Behavioral Health Center

“I was 16 when I went there. I actually am still friends with someone I met there while we were both in such difficult places in life. Hence the 2 stars. Although…. The first room I was given got a leak in the ceiling so they sent me and my roommate to a closed room with no heating in mid December. They have a dose of meds that would have affect to no one. 25mg of Zoloft. It was nothing. And lastly, a nurse from the clinic, an adult, found my snap chat somehow. And when I left, he hit on me and I had to take it to court. Thank you.”

“They took away one of my medical diagnoses, claiming it was something else I was already diagnosed with, which stopped me from getting the medication i needed. they then put me on a medication, and when i told them the medicine made me feel like clawing off my skin, made me feel uncomfortably anxious, and i was acting so different the staff was genuinely concerned about me and would constantly ask if i was ok, they just upped my dose and told me to "see if it got any better." It got worse and they still ignored me. the psychiatrist they provided me with once i left listened to my concerns, and gave me my diagnosis back. doing much better. try actually listening to your patients when they need help. other than that, the other staff were very friendly and polite, and made me feel safe. They would always joke around with us, play music for us, and check on us. i forget her name, but i love the ginger lady who took us all off unit to do fun stuff, shes amazing.”

“I am submitting this complaint to formally report serious concerns regarding the operations, staff conduct, and patient safety practices at the facility of: The Behavioral Health Center @ Westchester Medical Center - the Adult Unit. A/B. During my stay, I witnessed conditions that were not only unprofessional but deeply alarming. The environment was unsanitary, and staff behavior was frequently inappropriate, dismissive, and, at times, abusive. The level of care provided—particularly in relation to mental health—was grossly inadequate and demonstrated a lack of proper training and clinical competence. When I questioned a physician regarding their qualifications and mental health training, I was told it was “none of my business,” which is wholly unacceptable in a clinical setting. Patients have a right to transparency and competent care. Additionally, patients appeared to be kept longer than medically necessary, seemingly to maximize insurance billing on a daily basis. This raises serious ethical and legal concerns that warrant immediate review. Most troubling were incidents involving inappropriate relationships between staff and patients, which should never occur under any circumstances. I also personally witnessed drug paraphernalia being used and smoked in an office located behind the recreation room—an egregious violation of safety, policy, and law. I am in complete shock that the State of New York continues to allow this facility to operate under these conditions. I strongly urge a full and immediate investigation into staffing credentials, patient treatment practices, billing procedures, and regulatory compliance I respectfully request a full investigation into this facility, including: Staff credentials and licensing Clinical care standards and mental health training Patient retention and billing practices Allegations of substance use on premises Violations of professional boundaries between staff and patients Overall compliance with OMH regulations Thank you for your attention to this matter. Regretfully A Patient”

“NEGATIVE STARS!! This has to be one of the worst experiences i've ever had for a hospital. I don't know why anybody would send their child here. First of all , I tried to get them to transfer to the floor cause I had pertinent information from my daughters psychiatrists that I needed to relay in a timely manner and some security officer , with a very snotty , nasty attitude absolutely refused to transfer me! Then when I do finally get a number to call, it, goes straight to voicemail. Then I got the number of the behavior healthy unit , and all the phone did was ring and ring and no one picked up. As a parent , I should have access to talk to atleast somebody there , even if it's a secretary to really information to the doctor that is relevant to my daughter's medication history.”