Common Ground's Online Review Report Card

Thank you for all you do. This agency's staff and volunteers are fantastic. Keep up the good work.

Pure HELL!!! If you are a parent with a child needing mental health services, you will HATE coming here! And if your child is on medicaid, you have NO CHOICE! This review is in regards to the oasis unit. When you come in with your child all your belongings are taken from you and locked up. You and your child are escorted through the main part of the room where the mental health adults are,and into a little room where the kids and their parents go.There is one main room and two little bedrooms inside of this kids area. There is a toy box of toys and they will generally bring something for your child to color on and with.Now remember, you as a parent are bringing your out of control child who is having mental health issues, typically this also means as a parent you are in need of help and support! Please do not expect this!You are left in this little room with your child as everything outside of this room is going on. You will note that most of the adults in this unit are behind the very impressive rounded desked table on computers and chit chatting among one another. The time of day or night also has a bearing on the level of care you and your child will get, overnights, which are no fun to be there for, tend to have the most helpful and friendliest of staff.If your child comes out of this room, you get yelled at. No one can come into this room without a key, but you and your child can exit anytime. Of course, your child is able to follow such directions since you are bringing a cooperative child there! Seriously!If your child is out of control, be prepared to physically restrain, maintain, control and etc on your own. The help you will get is the toy box and mattresses will be taken out of this room. Yeah, that helps.Now if you are unlucky enough to have to be here over night, no matter how many nights this can be, plan on having someone bring you and your child food, you will not get much offered here. A shower? Well ask and they can let your child take a shower, probably even you, but you have to ask for any and everything, they will not be coming into you to ask what you need or how you and your child are.Sadly, their process takes forever and you and your child have to wait while they do what ever it is they do. In the meantime, you and your child are going through pure hell. If you did not have mental health issues prior to coming here, you sure as hell will be the time you leave!Also, have someone bring a blanket, the blankets there are in the adult area, not kids.I will do every and anything I have to do to avoid this place for my child! This place is PURE HELL!

Serving over 30,000 individuals a year, Michigan's Common Ground Sanctuary is nothing but a blessing for struggling youth and adults. With several locations in Metro Detroit, this non-profit, provides emergency psychiatric services, and acts a s a lifeline for families dealing with violence as well as runaway and homeless youth. Most services provided by this rad non-profit are free of charge, which lightens the load for families or kids in crisis. The facility in Pontiac is phenomenal, as I became very acquainted last year through my former job. They provided help to a family I was working with and got their teenage daughter back on track. In addition to the services mentioned earlier, Common Ground, also offers a 245-hour hotline where individuals can receive compassionate, non-judgmental and confidential support. For more info check out their website.