Behavioral Health Center of Illinois

“Started off as a 4 star review. After going here for a while to see Brittany it was a mutual decision there wasn't much point to keep going. Brittany was pretty good. However when I was stopping there were bill issues, I think the amount I owed changed at least twice, I would ask questions about the fact I had a card on file for copays so I was confused, eventually i was told nevermind. Now a couple years later I figured with life changes I'd see about going back. Per the website I did an inquiry via their "Contact Us Drop us a line!" form, I think it said get a reply in 1-2 business days. Same day a few hours later I get an email saying "If he calls in do not schedule him with anyone. Just take a message." So I called to try to understand what is going on & talked to a nice lady who answered the phone. She was messaging someone to figure out what to say to me. When i submitted my inquiry since things didn't seem to go anywhere with Brittany I asked about seeing someone else but asked to be advises how things work. After feeling like getting the run around it came down to "generally you stick with the same person & she has no availability", apparently. This feels a lot like being "blown off" & by a place where people get helped it seems quite sad & unprofessional to me. I left names out of this, like the one on the email I got, other than Brittany because I wanted to make sure people know she's good people, as was the person that answered the phone but I didn't know if I should add her name. Am i missing something, how often does this happen to folks? On the website it says "Now accepting new clients" & "Our Mission, At the Behavioral Health Center of Illinois, our mission is to provide compassionate and effective counseling services and therapy to enhance quality of life, health, and choice. We believe in empowering individuals to overcome personal challenges and achieve mental wellness through our mental health services and education in the community."”

“I have been coming to this office for a year now. I have to say I have yet to meet a staff member who isn’t kind, warm and very happy to see me. I want to be very clear the professionals that work here literally saved my life. I was in a very bad place. From the second J the receptionist took my call I knew my life would be changing for the better. As great as the receptionist is, boy was my therapist even better. K is the therapist I have been looking for. She has been tough on me when I needed to hear it. But also more importantly she has also given me a platform to feel my feelings. Moreover without someone saying you’re a big dude let it go, blah blah. BHCI gave me a second chance at life. I’m able to live a life less encumbered. If not for the team there I truly believe would not be here. I will forever be thankful and indebted to them. I hope everyone gets an opportunity to get the same level of care and support I have. They treat me like the place is open just for me. While I know it isn’t how great a place is it that for a year they have consistently made me feel like it.”

“I have been seeing this office for several years. I feel it’s really changed in the last year and not for the better. Idk if it’s because they’ve gotten overwhelmed with clients or if it’s become more about money over care? ***edit: Unfortunately things ended up getting worse. It ended up a pretty traumatic experience on my end. Things got bad for me a couple of years ago, and I needed to go on an emergency leave of absence. My provider refused to complete the paperwork & insisted that the provider who conducted the testing complete it…but they were out of the country for at least another week. I was getting calls from my job informing me that each absence was considered unauthorized until they received the paperwork, and it could result in termination. I was pleading even for just a note to be sent to my job explaining the circumstances. I was flat out refused. I thought I was going to lose my job & my mental health got even worse. Once the provider was back in the country (and after I forked over $150 for the paperwork to be completed), I was able to provide the paperwork to my job. I always made it a habit to schedule several future appts after a session. I had several appts booked each week for the foreseeable future. (I had just recently started seeing a psychiatrist around this time to begin medication). Unfortunately my job needed “more documentation” before they would issue my first check. They said a copy of the notes from the last visit would be sufficient. I called the office and requested that a copy of the notes from our last visit be faxed over. I was refused. The office doesn’t provide office visit notes & that they’ll complete a form to send over for $150. I called my employer back to tell them that I tried to get the notes but was told I’d have to pay $150 and that I’m unable to do that until I get my first check. I was at a loss. Luckily I was able give them a copy of the LOA paperwork & that worked for them. I reached out to the office & asked if my insurance company was still offering the waived co-pay for telehealth (something being offered due to the pandemic) & voiced my concerns about money & being able to keep up with the co-pays adding up. The very next day, I started getting multiple appt cancellations texts. All of my pre-booked appts were being cancelled one after the other. I called & asked what’s going on. They deleted all my appts due to my financial concerns! I went in the office THAT SAME DAY & put a credit card on file. The receptionist said either she or the dr will add the appts back on. Fast forward a couple of weeks - I requested an extension to my LOA to the provider who had completed the paperwork. He said that he noticed I hadn’t seen my primary for a few weeks & it dawned on me that… he was right! They never had added my appts back on the books. I called the office to book the soonest appt she had available. During the appt I was told that “I’m not even her patient anymore” because she hasn’t even seen me for 3 weeks. She told me to go to my psychiatrist and have her fill out paperwork to extend my LOA. She told me that if I had scheduled appts ahead “like all the other clients”, this wouldn’t have happened. When I reminded her that I DID have several appts on the books, but she had them cancelled due to my financial concerns, and they never put them back on. She gaslit me & told me that's not what happened. She told me that I was demanding… Anytime I would try to speak, she'd interrupt & talk over me. I plead for her to let me have a chance to speak. After about the 3rd plea I finally told her she's being unprofessional. Her response was "Yeaaaa Righhht! Oh, god PUHLEEZ". I disconnected the call in shock & disgust. The next day she had the receptionist inform me that she will no longer see me as a patient, and provided me a list of other providers in the area. But it didn’t end there. She felt she had to send one last e-mail, putting everything she had just said to me in written form. In your search for mental health care, use caution before choosing this facility.”

“Springfield is lucky to have a place that offers services like this. I was referred by a family member and friend who both have gone here. I found the quality of care and therapists seemed excellent given the complexity of my life. My kids and teenagers were failing in school and went from D's and F's to A's and B's this year. It was tremendously helpful. Thank you!”