Discovery Mood And Anxiety Program- Long Beach's Online Review Report Card

Discovery exceeded my expectations in every way! The staff, from Techs to Therapists and Nurses to Case Workers, were some of the warmest, kindest and most caring people I have met. To have the pleasure of healing in their care made the difference between a good experience and one that truly changed my life. It was evident from the moment I arrived that each person both cared about their job, and every client present. They went above and beyond in every way possible. The establishment was happy, clean, comfortable, safe and full of thoughtful details. Clearly, they took great care in creating an environment that was conducive to healing and made each person there feel at home. The staff was beyond compare - their positive attitudes and incredibly authentic support was instrumental in my ability to change. I have nothing but good things to say about my time there. Moreover, I credit this amazing place filled with even more amazing people with my success. Their therapeutic approaches, from traditional therapy, equine therapy, EMDR, CBT, DBT and even cellular healing, combined with small groups, one on one time and community outings, are a rare and wonderful breath of fresh air in the mental health community. I could not have done the hard work necessary without the supportive and loving approach to healing that Discovery made possible!

First of all, I have been waiting for this day for 2 months to pick my son up when HE was ready and that day was today. Second, I have been waiting to write this review. It's soo sad to go thru some of the reviews and see the hatred and negativity, but everyone has their own perception of their journey. I am a mother to a 15 year old boy who entered that home almost 2 months ago with severe depression, anxiety and self harm ( self harming 7 days a week).... scariest feeling to drop your kid off and walk away and know that it's in Gods hands and the staff at Discovery. If I could rate this place higher than 5 stars I would. The journey was not perfect, I was frustrated at some of the staff here and there, but I had to take a step back and accept the process as to why I sent him there in the first place. Evan the program director was soooo nice and soooo welcoming . Chris Myrick was my son's therapist and our family therapist . He is on his game , he has a job to do, and that is to help your child get to the next level of their treatment... he helped not just my son but ME personally. Just overall I am so blessed for this place and the staff. Nothing bad to say even during some struggles Inside the home .

It was pretty good. The staff there did their job, expect for patient ordeals and non-assertivr communication. The Education Liaison was very assertive, on top of her job, and engaging. No matter how scared of her I was. The Program Director was very accomidating and was very good at active listening. She also made sure we got out of the house for fit times. Even if she made fun of me. The staff that focused on recovery was the GOAT and of course there's nothing wrong with him. 4/5 stars. Could paint the walls a better color. Would recommend.

if i could give discovery mood 0 stars, i would. during my time at discovery mood, i was at my lowest of the low. the therapists do not pay attetion to what you say, restrict kids from using the bathroom, and are incredibly rude to patient. if anything, the other patients were the best part of this place. they brought me hope. as a former patient here, i am begging you to reconsider sending your child here, for their own good. i can't even remember half of the crappy worksheets we did. thanks a lot, discovery mood...

If I could give no stars I would. My child was abused at the Discovery Center in Fairfield,CT last summer. He was there for 2 weeks while I fought to get him out due to their threats of insurance not paying. He went in with an eating disorder and was able to throw up every meal he ate, he went in for self harm and was able to cut himself while there. He went in for high anxiety and was put into so many uncomfortable situations. Finally, he went on his own free will, wanting to get better. Came out more depressed and anxiety ridden then before. While he was there he chewed the skin around his fingers for a week. When I went to visit, I had to bring him to ER as all 10 of his fingers were swollen with pus coming out the side. I get sometimes we are desperate parents, and Discovery has a beautiful website but stay clear from both of Connecticut homes. They are extremely abusive , and do not look after our children as they claim to.

this place is absolutely terrible. i felt worse here then any other time in my life.

The staff at DMAP where nice and cared about the kids but they weren't allowed to talk to the kids after they went to DMAP. Some kids don't have counselors when they came out. When the kids try to call the staff at DMAP for help they just say sorry but we aren't allowed to talk to you because you aren't at DMAP anymore.

Hi all, I am a two-time CFD alumni and I feel called to write this review. I am 23 years old. I attended CFD 6 years ago at Pacific Place. I was 14 years old the first time I attended and 16 years old the second time. I was placed here after a suicide attempt. I believe it is important for parents to know the extent of the damage that can be done here and in the surrounding culture. The first major thing a parent should know is that CFD WILL take your kids to meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous everyday. These meetings are actually treated like a privilege, which looking back, is insane. No child should be sent to Alcoholics Anonymous. Traumatized children need therapy, and while CFD does offer that, I can tell you that the thing that was stressed the most is the AA way of life. They utilize the outdated and heavily debated disease model that AA created in 1935. You can get the same results that CFD offers by simply taking your kid to AA meetings for free. Secondly, almost every single staff member here has no qualifications other than working the 12-steps. Unfortunately, this is very common in most treatment centers, whether they "specialize" in adolescents or not. Additionally, at least at the time I went, we were allowed to go to YPAA dances while at the facility. While, sure, there is no drugs or alcohol allowed at these events, there sure is a lot of sex with minors, cigarette addictions and passing of contraband, and exposure to felons and criminals. (Nothing wrong with felons and criminals, but children should not be around them until they can be rehabilitated.) The last thing I want to say is about the alumni meeting that happens every week where the parents are upstairs and the kids are downstairs. This meeting is nothing but the organizers controlling vulnerable parents who just want to help their kids. They will try to get you into Al-Anon (another 12 step program not based in science) and they will constantly shame you if you do not want to be a part of this group. They will say that you don't want to do what it takes to help your kid. My own mother became a victim of this mindset. Luckily through individualized therapy, we have both recovered from our Substance Use Disorders and our relationship is better than ever. Shaming parents and kids does not work in the long run and that is all these 12-steppers know how to do. I sincerely hope this review helps a parent make the right decision for their child. I suggest individualized and PRIVATE therapy for both the parents and the child who is struggling.

Please consider any other option. My review is for what I experienced at the Annapolis, Maryland location.The Therapy Staff: Therapists seemed to range from highly competent to merely adequate. During process and CBT groups, only one therapist was able to manage the group and redirect when a poor soul would dominate the group and turn group therapy into a private therapy session.The Psychiatrist: Highly competent, if his bedside manner is lacking. One of my specific goals was to resolve my over-medication issue and wean off a lot of medications I was on , instead I was immediately prescribed two new medications upon arrival.The Nursing Staff: Completely incompetent. It took days for them to get my medication times correct and I had to advocate over and over to fix issues. The Mental Health Techs: The majority of your time is spent with the techs, and unfortunately the majority seem to be miserable with their jobs. Many had little compassion for the mental state of the patients. I interacted with 3 who seemed to genuinely care about the well-being of the patients.Rules and procedures are applied based on the mood of the tech that day, as well as how well they seem to like the individual asking. One tech would often lose her temper and yell at the patients. Employees would take smoke brakes and play on their phones much of the time.The Overall Program: Lots of downtime between 'classes', at one point a group ended 20 minutes early so we could make a birthday card for a staff member.

This place is a poor example of a treatment center. It is clear the kids enrolling have emotional issues and are prone to poor behavior. Yet, these same kids are expected to maintain a near perfect disposition before any of the coping skills this institution claims it instills are offered! They are quick to remove and expel children even though they are well aware these are pre existing conditions that need therapy and skill building. For those seeking help for their child, consider an alternative center that will recognize that the road up front may be bumpy, but progress is possible with patience and resilience.