While Skyland Trails is not perfect (as you can see from some of the reviews), I will say, that two years have passed by since my adolescent was there, and they are STRIVING! ST has some, not all, amazing staff. Those amazing staff members helped my teen understand themself and helped us understand them. While I do not think ST made my child 100% better, it was the steppingstone we all needed to help us with the right continuation of care to follow. As a parent of an adolescent there, it is important to LISTEN to your child and ADVOCATE when needed. While my child may have thought that this was not helpful when they were there, my child makes sure that we know when there is a 5K or an event at ST and insists that we attend. I love that my child is starting to realize that positive impact ST made on them. read more

If you are a parent deciding whether to send your child here, please listen to me. I know that you are scared and that people are telling you that you will lose your child if you don't institutionalize them. Especially if it's your child's school, they are covering for themselves because they see your child as a liability--a statistic waiting to happen. It's better for them if your child suffers or dies in a treatment center while they are not enrolled in their school. If you send your child to Skyland Trail like my parents did, your child will almost definitely not die while they're there, but you will probably lose them in one way or another. Listen to your child and what they need to recover. Your kid might need to take some time off from high school to find what makes them happy, but please do not put them in a facility when they are no threat to others. I am so lucky to have recovered from what I was going through despite my experiences at Skyland. Kids need to be heard and respected, not institutionalized, and programs like these take advantage of your fear and love for your child. The adolescent program is really just another piece of the troubled teens industry. I will be referring to mentally ill adolescents with a history of psychiatric hospitalization involuntary held in a residential facility as patients and not clients. I (16) was verbally and medically abused by my psychiatrist, Dr. Huda Motiwala. She cut me off of my SSRI with no taper as punishment for "acting like I was smarter than her" since I asked to try the antidepressant that had worked for one of my family members. I went through horrible withdrawal. There were multiple health emergencies on weekends with no medical professionals present (a patient was denied their inhaler for 10 minutes during an asthma attack because the nurses hadn't shown up to work, and patients weren't allowed access to their lifesaving medications without them). I was also put on s-cide watch as punishment for stashing food and made to strip naked in front of staff since I was "hiding my self-harm marks" (we figured out they had probably mistaken me for another patient who had told their therapist they were harming). Other patients at the program were sexually assaulted by their peers in front of staff members who did not report the incidents and were fired months later. I lost all internet, family therapy, and phone call "privileges" after I told my parents about some of the abuse, and they asked to have my psychiatrist switched. My parents thought it was sketchy when they were repeatedly told I was didn't want to talk right before our scheduled zoom therapy. They fought for weeks to get me out while administrators tried to convince them to change their minds and purposely made the process as difficult as possible (I didn't know any of this until after my release). *As of 2022, when a patient "graduated" the program, they had to write and deliver an approved testimonial to the other patients and staff to complete the "gratitude" pillar of the program. They also had to write a shorter testimonial on an iPad, eerily similar to the online testimonials Skyland Trail used in their advertising. This was done in front of a therapist with the implication that a more positive testimonial could speed up the discharge process. read more

I would never recommend to anyone. Any healing and growth with my mental health has been accomplished in spite of my experience at this facility. Please seek other options before going to this facility. read more

STAY AWAY- that is the advice I wish someone had given me. Useless treatments, young/inexperienced facilitators, smug clinicians whose demeanor bordered on contempt- all of this added up to a negative experience. I would never go here again and encourage anyone thinking about it to look elsewhere. read more

They must be fully booked with patients because after several calls being left on hold 15+ minutes and leaving very clear voice mails more than once, no one ever called back. This seems odd when admissions is the front line of engaging patients in need of help. read more

Okay so i want to start this out by saying that im not writing this as a means to "degrade" or "hate on" skyland trail but i WILL tell my story. Ive been to skyland trail twice, when i was 14 i was there for around 3 months. During my stay there, i was surrounded by kind patients and i felt truely cared for by SOME staff like victor, josh, miss shay, kevin and abby(my therapist both times) and even though victor and josh dont work there anymore i will still mention them because they TRULY helped me more than anyone else. A month or two into my stay, i was working out in fitness group and i tore my back out, and i WAS competitive figure skater and dancer so this was a big deal for me. During this time my back hurt so horribly that i would be in my room for 20 minutes simply trying to put clothes on and moving, climbing up stairs, and other activities were actually hell to do but a big thanks to kevin because he let me walk on the treadmil and gave me stretches to do. (Kevin ur a real one .) anyways, my back was hurting so bad to the point where i had to see the doctor (dr wade). Im pretty sure if my memory is correct that she was only there once a week but i remember asking for muscle relaxers because my backs been injured in the past and those are what helped me but they said i might "get addicted"??? So dr wade said she was going to give me icyhot and that i should ask for it during med time and so i did but apparently they never called it in so the next week i went to the doctor and asked for it so they said they would call it in and so i asked the nurses during med time and they said they never prescribed it so i just eventually gave up. Long story short, i cannot skate or dance anymore because i struggle with chronic pain. Nurse Lisa is a nurse that cannot draw blood for ANYTHING, when i was 14, she tried to take my blood for labs and she tried 4 times and one of the times she stuck me in my hand and it was swollen and in excrutiating pain for 3 weeks straight. We also have two phone calls a week and it sucked so bad. Abby (the therapist) really helped me understand my worth though and i will always thank her for that. When i was 16 i was there for around 2 months and even though i wasnt in horrible pain, it was still bad. A new level system was in place that wasnt before and if you got more than three "infractions" they would take away certain privileges. One person had showers taken away because they liked to be clean or somethin like that i dont remember the whole situation but all i know is that she couldnt shower for like two weeks. Kids with religions/ED's and preferences werent allowed to have their foods because they apparently "cant have special menus" even though it was severely needed. Some staff care but it was painfully obvious that a good handful of them were in it for the money. I appretiate the staff that i mentioned earlier but if you are a parent reading this, as a kid whos been in the program twice, please think long and hard on where you are sending your kid because its better to be safe then sorry. read more

Skyland Trail changed my life. I was in the deepest darkest depression for 6 months before I started in the PHP program at Skyland. The classes and staff are incredible! My psychiatrist immediately recognized that I was suffering from treatment resistant depression and recommended for me to try TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), which ended up taking my depression from a 10/10 to a 1/10, which is what it's been at since graduating the program 8 months ago. I'm still on medication (less than I was before and during the program) but my depression has been kept at bay. I met so many wonderful people from all over the country that I still keep in touch with to this day. I highly recommend Skyland Trail if you are struggling. It can change your life if you trust the process and put in the work. read more

This is how Dr. Ellis at Skyland treats parents who inquire about help that they were promised when it was not delivered!!! Please take the time to read this!!! This wasn't our only unprofessional and attacking experience with Skyland staff. This is an EXACT email from Dr. Ellis to a patient's parent: I am sorry that you are either too ignorant or too uneducated to read a simple email and draw appropriate conclusions. At no point did I suggest we would not help XXXXXXX with her refill. What I stated, if you had bothered to read at all, was that after an unsuccessful attempt today, Nurse Cory would need to trouble shoot on Tuesday when he is back in the office, and would get the refill then. However, when Sophia discharged, Skyland was explicitly clear that her PHP Psychiatrist WAS HER NEW PSYCHIATRIST, and that once she met them, that would constitute the official transfer of care. I stated repeatedly, that I would handle refills up until that happened, but not after. Sophia understands this, so I am not sure why you seem to be continuously incapable of processing basic information. What I am truly sorry for is XXXXX, and anyone else in your orbit, having to put up with you at all, as she is an incredible person, and you are one of the most toxic individuals I've had the misfortune to interact with. Seek help. Do not bother responding to this email, as I am going to block you the second I hit send. read more

My 32 year old daughter experienced Skyland for 3 months earlier this year. The program was very comprehensive and flexible, so that her treatment plan changed as indicated over the 3 months. It included individual and group therapy, family therapy, group classes with options for art, music and horticulture. There was homework to make the most of the experience, with a full binder by the end to help with future challenges. She had referrals to out-patient providers after the program ended. Our family was kept apprised of progress every 1-2 weeks. I would highly recommend the program. read more

Best experience ever. Skyland believes in RECOVERY. We are so blessed to have such an experienced staff with a gorgeous campus, great food and an amazing facility in our country. I can't say enough good about this place. read more

Skyland Trail was one of the best things that happened to me. Before Skyland, I barely knew how to cope because of not so great therapists. I was deep into my depression and only going deeper. My psychiatrist recommended Skyland and I'm so grateful for that. I was taught CBT and DBT and was in a great healing environment. Having a whole treatment team to support me really helped me thrive. Having family therapy with Elizabeth helped me better my communication with my parents and made me feel more confident that I would thrive outside of Skyland. Mrs.Laura was very supportive and helpful when it came to school. She always made sure we were on track, as it is easy to get behind. The staff were always supportive and kind to me. Some of my favorite things there included healthy challenge with Kevin and horticulture with Marisol. I had a really good time with the recreational activities that we did with Dani and Laney. When I left Skyland Trail, I felt like a different person than when I arrived. I will forever be grateful for all Skyland Trail did for me. read more

My 20-year old son left after little over a month. While some of the problems stemmed from his resistance to treatment, I place much of the blame on Skyland staff, most of whom showed a distressing lack of clinical ability, empathy, and engagement. The daily, hours- long group "therapy" sessions consisted largely of staff requiring clients to sit through lectures involving pages of handouts. My son's primary therapist was useless, both to us as parents and him as a client. The place is run in a highly institutional, bureaucratic manner - getting answers to basic questions, much less meaningful information felt like dealing with the Post Office. There are much, much better options available with caring, highly competent staff. read more

Hi. As one review by Hayden D said, the adolescent campus sucked a lot. They and I were there at the same time for a few months so let me give some extra details: 1, There was definitely clear racist and transphobia going on to me. I think one thing that stood out to me the most was the fact that even though the pictures on the website show a diverse group of kids (who are all actors) the actual kids weren't. One of the girls I lived with there, mind you shed been there months before me in 2023.. she was the 4th or 5th person of color to have gone there since opening. There was clearly different treatment for the few kids who you could tell were different races, and it may not have been noticeable to many of the other clients, I live in a super diverse group, I have my whole life so the way they were treated was entirely wrong. For the transphobia I didn't experience any of it and I don't believe staff were the ones who were doing it (at least not to me) but there was kids there being extremely transphobic to one another. It was so bad that one of my close friends there who was medically transitioned had run away and hurt himself, scaring most of us there that day. For homophobia I am unsure I didn't experience anything but I know some kids did. 2, The Jewish kid I was the Jewish kid who was stuck there during Passover. I was the kid who got in trouble for going a week eating nothing but the matzah crackers my mom brought me. Speaking of which, they locked up that food overnight and if I forgot to ask for it in the morning I wouldn't be able to go and get it sometimes. Several kids thought that on this *religious* holiday, I was only allowed to eat matzah but that's not the case. What was the real issue was that even after I warned my psychologist, my personal therapist, my family therapist, the dietitian woman I met on my second or third day, several of the nurses AND Dana herself (the head woman. I don't remember how to spell names) I was still not given the food needed to eat. There was noting other than some roasted chicken and my matzah that was taken from me as soon as I said passover was over. 3, AFRID There were two clients with AFRIDs there although one of them I knew had it really badly. Just like how I got in trouble during Passover for not eating, they got in trouble for not eating everything. One of them could only eat pasta on lucky days and at one point it was restricted from them and they had nothing to eat. I know that they were meant to get help with it but I don't know if they ever did. I would also like to add on a few other things (tw I guess: SA and other stuff maybe?) SA, I was not sexually assaulted in Skyland Trails, however, when I am trying to do group therapy and there is a kid messing around with their body in the group room with me, it makes it very hard to not be uncomfortable. It was an issue we had even brought up to therapists and family and what did they do? Move the kid to be with the other group instead of ours. They did not try to stop him or teach him that it was wrong. We all understand it may be part of some disorder but considering that so many of the kids there were survivors of sexual assault and worse, it was not creating a safe environment at all for anyone really. I have been sexually assaulted before, just a week prior to coming there and to go there hoping I'm safe only to have to endure eye contact with someone doing that made me become worse. I am also aware that some kids had threatened to do things to other kids and some were kicked out but some weren't or their stories were covered. Fire Drills, I luckily only had to endure 2 of them but the downside about them is they're at night after everyone goes to sleep. I could not sleep for days because of the lights and yelling. I am running out of space but this place is honestly down in the dumps and I can;t believe people make their kids travel so far to become zoo animals for the RC's working there. I didn't get better, I just became aware of how bad I was Skyland Trails, You failed me You failed so many of us read more

Skyland is by far the best mental health treatment I have received. As someone who was on an endless loop of treatment and has experienced other forms of treatment Skyland was different. At Skyland it was a safer and more humane form of treatment. Skyland is a hands-off facility meaning the staff cannot touch you and the clients are non-aggressive. This makes a world of difference in treatment because there's not a constant fear or vigilance at Skyland. In other treatments I experienced a lot of frustration because their was a lack of consistency and answers. When it can to Skyland though I experienced treatment, and I can attest. At Skyland I was told the truth and people were up front with me. Everyone at Skyland has a different experience but I can say that some of the harsh rules at Skyland helped me. I was on restrictions and that was helpful for me because it gave me a choice. Skyland is good in that nature because of the honesty. Also my treatment team was very informed on my treatment. My therapist Brielle always held me accountable with compassion and the psychiatrist I had, Dr. Frederick listened and was very knowledgeable. When it comes to treatments like these a lot of people are very hopeless I was one of them. There's no guarantee that treatment will work but Skyland is a good choice to make. Staff at Skylands were outstanding and go above and beyond. At most places it feels like the people are only their for the job but the staff their cared. Laney, Dani, Jeff, Marisol, and Kevin the recreational staff cared heavily and always made things very interesting. Holly the DBT therapist is outstanding and blunt which is needed in therapy. My family therapist Brandon was honest and fair. The recreational counselors are outstanding and always go above and beyond. These staff members always showed up for more than the job. Staff like Mrs. Ana, Claire, Josh, Jasmine, James, Vernita, Ja'Miracle, Janelle, Yanna, and Chris truly bring compassion to mental health and that is valuable. The teacher their also go above and beyond Mrs. Anne specifically sometimes teaches yoga. While Mrs. Laura teaches a lot in reference to life experience and reality. Everyone their truly cares and wants to know you which took me a while to truly understand. Skyland is different due to staffs knowledge and commitment. Skyland is a community not just treatment which makes it so much more impactful. Often treatments are very dull and limited to mental health. At Skyland we were people and kids. We had field day, team sports, magical moments, and so much more. So if you are thinking about going to Skyland I think it is a great choice. Everyone has a different experience but I trust Skyland treatment more than others. Also, you might never experience Yoga with Laney, Sun Butter Sandwiches, Just Dance, Weekend Eggs and people saying live, laugh, love unironically if you don't go. read more

Do not send your child to this place! I am a past adolescent client, and I can tell you from my personal experience that I am traumatized from this facility. I have witnessed Racism, Transphobia, Dehumanization, and just the restriction of basic human rights being placed on clients here who are paying an absurd amount to go to this facility for "help" and the only help they get is more trauma. This place does not care about the clients, only the money they can get from them. When you are sent to a residential facility you expect to be treated the same as every other kid. Skyland does not treat people the same. There is more discrimination than I have seen anywhere else in all my years of living. Different therapists and counselors treat kids differently based on race/gender/religion/sexuality/sex/ and even mental health state. I will provide a few examples of the discrimination I witnessed: 1- A very close friend of mine has been and is still continuing to be discriminated against since she has left Skyland. She has been called slurs by staff and other clients and referred to as different or needing different treatment because she is a "person of color." Now keeping in mind that lots of the staff happen to be minorities as well, less of it happens when they are around however all the higher up staff are not minorities and continuously discriminating against clients and staff. 2- Another person I happened to be in treatment with is Jewish and was in residential during Passover. The facility refused to accommodate for them and allow them to have food they were allowed to eat. Causing this person to not be able to eat much while they were in treatment. 3. There were more than 1 client in Skyland with the eating disorder AFRID which is a common eating disorder in people with autism. The disorder makes it impossible for the person to eat certain foods, if they do it leads to great discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. When these clients tried advocating for themselves saying they were unable to eat the food provided the staff stated, "We cannot accommodate for "special diets." There solution was to wait for the client to be suffering enough that they had to eat what their body physically and mentally could not consume. They were also punished for not being able to eat. The entire food situation was awful. The kitchen staff were treated like animals. They would be threatened to be fired if they tried to give a kid who couldn't eat, something they could. A sickness went around Skyland while I was there. I watched people struggle to breathe as their throats were swollen so bad. What did Skyland do? They gave them masks and told them to suck it up. The sickness was contagious and was passed around through all of us clients, and staff, without being properly delt with. I would like to bring attention to how mental health issues are treated in Skyland. If I could sum it up in one word, I would just say: awful. Clients are forced to participate in activities no matter how they are feeling. For one thing I can say I am a person recovering from anorexia and to be forced to exercise was very triggering. If you were crying or having a mental breakdown and couldn't do an activity? You would be punished for it. The staff handed out things called "Infractions" Like candy. If you get 3 in a day, they'd take away your ability to do art projects, or listen to music, or facetime your parents. Putting into account that I was not suicidal before going to this treatment center I went to bed every night wanting to kill myself because anything would have been better than being there. The therapists are mentally abusive. They will invalidate you and tell you, you are faking your mental illness. Mental health is not taken seriously! Kids are cursed out by staff The staff was also able to put you on "hygiene restriction" meaning you were not allowed in your room to shower. I witnessed people go over a week without being allowed to shower, having to wash their hair in the common room sink. Worst of all, they came up with something called "birdbaths" Where they would give you a rag and force you to wipe yourself down in the community bathroom naked (staff was not in the bathroom with the client.) Even if you were on your period. People were taken to rooms without cameras to be yelled at where the staff wouldn't get into trouble for it. I would like to point out I did not need to be in this facility. My mother thought it would help me recover quicker than I was, she was wrong. When I advocated for myself saying that I could recognize my mental health was getting worse and requested to be discharged they told me there was no way they would let me out. So, I had to play the "pretend to get better so they let you out" game. And you know what. It made me worse. I want Skyland to know they hurt me and what they are doing is medical kidnapping. You can't consider yourself a voluntary program if you refuse to let your clients out. read more

From our first contact it is clear they are all about the money and definitely not about the "client" or their care. Sadly if you are not willing to sign on the dotted line for the expensive treatment that is COVERED BY THE CLIENTS INSURANCE, you are only a number. Why should it be necessary to sign as guarantor if your insurance has already stated they would pay the bill? I'm literally in tears as they have failed this person severely and their response "I wish her the best in her future endeavors???" This from the "finance department". What future endeavors without help? Unbelievable!!!! Tried to leave a review twice on their own page but apparently if the review is negative, it doesn't get posted read more

PLEASE READ..... NOT TRANSPARENT WITH ACTUAL COST COULD COST YOU THOUSANDS Hello, sharing this in hopes no one experiences the same treatment as myself. My family did notify Lorna (admissions counselor) who took the feedback well, but feel I don't want other future clients to end up with thousands of dollars in unexpected costs. I believe facilities have the ability to change and learn from experiences, but hearing from other facilities and reading reviews this seems to be a common theme . I feel its necessary to share, and wished I believed the reviews. I found Skyland online and found recommendations from many reputable Psychology sites for their residential treatment. The facility was beautiful, being from the PNW I loved how green the campus was.The admission process took almost six weeks but I was willing to wait since this facility checked all my boxes and was evidence based treatment such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, and group sessions. My insurance confirmed it would fully cover the $33,000 cost as well as my admissions counselor Lorna. I drove down from Seattle to Atlanta, my day of admission was Monday and knowing I had treatment kept me going for those six weeks. Upon arrival they did not have it approved by my insurance to stay, and had contacted my Mom (financial responsible party) we would need to pay $3,200 in "admissions fees". This was a bit of a shock considering this hadn't been mentioned in prior discussions, in addition Dakota sent over my mom additional treatment that might be covered by insurance but was most likely out of network. Again, I chose this facility because Skyland was a preferred provider. I attempted to speak with Dakota Garcia (financial counselor) regarding these additional fees, I was told since I was not the financial advisor the costs/insurance coverage would not be discussed with me. As most people in their mid 20's I would have expected to be included in this discussion since this treatment was voluntary and I made the choice to come here. The role of the financial advisor was not discussed prior, and the expectation was if I fell back on a payment (which I couldn't since I was told insurance would fully cover the $33,000), then my mom would be liable to cover the rest. Luckily my mom was persistent with questions and we found the Glen Family Wellness Center, is out of network for almost most insurance companies, Psychological testing ($300/per hour and 8-10 was advised), genetic testing (which I didn't feel comfortable and was confused how this related to my treatment), labs from Glen Family wellness Center was a separate charge, family orientation, medications, specialized healthcare services. My mom asked additional questions and called Dakota twice on July 12th my original admission date with my response or answers to why Skyland is requiring genetic testing, and other treatments outside the $33,000 monthly cost. My mom and I have yet to understand or be told what the $33,000 monthly cost is going towards. These additional costs was disclosed Friday July 9th, and my admission was Monday July 12th. The original documents sent from Dakota to my Mom did not disclose any of these charges until my started asking questions. Bottom line the total cost of treatment (including care that wasn't covered by any insurance) should have been disclosed when I inquired the second week of June. Again, I had asked Lorna to be upfront and clear with the cost of treatment and was told it was $33,000. I called three other facilities in the west-coast/midwest to hear about their financial/admissions process. During all three conversations they had asked what facility I was going to which I responded "Skyland", without sharing the location prior all three asked if it was in Atlanta. All three facilities said I dodged a bullet, with one admissions counselor saying if a client wasn't a fit for her facility she couldn't "ethically recommend anyone to Skyland". All three shared similar stories of clients being unaware of the additional/uncovered costs get into thousands of debt by the end of one month. Another concern shared was if a client wanted to leave the facility, Skyland could medically keep them there or have it be court mandated. Other concerns was personal phone/ community phone was on a good privileges basis and could be taken away. These types of conditions would be appropriate for troubled youth, or mandated treatment but to be voluntary with these restrictions seemed unsettling. All three facilities said a client shouldn't have to check with their insurance for coverage but the facility should do that, and any treatment in the facility was covered by the $35,000 of fees (with the exception of personal toiletries, or copay on medication) Photos below are conversations on Friday July 9, just before my admission on Monday July 12th. The only paper work prior I received what "what to bring/expectations", never on additional cost. read more

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This review is specifically for the Adolescent side. In addition, the cost of this place...

IT FUCKING SUCKS. this place was horrible. I was a past client there and the older staff where horrible. They accused me of faking my conditions. They didn't to listen to how we felt. Some people had issues with the food because of the texture and they did nothing. They wouldn't give you anything else. The only cook who did was Rocket he was amazing. He made us very happy. But the older staff (Holly, Laney, Rita, Dana, Jordan, Jason, Nurse Lisa, Holly, Laney, Laney, Laney, and Laney) I do not appreciate the way they talked to us. They are there to help us not make us feel worse. The new staff members (Jordan and Jason) where extremely rude. They where also very disrupted always laughing during groups and texting and whispering. One of the therapist broke HIPAA several times telling other clients what their peers' had or what they where faking. Skyland needs to take on their responsibilities and buck up. read more

I'm going to try to be nice because I believe this place can be helpful for some people. However, do not come here for PTSD, Trauma, Loss and Grief. Do not come here if you've been doing CBT or DBT for many years and already know the basic concepts and practices. Do not come here if you believe cannabis can be therapeutic. The price is outrageous. They do great marketing and keep interiors/exteriors looking fresh. They helped me quit smoking. Some genuinely great people work here. The Art therapists and interns were nice. The horticulture lady is a delight. Essence and Maggie should probably ditch this place and start their own practice - both strong women with great insight, compassion and a sense of humor. I learned a lot from my fellow clients. After two weeks of day treatment, I was pressured to do residential treatment. Keep in mind this costs $1,100 dollars PER DAY. They were well aware that I was private pay because my insurance doesn't cover mental health. I was surrounded by three of their staff - my assigned counselor, assigned psychiatrist and a random woman. They kept telling me not to be concerned about finances. The psychiatrist and random woman had terrible 'bedside manner' - condescending, demeaning, rude and arrogant. I sensed something wasn't right and requested discharge. I was/am not suicidal, self harming, homicidal or in any sort of crisis situation that requires 24/7 care. I have not been hospitalized since 2003. Residential treatment was not medically indicated or necessary. They never consulted with my therapist of ten years or my psychiatrist. They also said I couldn't see either of them while in treatment there - very fishy. In my opinion, two heads are better than one and I'll take all the support I can get. Very poor care coordination and continuity of care. For the amount you pay, you get to see a therapist once a week and a psychiatrist once a week. I'll say that I liked the therapist. She was available for me and seemed genuinely kind. However, for $550 a day, you could get all kinds of therapy, a personal trainer, a meal plan and pay for it all out of pocket and still save money. Take away - it's expensive, not for PTSD and some questionable people work here. The pressure to go into residential treatment left a very bad taste in my mouth. However, it could be helpful for you or your loved one. Give it a try because some great people work here as well. It provides structure and community in a nice environment. May be especially good for first timers in therapy and younger folks. read more

I want to tell the truth about this place. I was a former client. The things I've witnessed while at the adolescent facility will mentally scar me forever. When it comes to accepting clients it all comes down to how much money they can milk from your insurance. They also look for a certain group of people. Which is never good from the start. Many of the children that do end up going to Skyland come from wealth and treat everyone that doesn't fit their standard below them. Luckily I fit their standard so I was never bullied by these kids. But in the 3 months of my program there I watched two particular clients be treated as if they weren't human. These two girls happened to be the only ones of color there. Mind you the majority of the staff that babysit the kids are minorities but the higher ups aren't. Some of the staff were very helpful to one of the girls while the other girl didn't speak up on how the other kids at the facility would bully her. The first girl to go did share with some of the other clients on how she was called slurs by other clients and many staff would witness it and turn a blind eye. No one did anything for her instead they shut her up really. The other girl was very vocal, many times they tried to say she was aggressive or harmful to others. In all reality she was one of the nicest people there. Even after the first girl left I had to witness from a bystanders eyes on how people would talk to her and say things that I couldn't even imagine. Of course the facility does its best at covering things up and treating the other clients that are their "ideal" better. Staff members don't help at all with this. Instead they form inappropriate relationships with favorable clients and provoke this bullying behavior. Coming from the privilege I have I have not once encountered this type of treatment but knowing that I was treated kinder because of very obvious reasons still turns my stomach. Skyland also has a thing for treating their kitchen staff like absolute slaves. Talking down to certain employees that try to help those that can't eat certain foods. They don't accommodate vegetarians, vegans, people who may eat halal or kosher. To add on to the fact many autistic clients came in with ARFID which is a type of clinical eating disorder (they aren't supposed to accept clients with current EDs) they wouldn't make accommodations, punished them for not eating, then kept them there when best option would be to send them to a facility that can treat and accommodate that. That's where money motivation comes in versus actually giving kids the help they deserve. Another client who happened to be Jewish was there during Passover and was not accommodated whatsoever. They had to beg the staff to allow them to have their food for Passover. On to the next part, they take your kids' necessities away. If they are in fact with SI (suicidal ideation) or have acted on SH (self harm) they will take the ability of showering or basic hygienic needs from them. I've seen this and it's completely inhumane. They will tell your kids to take a bird bath in the common room bathroom. To add on they aren't allowed back into their rooms until it's cleared. Which can take up to 2 weeks or longer. This creates a huge health and safety issue. And if they didn't do the bird bath that would add on to their punishment. The "negative reinforcement" is a bunch of bs. You take away from children to somehow get them in line then when they have more mental problems you manipulate them into thinking it's okay. One thing I loved about the vocal client is she always called them out for it! Now other privileges they can take away from your child are the ability to call, emergency calls don't exist, zoom calls, or even getting medical help. They brush kids medical concerns out the window, there was even a virus going around the campus and what did they do? Nothing, so many kids got sick could barely swallow and they still made them go do activities just with masks. That did nothing even if some workers got sick and the higher ups had no concern. And this place teaches your kids not to say "no". Some kids feel overworked and tired mind you people leading the groups will write something called an infraction for a refusal. These refusals end up taking earned things such as doing makeup or listening to music from your kids. Again absolute nonsense, another thing is how staff talk to clients. I've seen first hand the DBT therapist yell or scold clients for mental breakdowns, therapist gaslight clients with concerns, rec therapist like Laney snap at kids and full on take her anger out on clients. So much more I can say about staff cursing out kids. And if your child happens to be trans on hormones or wants to start them they will mess it up somehow or forget to give your kid their shot or better yet take it away completely. They are understaffed! Now they hire random people to watch your kids. Please if you love your child don't send them here. read more

I called on Saturday as the website said admissions counselors are available from 10AM to 4PM. The person answering the phone said the offices are closed and there is no one available to speak with about admissions or appointments until Monday. Why post Saturday business hours if you really don't have any? Maybe update your website to prevent wasting precious time when people are looking for answers on a weekend. read more

Very expensive. Most of staff are very young - literally right out of school. Some are great. Others are mediocre. The one person you want to get on your team is Dr Adam Meadows. Hands down, the main reason to go here. You'd think youd be seeing your therapist at least 2-3 x a week but you only are seen once a week. They categorize most people into CBT and DBT. They put me in the wrong group. Their own psychological tests showed that. Yet they never switched me. The therapist I had was very poor and her style did not match with what I needed. The comraderie of the other clients is one of the best things about Skyland. I still keep in touch with people I met there. It was very frustrating because a lot of times they'd have high turnover and a position would be empty for weeks or months and the clients would suffer. I was in the middle of a job hunt when the careers person left and I was just dropped. The staff at SOUTH is terrible. The techs think they're prison guards. The food is awful. The woman who oversees the residential , Natoya, did not treat clients with respect and always had an attitude. I came close to reporting her because I felt management needed to know how she interacted with folks. Kevin with healthy challenge is superb! He will motivate you beyond exercise and you will learn that youre capable of more than you thought. Helen is another gem. Try to find a staff member you connect with. IDeally thats your psychiatrist, individual therapist or group leader, but find someone who will be there for you and advocate for you. Skyland is not a Fit for everyone. It helped me a little but I expected a lot more, having been in other treatment centers previously. Not sure Chris Cline, an employee, is posting as an 'owner' named Shannon read more

Skyland Trail succeeded with my daughter when nothing else did.. My daughter worked really hard and wanted to use the information she was taught. The program and the people who worked to help her were amazing. The DNA test to determine the best medication really helped. The classes were an uplifting experience! The staff at Rollins are not equipped to help the clients who live there. It isn't fair to the staff or to the clients. The person in charge of the staff defends her employees, but doesn't train them enough. If there were mental health experts or if the staff was given the ability to have empathy with these young people the experience would have been so much better. If your loved one needs help, this is THE place to go. It is crazy expensive, but if your child is ready to work hard to get better please consider Skyland Trail. (PS. Hard work does not heal mental health issues. "Pull yourself together" is not what I mean by hard work. It is the willingness to remember tools to help you when faced with high anxiety, depression, and manic episodes.) read more

Skyland Trail helped me change my life. Many people come here to find a cure-all for their situation, and that is not what Skyland does. Recovery is not restorative. If someone loses an arm, their arm does not come back. They recover. They learn how to lead their life independently, without their former easements. That is what Skyland does. They teach people how to healthily adapt to their circumstances. They provide their clients with the resources they need to function in a healthy way. They show you how to apply healthy behaviors in your life, though the application itself is up to you. If you are ready to learn, to try, and to succeed, Skyland Trail will give you the tools you need to get there. read more

Lauren was absolutely amazing and very professional. She went above and beyond my needs. She helped me with every concern I had to it's entirety. I was sad before I called and very much hopeful by the time I hung up the phone. I highly recommend Skyland Trail. read more

As a current client at Skyland Trail, I can say that I am so grateful to have found such a beautiful environment for healing. I am constantly impressed and overwhelmed by the quality and qualifications of the staff and even volunteers. If you are looking for a treatment facility, I can't imagine there is any place more beautiful, welcoming and filled with outstanding staff from the grounds crew to the therapists to the psychiatrists to the Board Members. Before I was admitted into the Day Treatment Program, a friend of mine who is a therapist said "Skyland Trail is like the Ritz Carlton of mental health facilities" and she was right! read more

I'm an older adult with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. It was an extremely bad time for me, I was feeling desperate, and my therapist recommended that I try Skyland Trail. I paid out-of-pocket for the minimum 2 months and it was largely a waste of money, further contributing to my sense of desperation and sense of self-deprecation that I was not competent to manage my own life. At the exit interview, the interviewer seemed very little interested in my individual experience and what they might do to better serve people like me. I understand that Skyland collects statistics about the outcomes and they are generally good but there are other individuals for whom the outcomes are not so good. It would seem like they might be interested in finding out more about where their programs fail some people but they certainly seemed not interested in my case. While I was there one of the clients in the program committed suicide. Another person I know who had gone to Skyland committed suicide several years afterward. It was ironic because Skyland had had a video of her posted on their website about how good Skyland had been so good for her. read more

My son has been here for the past three months. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They have a very clean goal to help those who come for help. The facilities are super clean and welcoming. The only part that my son doesn't like is the limited menu selection at the cafeteria. read more

Where other therapists and doctors have failed Skyland can step in, pick up the pieces and help you start to transform your life. There is no instant miracle. It's a ton of work on all sides and it's hard. Mental health has so much stigma and we must increase awareness, talk about it, bring it up. Skyland is a piece of the puzzle and can help fight the battle. Emily Wall is an incredible and life changing therapist. Cindy Strella - in Patient Billing - outside of her role helped guide my friend in finding a therapist in California. Skyland sets a high bar for their therapists and I would recommend this group. read more

The programs and services described on their website and marketed by the admissions team are not accurate. We selected Skyland because it advertised a strong transitional care program where patients could move from residency to independently living with the continuity of therapists and counselors. After a 90 day stay and over $100k in fees, we learned there was actually no transitional program available. My teen age daughter was given three days to find another program, relocate and find new therapists. The care is disjointed and the clinicians have too many patients to spend time getting to know the patients and make an impact. Further, the weekly "activities" and "special outings" in the marketing materials were actually occasional trips to the mall or nail salon. There were very limited opportunities for physical exercise. Most of my daughter's evenings and weekends were spent sitting by the outdoor firepit, smoking cigarettes. So much for healthy body, healthy mind. Please do your research before selecting this facility. There are better ones out there. read more

I think this place does good PR work, helping fight stigma, which I can appreciate, but it can be quite a nightmarish place to try and deal with your mental health issues. The residential portion of Skyland Trails "holistic" approach wasn't exactly a therapeutic environment. Many of the employees had second jobs, and it wasn't uncommon to find them napping or just losing it on a client. They ran out of my medications several times, and the woman who staffed the place (who also worked as a nurse elsewhere) was far from affable and just seemed more manipulative than caring.The food was catered, and you'd think that was a good thing, but it was pretty bad, and the rules on the kitchen seemed to change every other week. It had more of an inpatient feel than anything, and keep in mind you'll be there for months. So the idea is to get a little better and move to another living setting within Skylands structure. I was excited when I got there, but the same attitude was present. It was when I got sick with a cold that I decided to leave. I asked if everything was taken care of, and I was told that it had, and then I got dropped off at an urgent care somewhere. When they asked how I'd be paying, I told them that Skyland Trail had set it up. They called security. Some of this may seem trivial, but when you're really depressed or anxious or psychotic, it becomes a much bigger deal. I just don't think they offer a comfortable environment. It's kind of telling when they say 98 percent of clients would recommend it. No mental health place on the planet claims something like that, and trust me, there's quite a few folks that went there and really didn't like it. And many of those are midlevel employees. They have an absurd turn over rate in that area. In conclusion, I guess I'll say that if this is your first run through mental health, then give it a go. Otherwise, don't bother. You'll inevitably see through their kitschy b.s., and you'll just get pissed everyday, instead of recovering in a healthy environment. read more

The staff really care about the clients and work hard to provide a balanced, supportive environment. Everyone is compassionate and hardworking. They incorporate mental, emotional and physical health into the treatment plans and even offer art and music therapy options! I can't compliment the clinicians and staff highly enough. It's a refuge and a place of empowerment. read more

After an incredibly frightening and overwhelming introduction to our son's mental illness--during which he went from being a highly productive student at a very prestigious university to being a suicidal, self-isolating, and all but non-functioning young man--we desperately sought appropriate treatment. We began with a mental health outpatient program, but therapists there were so alarmed by his suicidal cycling that he was admitted to the psychiatric ward at the university's hospital. From there, he went to an intensive 28 day program at The Retreat at Sheppard Pratt, which he considers the best education he has ever received about himself. However, the private pay program is cost-prohibitive, and the controls we tried to implement following his discharge could not promote the same level of self-care. He was readmitted to a hospital within weeks of his discharge. As anyone who has gone thru this process knows, all you are trying to do is make your child better, and help them return to the person they were before their breakdown. What I've learned, though, is that the person they were before was also deeply troubled and in pain; In the case of my son, he was able to better hide those feelings at first. After his breakdown, all of the controls that he had so carefully knit into place were stretched to the point of breaking. We reached out to Skyland Trail because we have an older son in the Atlanta area, and wanted to have family close by. (My husband and I live in a semi-rural area, and the only mental health facilities near by cater to addiction, which has not been our son's problem.) He entered the 90 day DBT program, and it was by no means easy. The administrators and therapists at Skyland expect you to show up to your sessions, to keep your room clean, to take responsibility for yourself, and to function in the community around you. Our son struggled at first, but eventually used the tools he was taught there to progress thru their developmental stages, and to forge a path forward for his life. He also received his first definitive diagnosis at Skyland (on the Autism Spectrum, OCD, anxiety, and major depression.) He has become the most self-aware and contemplative young man, and since graduating from the program, he is living independently, and working towards finding a part-time job and volunteer opportunities as he prepares to return to college in the Spring. If he's not ready in the Spring, we'll continue to try and help him work towards any goal he sets for himself. We've learned thru this process that you can not rush a loved one's recovery, so we are trying to be patient, and support him as best we can. I recommend Skyland Trail highly. The physicians and therapists there are excellent. The program itself is well-developed, with thousands of patients contributing to its structure and outcomes. The facilities are beautiful, reminiscent of a small college. In addition, the extra programs--like meditation, art, and gardening therapy--were particularly helpful to my son. He even discovered a passion for singing there, and it has become a means of soothing and self-expression for him. The professionals who are at Skyland sincerely want to better the lives of their patients. The only downside, again, is the prohibitive cost. We have mental health care coverage with our insurance, but it paid less than 5% of the program costs, which we're trying to appeal. It is criminal that mental health care coverage is so limited at a time when mental health distress has reached a crisis point in America. I wish everyone going through this difficult journey a safe and self-renewing outcome. Be patient and understanding, and show your love for others whenever you can. read more

Spent 7 weeks here at the Rollins campus. First few weeks were tough but I stuck with it. Loved my last month here, didn't want to leave. Made some very good friends here, it is a very tight and close community read more

I want to express how truly grateful I am to Skyland Trail and their treatment team. This organization is truly professional, compassionate, and a team. From the initial contact to my discharge I felt I was in their care, had their attention and was given the best treatment available. Everyone from the cafeteria staff(contacted with Skyland Trail), residential staff, group therapists, primary therapist and psychiatrist doctors were attentive to me(as well as the other clients). I was comforted by this comprehensive team and each person I interacted with helped address my issues. I am a 50ish professional and female. Many clients are in the 18-25 age range and at first I was dismayed, this age difference did disappear and very quickly. The clients were an integral part of my treatment and a surprising experience. I was placed in North residence then moved to supervised independent living. I'm also an out of state client. This issue was a factor in the family support part of the treatment as they did not participate. My family was given updates and staff was available for any questions. I feel so much more able to handle life on life's terms. I was patched up emotionally and given tools and knowledge to continue working on my mental health illness. I was in treatment for a shorter time than many of the residents due to financial reasons, however, they worked with me to address the most critical issues so that I would be able to continue improving when I went home. I learned what is appropriate care, what progress looks like and to begin to trust myself with the future. read more

Skyland Trail provides a unique and extraordinarily valuable service, both to its clients (adults recovering from mental illness) and to the family, friends and loved ones of those clients. In early 2011, my son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He was 20 years old at the time of the diagnosis. After a brief hospitalization, he elected to participate in Skyland Trail's intensive outpatient program. Skyland Trail's holistic offering - primary medical, psychiatric, counseling and adjunctive therapies - prepared my son well for the tough journey of recovery. With a chronic and potentially recurrent illness, it was necessary to deal with the immediate effects of the illness and prepare one's self for the ongoing recovery journey. At Skyland Trail, my son found those skills and, more importantly, the people who cared desperately that he master those skills. My son is currently at college, studying to get his mechanical engineering degree. Skyland Trail recognizes that recovery is best achieved with the support of family, friends and loved ones and it offers programs to educate and support those persons, including weekly education and support sessions. If you find yourself reading this review because a friend, family member or loved one is experiencing mental illness, know that Skyland Trail offers you and your loved one a wonderful opportunity for respite and recovery. read more

Skyland Trail saved my life! It taught me skills for coping with severe depression and anxiety. The program is phenomenal and supportive. It gave me back hope and the will to live. read more

When you save a young persons life how could you not give 5 stars? Was it perfect-no, did we see a different young man come home than when he entered ? YES! Our lives were shattered when we got the call from the college, when our sophomore son was having his first "episode" of mania. We were in shock and we as parents are clinicians in the business of mental health! The physical look of the place is the first wow! It does NOT remotely look or feel psychiatric. It is full of beautiful gardens and art. Then the staff, were as people say not like any other psych facility as we heard other parents and loved ones say who experienced places allover the country where the staff were disrespectful and demeaning. It was the place where you could not tell the patients from the staff when we visited. OK the food was so so, but lots of choices and not bad just not restaurant 5 star either. Yes it was pricey, but find me any where in this country that treats psych patients in a premier setting and is SUCCESSFUL and you will find the prices are outrageous. We found the prices even though high-pretty standard for national trends we researched and they are not for profit and they raised money every year to help give discounts so we appreciated the financial aid. Overall we are grateful, blessed, lucky, thankful that our lives are dramatically changed because of the help our 20 year old son with bipolar received. He is back in college and thriving. So many families we have come to meet at NAMI and other group settings are not so lucky. read more

It started off great! Dr. Meadows, my psychiatrist while I was there, is amazing-very knowledgeable and down-to-earth and he communicates well with clients and their families. Gervonna, my personal counselor while I was there, was super cool, understanding and was really good at getting to the root of things, digging up the deep stuff and working through it. However, the residential staff at Rollins, the campus for 18-25, was moody. Adria was cool at first, some people are very intimidated by her but I thought she was nice but she doesn't have a lot of sympathy. The staff in general says DBT is "not about processing" so when I said I was having a tough time, it was basically "too bad, tough it out" from the residential staff. Paulette is scary-judgmental and not very nice. Karla was nice in the beginning but turned grouchy. The dietician/nutritionist, Chelsea, was horrible. Everyone but like 2 clients hated her. She was on vacation when I was admitted, so I didn't meet with her until about 3 weeks in for my introduction. Unfortunately, I don't have healthy eating habits, so they made me meet with her weekly after that, even though others didn't have to. They put me in her healthy cooking group and the rule was that you have to try the food, even if it makes you gag. It was adding a lot of anxiety and I started to get worse again. I tried to talk to Chelsea and Gervonna about it and I really wasn't being heard. I also had either a cold or allergies and the "doctor" known as Chuck insisted I had a sinus infection after not really examining, I just told him my symptoms and had me take antibiotics, which didn't work, because that's not what I had. He then gave me an inhaler. All I wanted was some Tylenol cold or something like that. Circling back around, parts of it were great. The facility is great. Dr. Meadows is great. Dr. Bruce, the one who does psych testing and family therapy, is great. Gervonna was great until the eating issue. Cheryl and Zara, nurse and staff at residential were really nice!!! Helen, the art teacher, is AMAZING-funny and nice and talented and a great teacher!!!! I just felt like I wasn't being heard after a while. read more