Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center

“Great school! Went for a tour and it was a fun experience and all the staff and teachers were really nice including the school psychologist! After reading all these bad reviews about the place I don’t think they’re right! Sagamore is a great school and I might be going to that school! Thank you Sagamore!!”

“This place should be a last resort, I was here twice as a kid ages 8-9 and 11-12. Both times I ended up far worse than when I got there. Mental abuse physical abuse, I recall when I was on the intake unit and I was having a hard time adjusting and didn’t want to sit in the tv room with everyone else and the staff instead of talking to a 9 yr old child purposely gave me medication I was allergic too, they’re reason was if I wanted something to counter act it I’d shut up and sit in the tv room. My first day honestly I wasn’t even there half of the day yet and they were straping kids to beds putting things over their mouths so they couldn’t speak. I remember when I had been moved to H unit. I’m grateful For a few of the staff that really helped me Mr. Jimmy Mrs joy “one of the teachers” on the elementary side. Ms Allison one of the rec staff. And the nurse that was on h unit during my time, other then that all other staff were horrible and had no business working with children. witnessed staff beat up a special needs kid named Joesph because he didn’t want to shower, they dragged him on the floors kicking and hitting him slamming him up against the brick walls, holding him down in the shower etc.. one of those staff members involved was already being sued by a family for sexual misconduct on the girls unit and wasn’t allowed near the girls, let alone letting the kids have sex on the coed units.. the list goes on, i remember getting in trouble in the school section and being in what they considered “detention” And letting kids jump other kids the staff didn’t like to the point where I watched a kid get his head split open by another kid because the staff asked him to shut the kid up. Getting out of this place was harder then actually being helped and attended to, the doctors would lie to parents saying the child did this or that to mess up discharge release, it happened to me aswell as many others that have left reviews. How this place is still Open beyond me but I really hope this place has changed for the youth that really need help. If you have the resources send your children elsewhere.”

“Nice to see some things don't change. I was in sagamore in 1973. I thought they shut this place down. Beaten, drugged and sexually abused. Incorrectly diagnosed as emotionally disturbed. So far off the mark, i was 8 and angry with adhd but i never got any help just abuse. This wasnt the only place. There was plainview divisonal center for youth 1n 1972. Little flower wading river 1977. BOCES Huntington 1979. Finally one last place melville house. The only place that helped.”

“I was in Sagamore for 13 months, 25 years ago, I still remember it vividly, the smells, the walls, the art room, the barbed wire on the fences, the feeling of having thorazine forcefully injected into me. Understand that if your child spends extensive time here, they will be affected by it, they will be resentful toward you in the future for not fighting harder for a different solution. If you love your child, do not allow them to be placed in sagamore.”