VC & Associates Inc work

“They lady at the front desk is awesome & there is a good therapist that works there. Let me to y'all them two ladies are awesome they help & have helped me so much. I'm so thankful for the two awesome ladies that work there.”

“This was the worst experience I could have asked for. After waiting FOUR MONTHS to finally get an appointment, I did a little background check on my therapist as he was listed on LinkedIn. It showed he had a Masters in Divinity, and being an atheist and with some of my core issues surrounding religion, it just wasn’t a proper fit. He was very polite, but it was too strong of a philosophical difference for it to have been beneficial. So they scheduled me with someone different the following day. Sandra Sutton. I can not begin to describe how impersonal, demeaning, and outright disrespectful she was. When I asked the first therapist his credentials, he rolled right through it like any professional wanting to comfort a patient would. When I asked her, she got extremely defensive wanting to know “why do you ask that?” Well, probably because she was so disorganized and lacked so much basic knowledge I had to question how she even had a license. At one point, she asked about my family’s medical history. The next question was posed as “what about drugs, any drug use..” I asked if she was referring to my family’s history or mine. She literally sighed and shook her head and began to lecture me about how we have to get this assessment done. Shortly after when I told her my anxiety was about to go through the roof I so was so frustrated; again, just total dismissal. She also told me that I didn’t seem too depressed because I was a stay at home dad and took care of the kids. She didn’t ask if I was ok. She didn’t ask if I had any struggles at home. She TOLD me I wasn’t that depressed without the necessary information, she TOLD me I wasn’t that depressed because “most people come in just a mess and you seem fine.” I told her that’s literally one of my problems. I internalize my emotions and don’t display outwardly. Well, I cried my way home and then slept through the entire day and night. When the receptionist asked if I wanted to schedule another appointment, I expressed my concerns about Sandra. She was also aware that I was seeking secular care so she sheepishly said “well, I can make another appointment…but you won’t want to go. Pretty much everyone here is a very strong believer. It’s kind of our thing.” Mind you, they were charging Medicaid for my treatment. I’m fairly certain the state has something to say about religion being a barrier to mental health care at a facility that’s taking public money (spoiler alert: not everyone is religious and not everyone is a Christian, but we all deserve proper care). I’ll be following up with Medicaid after this experience. Oh, and they lost my partner as a client as well. She’s been going there for years, but her former therapist left, then the next therapist that she liked left after just a month or two (wonder why) and SANDRA SUTTON was who she got the week before I did. She came home in tears that day too and said it was the most impersonal and demeaning experience she’s ever had with a therapist. Unfortunately she didn’t mention her name and I wasn’t aware of her name until the day prior to my visit. This place needs to be shut down.”

“We have a great therapist. Even as much as we love her, we've asked ourselves many times if this is the right place for us. Our recommended treatment frequency is every two weeks; but we’re only able to schedule appointments about once a month or sometimes worse (due to lack of availability). Once a month is not often enough to develop or responsibly maintain a positive therapeutic relationship. Difficulty obtaining appointments is made even worse when there is a therapist on leave. It would be wonderful if this office hired another therapist (or two) for a more manageable caseload. At VC&Associates, you may find a great therapist, but seeing them regularly WILL be a problem (especially if you’re limited to after-school hours or specific days/times). After a few years, I voiced my concerns to the Director/Operations Manager/(?) and stressed the need for a reliable schedule; Aja's response was that we should go elsewhere if that's what I wanted for my child. Unfortunately, the few interactions we've had with Aja can all be described as dismissive or inconsiderate. Regarding previous reviews, yes, there was a front desk worker named Robyn awhile back. And she was extremely difficult. She seemed to enjoy exercising what little authority a receptionist could possess over clients. It was bizarre. She is no longer at the front desk. For the miscommunicated appointments, it’s absolutely plausible.There was a receptionist who was super friendly…  but she was also disorganized, distracted, and distracting. Many times I witnessed her confuse schedules between clients or mismanage time. She’s definitely a people person and probably the friendliest person you'd ever encounter, but we reached a point where I wouldn’t schedule anything through her. Given how difficult it is to schedule appointments, I just wouldn’t risk it. The current receptionists seem to be pleasant and reliable. They are appropriate with clients and appear to manage their responsibilities and time well. Appointments are still very difficult to come by, but these ladies are aware and actually call those on the cancellations waitlist if something opens up. PROS: -therapists are good -receptionists are kind and responsible -office is in a decent enough location CONS: -appointments are EXTREMELY difficult to obtain -clients are not treated as individuals -lacks compassion -leadership doesn't hold itself to the same standards expected of others If you have options, I encourage you to seek treatment elsewhere.”

“STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! I requested a copy of my records on February 23, 2024. My last session and my therapists last day working there was February 29. When I requested my records the receptionist told me I could pick them up after my balance was paid. They didn't charge me for all of January until I told her I was done with them and finding another office. I've called multiple times and spoken to her, the office manager, and left messages for others in the office. Yesterday I finally got a call back for the patient services director Cynthia Reed I informed her that multiple employees had violated NC HIPAA laws that are illegal offenses. They have failed to provide my records within 30 days of my request they have tried to use coercion to satisfy a balance for precious services rendered. Both violate HIPAA. I also told her that her reception who is the first and sometimes only point of contact on these matters and that she and everyone else there were not educated on patients rights and privacy laws. I told her the receptionist and office manager always refused to page my psychiatrist on multiple occasions about issues with medication and refills. I asked her if she wanted a psych patient to go over a week without their lithium becoming increasingly unstable to come up there and deal with these situations in a state that may cause a psychiatric event due to office staff who treat us like we're not human and are uneducated on laws pertaining to their job. I finally got a call back from Cynthia. She asked if I had enough refills and asked if I would come back as patient. I told her had lost a longtime (i have been there since 2019) patient permanently due to the ignorance of her staff and that the only reason they got busted was because I dedicated my life to healthcare and was formally educated on medical law. I told her I was sure I wasn't the first of their patients to run into these issues because I had seen the Google reviews on the practice and that they were all bad reviews and complaints about the office staff and that they needed to do better. The receptionist also told me flat out that they couldn't see me anymore when I got medicare because even with a group policy medicare becomes my primary insurance and they dont accept medicare. WRONG. BCBS stays my primary due to details about my husband's workplace. And if she was right what if I wanted to be self pay? The ignorant receptionist is just running off patients because she doesn't know her job? And if you see a therapist for 25 minutes and bill for an hour it's insurance fraud. They'll be formally reported for all of the above offenses and violations. KNOW YOUR PATIENT RIGHTS You do not have to pay your surprise balance before receiving a copy of your records in any circumstance. And you should have access to your Physician prescribing risky psychiatric medications UPON REQUEST! NOT AN APPOINTMENT 3 WEEKS LATER!!! They need to reevaluate all of their practice policies. Without us their clinic does not survive! All of your staff should receive training in HIPAA laws, patients rights, and insurance!!! DO BETTER!!! So good luck with your fines and felonies VC & ASSOCIATES of Sanford.”