Fort Lauderdale Behavioral Health Center — Local services in Oakland Park

If you care for your loved ones, don’t allow anyone to take them here. This place is deplorable. The waiting room is tiny, mixed with people going through withdrawals, total mental breakdowns, mental illness, aggression, murderous thoughts. The security and the nurses are all cruel, cold, and neglectful. Before I even turn the corner I hear the most hateful comment ever. “Oh gosh you brought in more work for me.” the nurse belted down the hall. The wait is 10 hours to be evaluated to be admitted or not. your only contact is with the security, who refused to look for a second blanket for this old lady feeling sick from her withdrawals. I gave her my blanket for a bit until the nurses finally came back around and found that blanket the security refused to look for. I haven’t eaten in 20 hours, so I asked for food around 5 pm.. 6pm.. then 7pm and each time, “it will come soon”. Even asking for water it’s a whole attitude for them, as if giving water to another human is such a strenuous task for someone watching YouTube all day. The beds are like rocks. The pillows are so thin it’s almost demoralizing to lay your head to rest. You needed 4 blankets that didn't even cover you all the way and I’m just 5’5. The shower water is freezing. You have people singing and throwing up (probably from being all doped up from their doctor), and I was put in the less critical side. Even the cafeteria people were cold and unkind, this one guy wanted another 3 sausages and they denied him because they said they need to feed 3 floors… I gave him mine… ridiculous that they ration the food for the patients but I’ve seen the staff loud up their plates like a thanksgiving take out plate. Jared Gains, the doctor, prescribed me medicine without seeing me first and/ or discussing with me what type of medicines he was trying to pump into me. When I finally met him he told me I would leave the next day and he then threatened to extend my stay since I wasn't saying what he wanted me to say. He wanted me to match what the others wrote about me when I knew exactly what I said since I was smart enough to never accept the drugs they were trying to drug me up with, I still had my wits and brain together. I will now and forever be my best help, this man is a dangerous doctor that should not work on HUMANS. Even the actual therapist who did the 3rd round of “what's our goal” group session was unprofessional. We all didn’t want to speak. She then assured us “what we say in this room stays in this room”. She lied of course and totally tried to mix up my words (a pattern at this facility and the hotline). In the session she asked us to close our eyes and then open them and imagine a world without our problems. I criticized her methods, “What you are saying is fantastical thinking. No one should ever just close their eyes and just imagine things going away. Everyone needs to learn how to manage their problems.” With the doctor she broke her assurance and said “In the group session” Which I said “I thought what happens in the group sessions stays in the group sessions?” She then just says “I meant the hospital.” No she didn't, she's a therapist, it’s their job to carefully say what they need to say, she even said so herself when someone asked her what they should specifically do with their career. She then told the doctor “She said she wants to learn to manage her emotions and her problems.” When I started to clarify that I was actually criticizing her methods the doctor started to get more and more testy. I asked the doctor to calm his tone. It felt like I was arguing with an ex boyfriend and his friend is just egging it on. I wasn’t even the only one with these experiences. Others also told me the doctor threatened to keep them if they didn’t comply with what he wanted them to say. The story of my 2 day experience is going on 20 pages now, it only covers the 1st 10 hours so far. I predict about 100 plus pages of my actual review of this place. This is the short google review for now, since google is limited, I plan on finding a method to...

Yet another negative review of FLBHC. Let me start by saying that I've worked in mental health for over 20 years including managing an inpatient psych and detox facility so I know what "should be" standard care. My father-in-law was transferred here from an ER for a suicide attempt. He is 84 and has dementia and depression. He also speaks with small handheld microphone since his voice box was removed many years ago.

My biggest complaint is that there was minimal communication with the family. We could occasionally reach a case worker but her response to our questions was always "he's doing fine and participating in all activities". We were not able to see him or even speak to him over the phone because he apparently rarely/never had access to his microphone which was kept at the nurses' station. We did speak to an aide one time who said that explained he couldn't talk to her during the week he was there so I'm not sure how he participated in activities or with his psychiatrist. We never did speak to his psychiatrist although we were promised she would call us. We needed to have a state form completed by a physician in order for dad to return to his assisted living facility and that did not happen during his stay (we had to take him home with us for several days). In fact, the facility called FLBHC several times with no response.

The real eye opener was when he was discharged and his medical record said he had been violent and combative with staff. Since we were told "he's doing fine", I question whether the case worker even ever met with him. He also was discharged on exactly the same meds as he had been taking prior to admission which makes me wonder how they treated the supposed violent and combative behavior let alone his depression. I asked a different case worker (who was substituting and seemed very competent) for the CEO's e-mail address and was told that information could not be given out. If I had any complaints I should call the Patient Advocate or simply write a Google Review. Over the course of a month I left 7 voice mails (3 just yesterday in frustration) on the Patient Advocate's line with no call back until I received two calls this morning (which I could not take) but no message so I'm not even sure who from the facility called. Note that I yesterday I finally said I would be leaving a very negative review on Google so I guess that got someone's attention.

I know I'll probably get the standard "leave your contact information at this web address so we can discuss this with you" which seems to be FLBHC's only response to negative reviews. Please be aware that most psych hospitals are good or very good so don't hesitate to use them when needed. This place, however, is awful for someone like my father-in-law and I would never let him go back. We were so happy he survived the stay without coming out worse than he went in. On the flip side, he was so traumatized by 5 days there, he vowed he would never attempt suicide again in order to avoid going back. There were other issues (mentioned in other reviews) but I would encourage you to avoid this place like the plague. I was told the CEO reads all the Google reviews but, if so, clearly he is unwilling or unable to make the changes necessary to even bring this facility UP to even a SUB-STANDARD level of care. I can only hope that their accreditations are suspended until quality of care issues...

(THIS IS FOR ALL THE KIDS LOOKING TO GO THERE OR FOR ANY PARENTS LOOKING FOR A PLACE FOR THEIR KID!!) so i’ve gone there about 6 times and i’m 14, yes i know it’s a big number at this age but self harm can really beat ur ass sometimes yk. i’m writing this for any kids who are out there looking to get treatment here or are scared to go here. yes it can be scary but i promise you this is one of the best mental hospitals in like the broward county area. you do NOT wanna go to any other one they are honestly really shitty in my opinion. but yeah, day shift is honestly awesome most of the time. if ur feeling lonely please go into the day room and try to make conversation with people even if you dont know them. if you have social anxiety just remember you will not be in there for long and the max they can hold you is a week (apart from way bigger circumstances like being from another state and all that jazz). when you first get admitted you’ll be in the downstairs area and just be prepared to sit there from 2 hours to an entire day or a day and a half. they don’t do this on purpose most of the time there just is hardly any space for other kids to come onto the unit at that time and they are waiting for some space to free up so you can have a bed!! if ur parents don’t already know how this whole thing works, they’ll call them and tell them that they have the option to bring you clothes from home. beware that menstrual products and bathing necessities aren’t allowed for some reason (idk why it’s policy i guess) but if ur parents aren’t able to bring u clothes they have others and stuff. you get a max of like 3-4 phone calls a day and majority of the people there are really kind but if someone has an attitude towards you honestly just know it isn’t personal and that they don’t wanna be there just as much as you don’t either. and there’s also some other things but you’ll just have to experience that for yourself man. ALSO THE FOOD IS AMAZING IDK IF ITS JUST THIS LOCATION BUT THEY HAVE THE HAITIAN MOMS COOKING BACK THERE AND ITS AMAZING MOST OF THE TIME AND THERES DESERT TOO. THEY ALSO HAVE INDOOR GYM, ART CLASS, GROUP, MUSIC GROUP, AND OUTSIDE TIME!! but yeah and also i am BEGGING you to be on ur best behavior and do NOT act up in there. they will sedate you and put you in seclusion and you will not like it. also you’ll be seeing a psychiatrist almost everyday (in which they call the doctor) he knows why ur there and what happened for you to end up there. he’ll ask you things about yourself and about what happened. i’m not saying to lie about anything but if ur looking to get out early and not have them extend ur date like they did mine about 4 times then just water down most of the stuff ur saying. yes they’ll most definitely have you on medication depending on what u tell the doctor and it’s not bad being on meds lol so don’t worry you’ll have them when u get home too they’ll send a prescription for it. the unit is most likely split from boys and girls but sometimes they are together, this only happens when there’s a LOT of free space so don’t even worry bc half the time they are booked up. also you’ll most likely hate night shift.. they are terrible.. but yeah for any of the kids reading this i promise you you’ll be okay. it’s okay to not be okay and to want to get help. you are loved, and people care for you,...