South Beach Psychiatric Center — Attraction in New York

If I could add negative stars I would. I don't even know where to start. They overmedicate patients so that the majority are drooling, and practically in a coma, their shirts have a lot of their saliva. The doctor never tells you when they've increased or added a new medication until you notice it in your medicine cup and the majority of medication of generics look the same or have the same color. The water to take a shower takes 20 minutes to get lukewarm water. The food plates are the size to feed a 10 year old and I wouldn't even feed the food to a dog, for example 4 tiny pieces of meat in the beef stew. They force you to attend groups to learn idiotic skills such as watching music videos or meditation videos and meditation I could do on the outside on YouTube. They don't teach basic skills to those who are lower functioning or college classes to advanced functioning people. Some nurses provoke you so you are given even more medication. There are no workout equipment except for a few treadmills and recumbent bikes and are limited to one class a week. We weren't allowed to create email addresses and were locked out of our rooms, the majority of the day. We had very hard smaller than twin size mattresses and less than an inch pillows. You're stay here can vary from several months to 10 or 20 years. The way mentally ill people are treated are treated worse than inmates. Then they release you to community residence's (group homes), or apartment programs. Those facilities can be extremely dirty or have inadequate air conditioning for people on numerous medications that can't tolerate heat well. The whole system for mentally ill people are very misinterpreted, abusive, not understanding, and once released are living with a personal needs allowance (money to do what you want for the month), of less than $250.00, while they take our whole SSI or SSD check. Abusive and unknown to most people. The majority of the population are misinformed which is why you see people homeless or begging in...

It’s unfortunate to have a family member with a mental illness. You want your loved one to get help and live a normal life with the help of medication. What’s difficult is to not know what goes on inside the hospital. I am familiar with South Beach from years ago. It was old and dingy. The staff for the most part was very pleasant. Unfortunately my brother after years of being on his own, is now back in the hospital. Setting up a visit is time consuming. I couldn’t get Jennifer the women in charge of visitation to answer or return a call. I finally was able to setup a drop off, not a visit. Before the drop off of clothes and hygiene products, I inquired about bringing something to eat. I was told I could drop food but anything not finished could not be saved. Understandable, that was the same rule from years ago. My husband dropped the belongs and McDonalds at 11:30am. Jennifer won’t let my brother have his food till 3pm. How miserable is she that she has to deprive someone from eating a hot meal, just because she can. What time is lunch????? To visit a patient you have to be unemployed. Tues and Thursday 1 to 3pm only. Now, I have to pay closer attention to what goes on there. I felt comfortable in the past but, apparently they have a person in charge that goes out of her way to upset the patients. To fully understand why this is so alarming is because the patients have no freedom. They have to ask for permission to use the restroom, they can’t sleep if their tired- only at bedtime. It’s very sad, and I’m fully aware that guidelines and procedures have to be used to give structure and stability. That doesn’t mean you have to be heartless. A visit or a drop off is the way we view Christmas. So what Jennifer did was show a child a gift , and then tell him he can’t have it. This is a health care professional? not...

I just finished watching Child Of Darkness and I am mortified that this place is still open! 69 deaths and counting how can this be allowed! Do the people of New York not care! With all the famous celebrities living in their big mansions couldn't a few get together and build a better place for the mentally ill! This tells me the world does not care about the mentally ill they just care about Real housewives of New York! My child was just admitted to a place in Houston Texas and I be damn if they let her die they will see the wrath like no other! Parents we are their voices let us be heard and protect our children! Never enroll your child here because it might be the last time you see him or her! Stop being Selffish you are not the only one in the world who has an ill child! God can and will do more you just have to ask him and be patient! I love all children and so should the world they were not asked to be brought here God wanted them here! God bless each and everyone...