Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Emergency Mental Health Services

“Doing out patient is the best. Questions are important but it's the best place for mental help.I have gone and my son is here for 3 hours a day. He is doing better with all the help. Be patient and feel safe in this program. When you work it it works.”

“Crisis did an evaluation over phone for a family member in ER. Inaccurate assessment resulted in unnecessary stay and multiple problems with what appears to be incompetent ER staff. When asking more info from crisis worker she became rude and condescending. Hopefully they will start employing people with the required experience and credentials moving forward.”

“Called for help and when they asked me to sign the paper to stay and recieve services I ripped it up. They forced medicated me and kept me for two weeks. All I wanted for my life was no medication. I told them I was experiencing spiritual psychosis. They disregarded and changed my meds 4 times. 7 months without any meds or doctors and I'm actually a developed psychic medium now. What they did was make the perception of help unavailable and abrasive. McMasters deserves to be fired just for forcing meds.”

“I bought my 18 yr old son there to get a mental health evaluation. It was extremely hard for him and me as I had to sign a petition to keep him there so he would not leave and they could treat him. Little did I know that when the SAS person arrived to see my son that a decision was made without my input. I called to find out how he was doing that night and was told by her that she had transferred him to Riveredge hospital in forest park. I was devastated. They never called me and I would have never sent him there. Despite the fact it is so far away, that hospital does not have a good reputation. The situation has become more stressful than ever. I'm so shocked with the lack of empathy that the SAS crisis person showed. And although she is not an employee of the hospital, non of the other staff at the ER called to let me know either. Shame on you all for making a bad situation worse. I hope this will save one more family from going through this.”