Rupa C

Review of Family Matters of Greater Wash...

Family Matters should change their name to better ...

Family Matters should change their name to better depict their Mental and Behavioral Health Department. Perhaps it should be called, "Resume Builder at Your Mental Health Expense Department," or "Department of Part Compassion, All Judgment of Mental Health," or even, something short and sweet like, "Inadequacy at Mental Health Department." All of these are more true to Family Matters (FM) inter-workings than "Your compassionate blah blah blah" as they state.

PROS

1. They ACCEPT ALL INSURANCE (biggest reason I stayed as long as I did).

2. Metro accessible.

3. Easy to get appointments.

4. Friendly support staff (staff at desk, intake, etc.)

CONS

1. INCONSISTENCY. In the 4 years that I have been with Family Matters, I have had 5 therapist and 5 psychiatrist, all because everyone leaves (obviously resume building).

2. Therapist completely lack training and experience. I have witnessed the staff not properly handle people in emotional crisis. Instead of talking someone off the ledge, they will let you fall or push you. Family Matters does not seem to have a universal protocol in place to handle any sort of crisis or emergency with their patients.

3. Family Matters does not take their commitment, their mission statement or responsibility towards a patients professionally. When I had a bad reaction to a medication change that the Dr at Family Matters authorized, NO ONE there took the time to address it. Not my therapist of over a year, not the supervising Dr (who has failed to return my calls for over 3 weeks!!), not the supervisor I was told to talk to next (who also does not return calls or requests for in person visits). This is the FIRST time I have ever had this serious of an issue at Family Matters, but it crossed the line, medical abandonment can have very serious repercussions.

4. The new medicine perscriber is a NP, who boasts of an impressive educational and work back round at some of the top medical programs and facilities in the DVM, yet unapologeticlly, has a extremely judgmental attitude, a dismissive demeanor, and her lack to, not only evaluate but also treat, people as individuals, is the worst I have ever personally experienced. She clearly has preconceived notions of certain mental illnesses, and does not hesitate in medically profile patients. Most importantly, she is dishonest. On several occasions, her neglectful statements caused harm and were without a doubt, refuted by other staff members at Family Matters and outside medical professionals (like my Pharmacist).

5. If you require meds, have a plan B (like I had my primary care Dr) because Family Matters does not respect medical autonomy. If you want to have a say in your medication, be prepared to be falsely accused of prescription tampering or drug addiction. If you have an issue with the NP at the DC location, you will have to wait a very long time to talk to her supervisor, who is in the office 4 times a MONTH only. And at that, hope he actually returns your call.

6. Some of the therapist are unprofessional. Anywhere from checking their phones in session to carelessly passing judgement on patients. For example, my last therapist admitted to taking some of the same meds I was on, and suggest I needed to utilize other methods to control my symptoms than relying on my medication, because *she* is was able to get off the medication for a body building/fitness competition, and *NOW* I should get off too. She realized how ridiculous she came across, and apologized at our next session "after thinking about it."

If you have any concerns about trust, expectation that your best interest is priority or issues with subpar medical treatment, then like me, you will eventually be disappointed with Family Matters.

I have unsuccessfully tried to obtain my medical records (that whole no autonomy, lacking professionalism, not acting in the best interest of patients thing again), from Family Matters.

*UPDATE*
Family Matters went out of business a while back (not surprisingly at all) and remains closed as of November 2018.