Barrier Islands Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine

“I have gone back and forth about leaving this review because I want to be very clear about something upfront: I do not know why Silvia is no longer with this practice, and I am not going to speculate about whether she left voluntarily, was let go, or something else happened. I am also not angry with Silvia. She was, genuinely, one of the best psychiatric providers I have ever worked with. What I am extremely upset about is how the practice handled the transition from the patient side. I had an appointment scheduled with Silvia for Friday at 11:00. The office actually called me and left a voicemail saying there had been an overlap in Silvia's schedule and that my appointment would instead be at 11:20. When I later called the office to reschedule that appointment, I was then told that Silvia was no longer with the practice and that I would be seeing someone else. That was how I found out. For a general medical office, that would already be jarring. For a psychiatric practice treating people who may struggle significantly with anxiety, bipolar disorder, abrupt changes, medication management, attachment to established providers, and disruptions in routine or treatment plans, I cannot understand how there was seemingly no consideration given to how something like this should be communicated to patients. Silvia and I had an active treatment plan. We had made specific medication decisions around a period when she needed to be away, with the expectation that we would continue adjusting that plan when she returned. More importantly, she had learned how to treat me in a way that actually worked for me. She treated symptoms that were making my life unmanageable while still working toward the underlying issues. If my anxiety was too severe to tolerate another change safely or successfully, she listened instead of simply forcing the next medication change through. That relationship made me trust my psychiatric care and made me consistently participate in my treatment. Then, with essentially no warning, that continuity disappeared. The way I learned about it has affected me far more severely than I think anyone at the office anticipated. I have spent days crying, sleeping poorly, experiencing significantly increased anxiety, and feeling considerably less stable than I did beforehand. I went from feeling safe with my psychiatric care to feeling scared about what happens next. Again, I understand that providers leave practices. Sometimes unexpectedly. Sometimes for reasons the practice legally or ethically cannot disclose, and I am not asking them to disclose Silvia's private information. What I am saying is that there is an enormous difference between protecting an employee's privacy and having a thoughtful process for communicating an abrupt provider transition to vulnerable patients. A psychiatric practice should have a plan for this. Patients should not have to accidentally discover during a scheduling phone call that the person managing their psychiatric treatment is simply gone. There should be some acknowledgement of the disruption, reassurance about continuity of care, an explanation of what happens to the existing treatment plan, and a thoughtful handoff to the new provider wherever possible. I am leaving this review because this experience genuinely harmed me, and I hope the practice takes that seriously. Whatever happened behind the scenes with Silvia may have been completely outside of their control. How patients were supported and communicated with afterward however, was not.”

“After I was switched from one semi decent NP, I started seeing Jennifer Hayes. She is absolutely the most helpful and attentive med prescriber I have had in my 27 years or so of treatment. Sometimes she runs late, but that is simply because she makes time for emergencies and properly hearing her patients out. The receptionist greets me happily every appointment. Thank you!!”

“I have been on Suboxone for 7 years. I have stayed clean since I started. I have been going to Barrier Island for the past 2 years and they are the first place that has treated me like a person and not a junkie. They are genuinely kind and quick to assist when I jeed extra care. I would recommend them to anyone that wants help!”

“I would not recommend Barrier Island. I often felt as if my appointments were rushed through. I felt like my doctor was never fully listening to me. I stopped my appointments in September 2025; however, just received a large bill this week. Very disappointed by this practice.”