Ascend Healthcare's Online Review Report Card

They changed the treatment plan suddenly at the last moment and left my family unsupported.

I have been to ascend twice, both for different issues. The first time i went to Kallos house for mood and binge eating disorder. The staff had protocols with eating surrounding anorexia and bulimia, but significantly molded the treatment to fit my specific needs when i made them clear. Staff at Kallos always helped me when i was upset, and i remember one time the staff offered to jump into the pool with me as a coping skill. I also had drug issues, though not the main concern, and took me regulary to AA panels (or helped me join online if in person was not an option). The staff genuinly cared and helped me even though i was a menice. The second time was for substance use at Empress. I had AWOLd (ran away from the program) multiple times, but staff never gave up on me. I had many issues with other residents too, but mainly related to my own insecurities, and they helped me with that too. I ultimatly left early due to insurance, but my time there was very benificial and i felt extremely supported by all of the staff. School communication and involvment was great both times. We were never left without things to do- we always had a group or activity which helped me a lot. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for ascend- and i have been sober for 9 months now thanks to all the skills i learned there.

Worst experience of my life. Was a resident for 2-3 months a few years back. 2 people in the facility left the site and one of them had the door opened for them by a staff member. Edit: I was placed around Woodland hills. I was honestly looking forward to it at first. I thought I could get help and was very open to the idea. Several horrible things happened, and I ended up full heartedly believing my suicide attempt worked and I was sent to hell, suffering in Ascend. Negative experience 1: I was always a great student. It was my pride and joy. I'd ask for extra time in the school basement with the teacher Angela, even though they said no. Then I was confronted by the school director who used a horrible metaphor that I haven't recovered from. Something along the lines of "You won't succeed if you sprint the first mile in a race." I wasn't sprinting. School was my favorite thing ever. It was how I excaped the world with numbers and formulas. They put an extra limit on how much school i could do since it was apparently taking away from my treatment, half of the time I was initially granted. I was a 4.3 GPA honors and AP student freshman year right before this happened. I have less than a 3.5 now. I was fragile, and I knew what I needed. They implied I did not know what I needed. I had reached out for help and was denied by my own parents before the attempt that led me there. I felt invalidated by the staff and by my family. Negative experience 2: Despite me protesting family therapy (I'm currently involved in a CPS battle with my parents) I could do nothing about it. If I didn't do one thing i would miss out on another. The system was completely unforgiving. Every session was an argument. There wasn't safety. There are a bunch of huge problems with this program. I was lied to about my parents asking me to go on birth control when they were uninformed. I still have the implant in my arm. OVERALL I wish I never showed up. An old school friend of mine got admitted to the residential half way through. I was making some progress??? According to staff, although my memory is foggy when it comes to how I was feeling. Everything i had said was brought back into my life in a way I wouldn't wish upon ANY recovering person. Be cautious ⚠️

I went to the outpatient program in Culver City for a number of months after being at a different center for years. Before I say anything, I know how fancy this treatment center is. I am aware that it is a Los Angeles Treatment Center (which usually means boujee). Although this place is decorated nicely and packed with rich LA teens, it is one of the most terribly run outpatient programs I have ever attended. Barely any of the patients would attend group, and the staff that was supposed to be getting them to group didn't care. There would be AWOL's almost every week at the culver city location, and police would have to show up often. Most of the time when a kid ran away, the staff wouldn't notice for a number of hours before they realized someone was missing. One of the most traumatic things to happen during my time at Ascend IOP/PHP was finding out through a text that one of the therapists at IOP had killed herself. I had known her long before Ascend, and had grown incredibly close to her. I admired her in everything she did. She was still in training I believe, and ascend gave her THE MOST complex cases they could. I watched as she handled situations between clients and supported everyone's growth so positively. This particular therapist ended up preventing a suicide at Ascend and didn't get any recognition for it. I will never forgive Ascend for what they did to this therapist. If you want to pay a fortune for your kid to mess around with other addicts all day, send them to this outpatient program, but you will not be getting any support from these people. (Apart from therapist Maya, and That lady Molly was chill too) And I know you guys remember me because every staff at Ascend would call me their dream client, because I was the only one who ever went to group or had any interest in recovery. I think that says a lot about this place.

our son went to the haven house - it was fantastic for him! all of the counselors were great and the parent training was transformational for our family. I highly recommend

I went to ascend June 2023, and this program changed my life. Before this I had been to a different res that wasn't the best, to put it lightly, and I was TERRIFIED of havin to be at a strange place, across the country, for an unknown amount of time. The staff easily helped me feel welcomed- especially my therapist, Irene. B/c there are less kids and we stayed at an actual house, it didn't feel like a mental hospital I was forced to be in, unlike a lot of other res's. The staff were awesome: the mentors treated you like REAL people instead of crazy children they're getting paid to babysit, n not once did I feel uncomfortable or unsafe around any adult. Even now, I still remember n practice what everyone here taught me. I don't think I met a single mentor who didn't impact my life (for better) in one way or another. I could rant about the staff for DAYS, and i'm not sure if any of them still work here, but if they do than they should get a raise! (Especially Anjuli, educator, Elika, dietitian, Margret, boss, and ALL of the mentors!) The outings we went on helped me feel less trapped, n it gave me something to look forward to. They also did a GREAT job at helping me with ALL of my issues; I was in the Kallos house, but b/c I struggle with substances they were able to take me n another kid to the empress house for weekly AA meetins- I'm currently 2 yrs n 7 months clean from hard drugs thanks to this place! Heading into here, I was 100% set on b.s.-ing the program until I could get out n continue drugs, but around 2 weeks in I realized that who I was as a person wasn't who I wanted to be, and I started actually started putting in the effort to change myself. I solely believe if it wasn't for this place I wouldn't be here today. This place is a miracle worker and I would recommend ascend to anyone n everyone!!

Our experience at Ascend's Haven House was truly transformative not only for my child, but for my husband and myself. My child stayed there for just shy of three months, and the care and attention she received exceeded all expectations. One of the most unique and impactful aspects of the program for our child was the opportunity to work with horses and on the farm itself. She had chores on the farm which taught her responsibility, and she bonded with a horse that has a hard time trusting people. This therapeutic activity helped her build trust, confidence, and a sense of calm in ways traditional therapy alone could not. The equine therapy was most helpful, it gave my child a boost of happiness that I've not seen in years. She also formed meaningful connections with other residents, which provided a supportive and understanding environment. The therapists were all exceptional—insightful, compassionate, and deeply skilled. They saw through to her core struggles and helped her work through them with tailored strategies that truly resonated. The progress she made in such a short time was remarkable. We wish we could have one of them as her long-term therapist! The psychiatrist was also incredibly valuable, working closely with all of the staff and coming to understand our child's needs. The facility itself was warm and welcoming, with a focus on creating a healing atmosphere. It’s clear the staff genuinely care about the residents and their well-being. On top of that, we spoke with our child nightly, helping us to be at ease! Finally, its incredibly important that Ascend provides outstanding family support, not only through the family therapy, but also through 5 hours of online training for parents! I can’t recommend Ascend's Haven House enough for families seeking short-term residential care for a child with any form of autism. It saved us and saved our child. It provided not just help, but hope.

Parents fly their kids to Ascend from all over the country to provide their struggling teens with exceptional care. We were lucky the Kallos house was within driving distance for our transgender son who turned 13 while in treatment. The home itself was spacious, clean, and inviting, while the staff, from mentors, to nurses, to therapists to the clinical director were incredibly competent and supportive. We were very hesitant to send our kid away from home at such a young age, and afraid he'd be exposed to others' maladaptive behaviors, but it ended up being the best decision we could make to help him make some amazing progress in his mental health journey. The treatment is very intensive and incorporates a lot of DBT, which really resonates with our son and our family. The therapists and clinical team work very hard to customize each teen's experience and treatment goals. Families (parents/guardians) are required to be very involved, which brings about a greater understanding of your teen's struggles and is very helpful in being able to facilitate them practicing and using coping skills. Schedules are very structured and overall they are very well cared for at this facility. If you are on the fence about sending your teen to a residential treatment center, and have already tried PHP, IOP or other treatment options without great results, we highly recommend Ascend.

I’m so grateful for Ascend Healthcare! I sent my 17 year old daughter to Ascend for treatment for mental health / alcohol/ drug addiction this past summer; Ascend staff made it smooth during this hard time. I can honestly say, the entire Ascend staff went above and beyond answering my questions, any concerns I had and made my daughter and I feel like family. I have nothing but good things to say about the entire staff of Ascend. My daughter learned great coping skills, whenever she started to feel overstimulated, she remembered her coping skills they taught her. Also, thanks to the staff at Ascend, we found out the diagnosis of my daughter. I loved the Parents Attentive Family sessions they have, it helped bring us closer to our child with deep talks and helped us heal as a family. I can go on about how great Ascend Healthcare is, to the amazing staff, to the animals they had at the home where my daughter stayed, to helping my daughter heal, Ascend Healthcare is truly a great program. I was happy to have my daughter back home, as she was too, however we both also felt a bit sad because we truly felt like we were saying bye to our own family members. To any parent looking for a Mental health / dual addiction residency, look no further, bring your child to Ascend Healthcare, your child and your family will be in great hands!

Ascend saved our son and our family. Ascend is organized to support the client's needs and the staff at Ascend is exceptional. We were not sure if we were making the right decision sending our son to Trails program. We had tried many different programs/therapists for over two years. It is the best decision we ever made. His time at Trails was a much needed pause from all the issues he was experiencing. A time for reflection and self care. The program supported our family and educated us to continue on the right path after our son came home. I would recommend this experience for anyone who is seeking help for their child.