughter got the care she needed. We loved the family therapist Jordan. Plus our kid learned judo and loved the food. Good therapists and process. We highly recommend. read more

Really strong program that offers support for families and teenagers in an evidence based model of care. Our son really grew and learned a lot from the work there and it has been a landmark for our family. read more

I first started at Newport Academy when I was 16 and stayed for 96 days. I will first start by saying that the pods are separated by "issues." I find it to be very dehumanizing and violating. We knew everyone's problems by what pod they were in even if you have never spoken a word to that person. Not only was it one of the most traumatic times of my life but also started a rapid drug problem which was never an issue before. I learned these behaviors from the girls in my pod. Even when i wanted to talk to someone other person than the staff i wasn't allowed too. We get a 5 minute phone call everyday and we don't get a recall if they don't answer. It's the worst feeling to know that you can only talk to the only people who seem to care for 5 minutes a day. I also remember during school time me doing a staff members continuing education modules many times. Not only has this "rehab" failed so many it failed me. I never felt so depressed after coming home from Newport Academy and i will never recommend or even mention this place. Nobody in this facility cares - they threaten with punishment and staying longer, leaving you to feel embarrassed and helpless. I self harmed every single day there and told nobody - i also was forced to stay in a room with a 13 year old trans male as a 16 year old growing girl. If you weren't in a room with a 12 year old most of the girls were having relations in the next room over which you can hear while sleeping. After 2 years I am still recovering from the trauma that Newport Academy gave me. If you care about your children in the slightest bit do not send them here. read more

I would leave a 3.5 stars. The program itself was wonderful. Unfortunately for us regular humans, it is very expensive and we depend on health insurance. The program does not start preparing for discharge until after the 30 day review. For a situation like my daughters this did not work. We have a very difficult to work with insurance and they starting indicating they would require discharge at around 3 weeks. I promptly reached out to the discharge coordinator to ask them to start the process. Yet, my daughter had to be discharged on day 29 which happened to be a Saturday during a long weekend. They did not have their discharge summary sent over, and they did not have a Med provider secured even though they started her on medication. There was no secure follow up. it has caused a significant increase in our daughters anxiety again because now she doesn't know what is happening next or when. It is very unfortunate in the setting of a facility that seemed to otherwise be so good for our daughter. read more

Newport saved my life. I couldn't imagine a better place to spend my time to start my journey of sobriety. The staff are amazing, the therapy is unmatched. read more

DO NOT SEND LOVED ONES THERE (CT facility) They tell you everything you want to hear to get your child admitted (medical care, dbt therapy, yoga, classes, groups , activities and thorough communication) - COMPLETELY FALSE. They do not have those programs and if they do it is on a very infrequent schedule and not well run. The majority of their staff is not credited and the turn over is extremely high. The admissions people are paid on commission but once you are there it is not what they claim it is to be. Just want $$ Appalling that they have not been shut down. Dangerous for them to have at risk individuals in their care. read more

The staff was not qualified to be dealing with these patients. They would sometimes get into fights with clients and treat them with disrespect. While this doesn't speak to all the staff, I feel as though an environment such as Newport should hire people that are capable of certain levels of empathetic attunement and they are mindful of the scary situation these kids are put in. Something that is important to know going in is that this industry and these people are money hungry. They will lie to you and your parents to keep you there for as long as possible so they can get more money. In my case, I was severely underweight when I went there and wasn't able to gain much weight due to the lack of food they fed us. Because of this, they told me and my parents that I was struggling with anorexia. This confused me because while I did struggle with disordered eating due to depression and anxiety, I knew my body and I knew I was not anorexic. They told my parents I wouldn't be able to leave until I had "the correct tools" to work around it. To no surprise, after I left I gained about 5 pounds within a week of me being back home and had no problems with eating at all. This place was able to help me in the sense that it scared me so much I was willing to do anything to better myself so I wouldn't go back to a place like that. If you are seeking help for your kid, I beg of you please seek elsewhere. read more

(connecticut program) nothing like the pictures, aside from the buildings. from a former resident: went in for 2 months to stop smoking weed and control my mental health. when i left, 2 months later it started all over again. too much drama with the fellow clients to actually focus on myself. staff incorporate favoritism with the clients. if you don't get along with the staff (which it's hard to) you'll have an even harder time. if you have a serious problem with addiction just go to a wilderness program. had a friend who got kicked out of newport and was sent to utah to participate in the wilderness program (not apart of newport) she was clean and changed a lot when i saw her 6 months later. read more

my name is Michael I was diagnosed with ptsd depression an anxiety going to new port helped me not only get back on track with my life but taught me how to navigate through the hard parts of life. before I went to new port I was In 3 different facilities and none of them helped me the way new port did. staff and therapist know what they are doing and the results show read more

Please don't send your teen here, the staff will screw up care and circle the wagons and not take accountability, you'll try to get answers, and you wont get them. You'll ask critical questions about what was done under their care and they will dance around the answers.. you might get one person to go out on a limb.. and then they will quickly be shut down from responding.. Better yet, if your teen has an issue they will kick them out without figuring out continued care, first, and you will have 24 hours or less to get them no matter where you are. As long as your teen fits the mold and is super compliant - they will be ok, maybe?... A mental health facility should have experience and be able to deal with anything that comes their way. On a positive note - The pictures and video's will make you believe they are great.. Mental health is not a joke for adolescents and team - expect better out of a facility responsible for it.. read more

If I could give a negative I would. TERRIBLE! The professionals are only trained to hep with AA/NA not mental health issued. All residents are sent into town for AA meeting with creepy old men. Personal items & Chirstmas gifts were stolen. Support staff unprofessional & untrained to deal with residents. Food in all no sugar & carbs. They use food as a reward & our child was denied food. Our child was threatened upon release. Upon picking our child up the "staff" & doctors that dealt with us & our child were no where to be found. The discharge was in the public lobby with someone we never met before, how professional. RUN don't walk away from this facility. We requested a formal evaluation from their psychiatrist and all we received was an interview with information established prior. There were other residents there for their 2 & 3rd time. Do your research! read more

My child was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD as a teen. It was a slow gradual change in behavior and even with a therapist and medication from a psychiatrist did not improve. My child is an intelligent well behaved teen who never got in trouble or acted out and had friends and interests. This changed with the illness. My child began to de-compensate, and could not attend school or even leave the house and stopped seeing and speaking to friends. It became so bad that my child had a few hospital admissions because he didn't want to live like this. Meds were changed, and changed again and there was no response. The doctors said the next step was ECT which was done and failed miserably with no response. His memory took a hit from ECT and is still spotty from that period. I brought my child home and for the next year, he decompensated more, became more isolative, and rarely left his room. It truly broke our hearts to see his pain and not be able to do anything to make him better. I discovered Newport Academy and found out more about it. I was unsure because of my child's history, but finally, my child made the decision that he would go....it was more like he chose life and mustered the energy to give treatment one more chance. He was there for 90 days. They changed his meds and he began individual, group and family therapy. We were not able to see him because of covid restrictions, but he was able to call us for a few minutes each day if he chose to. They began EMDR therapy for his PTSD. We began to see shades of who my son used to be. He developed insight into himself and others and learned valuable coping mechanisms to cope with his anxiety and depression. He learned to express his feelings and protect his boundaries. He made amazing connections at Newport and his counselors and Doctor were invested in his treatment and concerned. He returned home in remission from a deadly disease. I have no doubts that if he had not attended Newport, his deterioration would have led to tragedy because he knew he couldn't live with the constant anxiety and sadness. My child is currently attending college and doing very well. He continues to take his meds and do therapy. It is a true blessing that the staff at Newport were able to help my son get better. They breathed life back into him and there is a bright light in his eyes again. They did what we and other psych providers could not do. I am forever grateful. I would urge any parent to consider this option when nothing else is working. It saved my child's life. read more

After having my child be denied admission, Newport Academy refused to give documentation as to why. This documentation would have helped us greatly in not only finding suitable care for our child but for insurance purposes as well. Even though my child was denied, they never told us and proceed with the admissions process, which took 3 weeks. It was not until the day before she was to be admitted, that we were told she had been denied the week prior by the clinician. We wasted so much time and effort with Newport. So disappointed. read more

I was a client of the male CT campus from Feb-May of 2020. It is safe to say that Newport changed my life. I have been struggling with my mental health since eighth grade, and unfortunately, it came to the point where I was in the hospital for the third time in the span of ten months. At that point, I had no motivation to do anything, and could not imagine a future. I struggled with suicidal ideation every day, as well as self-harm, flashbacks, anxiety, and depression. After 37 days at the hospital, I was at my lowest point of all time. None of it was working and I felt hopeless that it would never get better. That was when I transferred to Newport. The amount of love, support, and care I received there was immeasurable. Right away, I noticed that I was treated like a human and not a "sick kid" like I was in the hospital. I could tell that staff genuinely WANTED to be there - it wasn't just a job for them. The Care Coordinators are some of the best people I've ever met and I miss them every day. Of course, it was rough sometimes, but that's because it's residential. During the course of my stay, however, my mindset started to change, even though I had never thought it would. I slowly started to "do the work," and was able to create goals and imagine a future. The number of positive results I have seen during and even after my stay says everything. I am so grateful that I went to NP and cherish the moments that I did not have before it. I wake up every morning and WANT TO BE ALIVE. This had not been the case for a long, long time. I was the one who did the work, but the love I felt all around me was the reason why I found it possible. The encouragement that I received helped so much in terms of finding that hope again. Recovery is not a one-size-fits-all process, and Newport understands that. They work with you and dig down to the roots of behaviors and illness instead of skim the surface, which creates the long-lasting results. As a trans male, I had no problems with the acceptance factor, and if there was one, CCs would turn it around right away. I had an amazing experience and was able to find myself again. I could not recommend Newport enough. read more

My 20-yo daughter just spent a month at Newport in Connecticut. She has PTSD, MDD Severe, GAD, Eating Disorder, and Alcohol Abuse issues. She did not want to go, and had suicical ideation 24 hours a day for many years. Regular therapy had not helped. Hospitalization had not helped. Newport was wonderful. The first week was tough, but they were able to turn her around to the point that she said that she felt she had a "new lease on life." I would have liked her to stay for longer, but the insurance would only pay for her to be "stabilized." She is now doing outpatient therapy. If you have insurance and can afford the out of pocket, and you don't know what to do anymore with your young adult, certainly consider Newport. She is not cured, but at least her eyes have been opened and I am cautiously optimistic. Good luck. read more

NA seemed like the perfect placement for my 15 year old daughter who suffers with anxiety and depression. As a family we were reassured that she was a perfect candidate and would flourish in the program. This courtship went on for months by a person who we trusted- spoke on zoom calls, toured the CT facility, etc. The time came when they promised that everything looked good and she would be expected to come in the next day or two from that phone call. Within 24 hours that offer would be rescinded and the person we trusted the most during this very emotional process ghosted us. They failed to tell us UPFRONT that there are certain requirements to be admitted!Had they done their homework they would've learned about the whole person-afterall, that's what they reassure you of- that they look to treat the entire person. How can they do that if they refuse to know the entire backstory objectively by the private professionals who know your teen better than they do? They did not request formal documentation from any doctor until I made the suggestion. Additionally, it is important to know they are only accepting these teens via results of that clinical intake that occurs via zoom and not any conversation with anyone else including you, the parent! Unless you are persistent and ask questions you will not be able to speak to anyone beyond the level of the coordinator. The entire process was deceptive. Parents: Research these places... Red Flags did not appear until the last week of this process and we lost valuable months of our time! It begs the question: With the mis steps we experienced of whoever makes up this administration (research their educational and professional backgrounds) and their processes and scripted calls- ultimately, misleading the family, what is happening at the staff level who have direct access to the teens? It's unimaginable and frightening. read more

Starting high school not long after the pandemic began did not go well for our daughter. She was hanging out with other kids, skipping school, vaping nicotine and marijuana and shutting us out. We tried outpatient therapy and family therapy (I'm a therapist myself), and working with the school, but things just kept getting worse. By spring of her sophomore year, she was not getting up for school most days and failing out of most of her classes. She was not confiding in us, defying curfew and other rules, and pushing us out. When our family therapist suggested we look into therapeutic boarding schools (all beyond our means) and also recommended Newport Academy, we found a ton of support from the start. The admissions team was very kind and responsive. We worried our daughter wouldn't go and would become further alienated from us, but we got support to work that through, and by this time our daughter realized she was in trouble; she just didn't know how to begin to get out of it. Talking with another young woman who had been in residential at Newport Academy helped her feel inspired to go. She definitely had her ups and downs while in residential, but she -- and we, her family -- gained so much from the experience, and there are so many dedicated members of the staff to help you through each step of the way. Our daughter first went to a program in CA -- her stay was too short. You really have to go prepared to FIGHT with the insurance company. I don't feel the team in CA fought hard enough, but perhaps they couldn't. We had a little whiplash at the end of what started as a wonderful experience, but ended too soon. However, we learned this is a (sadly) not uncommon aspect of the treatment experience in the world we are in today. After a brief time at home, it became clear our daughter needed more time. Newport Academy was there for us and the team in Bethlehem, CT was more prepared to slow down the process and help us to convince insurance to give her the amount of time she needed. She was there the second time for about 2 months and her aftercare at Newport Academy Partial Hospitalization Program in Darien was a very good experience as well. The most important things in these situations is to work CLOSELY with your team to help your child and your family. Our kiddos feel the care from all of us once they know it's solid and consistent and real and no matter how much they push and protest, they grow. We learned so much too; as parents so many of us need to find a balance; how to provide them the structure they need, but also let them learn and be on their own path. We need support too, and Newport Academy has provided us with that. We're very grateful. The journey continues when your done, but our child is in a therapeutic day school now and we continue to have community supports, including the excellent Newport Academy alumni parent support group team. We highly recommend this program! read more

I would recommend Newport Academy to anyone with a child struggling with mental health, eating disorders, or substance abuse. Incredible program. read more

Newport Academy is a wonderful treatment center. I can not speak highly enough about the program and how much it has impacted people I care about deeply! read more

Quite a bit of the reviews that I've read about Newport CT have been angry reviews from parents, so here's a glowing review right from a past resident... I arrived at Newport like many of the other girls I'd come to know and grow to love: around my age of seventeen years old, in and out of inpatient hospitalizations, prescribed countless meds (I was on four or five at the time, including just starting Lithium), didn't even have a set in stone diagnosis, an addiction to self harm, constant meltdowns, constant dissociation, constant panic attacks, and the gnawing ache of no longer wanting to be alive. Before my acceptance, my parents, my therapists, my treatment team, and I were desperately looking for a residential treatment center to help me out. We were looking for this because we did not want me to go to an adult inpatient unit if need be. Nine days prior to Dec 1, the day I would turn 18, we called Newport Academy in hopes that they could at least accept me before then. They were able to get me in two days after that call. Not only did they aid us with our urgent call, but they made the process go faster than we anticipated. The girls that I met there were down to Earth, relatable, and supportive of one another. In Newport CT, there are two houses that house the girls. Each house in broken up into two pods. Hawk houses Mustang (for substance abuse) and Hummingbird (for co-occuring). From my experience, Hawk is a bit more chaotic and the girls create a lot more drama. My house was Dove, which houses Monarch (the newest pod, for eating disorders) and my pod, Dolphin (for psychiatric disorders)! Apparently Dolphin was the pod to be in, because most of the time there was no drama, fully supportive peers, and a healing feel to us. The Dolphin staff, the Care Coordinators (CCs) could honestly be one of the biggest healing factors in my recovery. When I felt like I needed to (or actually had) self-harm, they were there for me to comfort me. When I was having a panic attack or a melt-down, they were there for me. All of the Care Coordinators, especially the four Dolphin CCs, are tender-hearted, sweet and caring individuals- all of them. The rooms are extremely nice for a treatment center. It's not a hotel, so don't expect it to be. The beds aren't air mattresses like ones I've had in hospitals- they are soft, firm and REAL mattresses. The towels are Ralph Lauren towels, not scratchy almost-paper towels I've had to use in hospitals. You are given a nice twin-size bed, a cute little night-stand with a drawer and space underneath for books, one sink on each side of the room, a full closet with two huge drawers underneath, and a nice wall for decorating!! The food is good. Again, it's not a hotel, so don't expect the ritz. The kitchen staff are nice, sweet and cool people that work hard. When you're sitting at lunch and the CCs say "don't talk about the food," it's because the staff works hard. I will say that the vegetarian options need a little more than tofu, but they started using more vegetable dishes and chickpea and bean dishes. You're given an individual therapist, a recovery counselor, a family therapist and a psychiatrist while you're there. You meet with your therapist and counselor about twice a week. With your therapist, you talk about your problems and stuff. With your counselor, you do work out of this packet to stage up. I'll explain the stage system later. With your family therapist, you have family sessions where you discuss conflicts and resolutions. Don't fret if your family can't drive to Bethlehem every week- you can do video calls! Here's the stage system: Your first 72 hours- cannot call your parents, cannot go offsite, sometimes you have a 1:1 Orientation- you can have a 5 minute phone call, you can go offsite Stage 1- you can listen to music in school, you can have nail polish and makeup Stage 2- you can sit in the front seat of the car and choose the music, you can have 10 minute phone calls Stage 3- you can go offsite for 4 hours with your family on the visitation day and a super soft Newport jacket when you discharge Community Leader- you can have an additional 4 hour pass and an additional 10 minute phone call Anyway, I'm running out of room so here's the lowdown... I'm doing incredibly. I have healed and recovered so much- thanks to Newport Academy. Yes, I take a lot of credit for my recovery, but Newport honestly saved my life. read more