Albert J. Solnit Psychiatric Center - South Campus

damian hicks

staff were terrible

Victoria Almazan

I have gone to Solnit twice, once in 2018 for a month and the second time in 2019-20 for six months. The first time, I was a high risk patient but because of my insurance, I was discharged after a month and ended up hospitalized at another facility within two weeks. The clinician I had then was extremely unprofessional, calling me a difficult case and trying to force me to speak when I was clearly socially anxious and withdrawn. No precautions were taken when I engaged in self injurious behavior. That was when I was 15 years old. The second time I was admitted, I was 16 and turned 17 there, I was taken off my primary insurance and had Husky instead so I was able to stay the six months I needed. I will say, my experience was a lot better that time around. It was very different from the first time I went because of the incident that had happened the year prior, making it a safer unit. My clinician was very professional and mostly helpful. I really liked the psychiatrist, Dr. Aujla, he was very friendly and at the time, I was doing well enough to be off medications. However, the diagnosis I received was incorrect and the treatment and med management I am now is very helpful. The unit staff on Manhasset/Acadia (they were doing construction) were mostly helpful and friendly. I did find it strange that I was placed on a unit with mainly 13-14 year olds as a 16-17 year old. The building itself is very depressing, it looks like a dungeon haha, and the bedding and furniture were extremely uncomfortable, rooms were either very hot or very cold. When I was at Solnit, I had been struggling with my eating disorder a lot. I was placed on several precautions because of it, however, nothing else was done and in my last two weeks I dropped a lot of weight and was discharged without any eating disorder services, which led to six months of untreated anorexia, until I was underweight and admitted to an eating disorder facility. Another concern I have is with the psychiatric interns. The ones I my first and second time were both extremely unprofessional. The first time, I would get ready and try to look nice and got told that I looked disheveled and depressed. The second time, I think they were trying to diagnose me with borderline personality disorder because they would exaggerate what I would say to fit the diagnostic criteria. For example, I asked the fellow where he had gone to school because I was a junior in high school at the time, so I was getting ready and looking into schools. He told me he went to the University of Pennsylvania and I commented on how cool it was that he had gone to an Ivy League and he responded saying that I was idolizing him. Which was completely incorrect, I just thought interesting. He also made my mother and I very uncomfortable because we had both been working on our relationship in family therapy and on a pass, we had been doing well, and he told us it probably wouldn’t last long. And then, right before I discharged, he told me I would probably be hospitalized again multiple times, which I found extremely rude and discouraging. School wise, the teachers were very kind and tried to let me do work that was my level and help with college prep. They let me take my SATs there and were very helpful. The recreation staff were also very kind. The art therapist, Heather, was definitely one of the most helpful people there. Both times, she was very kind and let me do 1:1 art therapy with her. All her groups were very helpful and she inspired me to study art therapy in college. I also believe the level system they had was very beneficial as it gave a visual on your progress and encouraged patients to try and succeed. Food wise, they weren’t the best at accommodating a vegan diet. One of the cooks was helpful but when they weren’t there, I was often sent up food that wasn’t even vegetarian like chicken. I basically relied on pb&j’s which isn’t bad because at the time I was obsessed with peanut butter. The off ground trips were fun. Overall, it was somewhat helpful but definitely a lot of room for improvement.

S F

when I gone there back in 70s it was riverveiw hospital for children and youth it was so diffent they was very good to us we did many type activities we use play outside lots go on away activities we not had all stuff then like computers dvds we use watch films they rent from library in cottage b we use watch lurual and hardy and our gang I remember they build new school there was cottage a for young girls b for young boys c don’t remember who live there in silver mine building there was blu 1-1st fl both older boys girls and blu 2-2nd fl Both older boys girls and the nice dining room we had was on 1st fl back then when we turn 14 we had gone to one of the adalestent units Ether adalectent unit of cvh russle hall or HAH what happened now people say it bad place ??????

Jewelz

Buildings in need of updating, sad and depressing atmosphere. Psychiatrist has not seen patient in 6 weeks!