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

This place is so unsafe. I lasted here one week, tried to use my coping skills to get through it. I have chronic illness, part of the reason I was here is because I nearly died from medical neglect from a medication contraindicated with my illness. They are aware of this. I asked the medical doctor, Vicky Hudson, and psychiatrist, Dr. Hoffman multiple times for a pertinent medication. This was prescribed by my outpatient providers who have known me several years. The doctors claimed that my medication I have been on for a year, was unsafe with my antidepressant. They tried to say MY physicians said it was not safe. I called/made virtual appts with my providers, they both got NO communication from this facility. I have it in writing that my physician did not receive communication from this facility. I have in writing that my medications are safe to take, and my doctor follows me very closely outpatient. I am eager to get in writing the reasoning for why Dr. Hoffman, and Dr. Hudson refused to write the order. I would like some education on why it is not safe. My doctor offered to write a letter stating my medication was safe. The nurse here informed me the letter would not matter, as the medical doctor does not prescribe extra medications. The medical doctor also assumed I had malaria based on a medication I was taking. This medication is also for autoimmune illness, which I would assume is pretty common knowledge for physicians. Why would I be in a group setting if I had malaria ? I asked SEVERAL people for my medication, a week later I still don't have it. I tell them I am leaving, and THEN the physicians want to send a message to my providers. At this point it was 7 pm so my doctors would not even be in the office. Not that this matters, but I am a registered nurse so I am aware of medical conditions and medications. Sometimes providers are more cautious when they know patients are health professionals; not sure if they knew or not. Evette is the milieu supervisor. The first time I met her she essentially demanded me to trust her. I do not trust people without them earning it. I found that strange. I spoke to her regarding my Reyvow. She tried to tell me I do not have a migraine. She is not in my body. She strikes me as a narcissist; she talks over people, and has little compassion, and is completely fake. I spoke to her about my concerns and she just cut me off the whole time. When I asked to speak, she said you need to let me finish. So she essentially talked to herself and did not hear me whatsoever. She called me "impatient" and said i do not have patience. I am a nurse, and my career literally requires me to be patient. That was SO offensive and condescending. I thought this was supposed to be a safe place. To use words like that when I have been through my own abuse and trauma, was hurtful to come from a "mental health professional". She told me it would not be a good time for me to leave that night. As if I was completely inconveniencing her. There is a lot of scenarios that have happened here that won't fit in this review. Some big points : A staff member left a patient with a large butcher knife in the kitchen alone for 20 minutes. This patient has active suicidal ideation and almost slit her wrists and killed herself. Dinner time is supposed to have at least 2 or so people cooking together. The tech, Ed, rushed this poor patient to hurry up and cook dinner alone, while she just sat at the computer and watched. We did not have the ingredients for the planned dinner so the patient had to scramble and cook something up on a whim, alone. While she was left alone, the techs in charge, Marin and Ed, left two patients alone outside who have gotten into major confrontations. This led to the one patient leaving the property sobbing. While one tech chased her to find her, the other patient developed a seizure. Ed called the patient crying "dramatic". Very affirming. I told her she is not dramatic, she is upset.

By far the most traumatizing experience I have ever had in treatment. Up front they said that you can see your doctor if needed during your time there, however once checked in, they will not allow you to see any doctor whatsoever for any kind of reason. Even with prescribed medication from your doctor, they take it from you and lock it up and will not allow you to take it. Also any items your family drops off for you to have, they will not give to you, they just keep it locked away, even if it is medical items your doctor has ordered for you to use and is within their written approvals. The techs fall asleep if you talk to them and will smoke around you, they clearly despise their jobs, and if you ask for something to do during what they call study skills time, they will just tell you to sit quietly. They will not even allow you to call the suicide hotline if you are experiencing SI. They do not care what your doctor orders for you as far as medication or limitations go. Even if you can't walk they will tell you to go on hikes. They will pressure you to do things you don't want to do. They will not let you use a restroom or see a doctor even if you are actively throwing up. And if you complain about any of it or draw attention to it, they will contact the police, lie to them, and have you arrested. This was very traumatizing for me. The bad reviews on here are completely true. After my experience here I will never talk to or open up to a therapist or social worker again. Oh yeah, and they also do not maintain their septic system out there by the way. The smell is terrible. For what it is worth, Mitchell Cohen is great, and his group therapy (even though he was not my therapist and I didn't get to see him much) was good. The case manager Brooks is also very nice, but he is really only there for people struggling professionally. There is also 1 tech named Lauren who was helpful and nice. The rest, sorry to say, are mostly trash. My therapist would direct profane language towards my mother in therapy, and they would not respect confidentiality. My therapist also said that all I had was "excuses" for not having parents/the fact that my family abandoned me when I was a child. Their program administrator Nicole Swann is extremely hostile. My recommendation is just to stay away.

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!

This program is what you make of it. Like every place it has its flaws, but those are easily overcome by their strengths. I had an amazing case manager (Brooks) who was extremely helpful in setting up my after care program as well as working with me on discovering and creating realistic goals. Another strength is an amazing nursing team, especially Miss. Theresa, who makes you feel incredibly cared for. That being said you are kept busy with groups throughout the week, but group leaders are open to feedback about what they can incorporate to help facilitate your growth. Like everyplace everyday staff with you can be not the most empathetic, but that’s only a few out of the other plenty who made me feel seen and cared for. What I recommend is advocating for what you need here, and 9 times out of 10 you will be met with open ears.

This has been a great program. You will get as much out of this program as you put in. It's a long day, but I found the group therapy and individual therapy to be extremely helpful. They keep you involved in things like cooking and basic tidying up in order to make returning to "regular life" a little easier. This house is a smaller house and I appreciated the intimacy and the lack of drama here. It's a call house so I was able to focus on myself getting the care I needed instead of trying to manage my symptoms. There were a few times I had some minor concerns, but staff and management were readily available to talk to me and address them. As a whole, they seem to care about their patients healing. I would recommend this facility.

Great experience. Staff are friendly and helpfully.

This has been such an important experience for me, I will say that you get out of it what you put in. If you are intending to do the work to improve yourself in terms of mental health in a safe environment this is definitely a great place to start. This program is not for everyone, but can really be the help you need to get back on your feet. The groups are informative and helpful, most of the therapists are wonderful, and almost all of the mental health techs are great at providing individualized support. Definitely do your research to ensure this would be the best fit for you, however if you are seeking structure and routine with consistent access to therapeutic resources this may be the right fit.

My experience at Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program in Crownsville, Maryland was excellent. I felt very welcomed and supported. I also got treated very well by the staff. This program helped me a lot and I feel like I have improved my mental health and people are saying they have seen my mental health improve as well. I would highly recommend this program to anyone struggling with mental health related issues.

Helped me get back on my feet with their excellent group sessions and individual therapists.

I definitely do not recommend this place. Listen to the other low star reviews. This place is trash. They cannot keep psych techs. Most of them are new and run most the program classes. The program classes maybe last 20-30 minutes and consist of watching YouTube videos. The only time therapists lead groups is during process time. Which is maybe 4 times out of the week. God forbid you are having a slight mental health crisis. They will call the cops and send you to the hospital suicidal or not. They constantly threaten the hospital. It makes you feel unsafe and can’t open up to get the treatment you need. If you are looking to get better, find another treatment center.