Highlands Behavioral Health System Review

If I could give them a zero, I would! My teenage daughter was admitted to Highlands Behavioral in Aug. only because no other beds were available at any other hospital. On intake, they asked her if she wanted medical marijuana. Really, on intake? She said no. Let's drug the kid up before we even know what's wrong with her. That makes a lot of sense!

She was under the care of Dr. Vanessa Venezia, who is the Chief Medical Officer at this facility, by the way. This doctor kept trying to push drugs on my daughter, just 15 yrs old. My daughter declined, thankfully. I'm aware of the CO law that states she may consent to receive mental health services to be rendered by a facility or a professional person. She, however, is admitted into a mental health facility. How can she possibly understand & make an educated, informed decision about whether or not to take medication, let alone which medication to take??? This doctor told me NOTHING else about my daughter's health & well-being while she was admitted there. She would only call me to badger me about giving her drugs.

I told this doctor I wanted to do the GeneSight testing to determine which were the better medications for my daughter's genetics. This doctor said she doesn't do this testing & that it's not worth it. She did everything she could to try & convince me NOT to do this testing. I told her I wanted to research it more & that she was NOT to give my daughter any medication whatsoever. She was mad that I would not do as she was telling me to do. She said my daughter was old enough to make her own decisions on her mental health care. I understand that, but she's not going to do something just because you said so. This doctor then threatened me that she was going to call CPS on me for medical neglect. Really? Who do you think had her sent to the hospital for help in the first place? I did confront her on her threat towards me. She didn't like that either, then hung the phone up on me. She then went & told my daughter that she made me mad.

What kind of "professional" doctor, especially a Chief Medical Officer of a hospital, does that? This behavior is absolutely unacceptable & should be dealt with accordingly.

While my daughter was there, she apparently was tested positive for COVID. No one ever called to tell me she was sick. I had to call & demand to talk to her, because they just kept saying she was sleeping in the quiet room.

My daughter told me that another patient there was given too many drugs which made her have seizures. Are these facilities here just to drug up our kids?

During my daughter's stay at this facility, I called to talk to the Patient Advocate due to the doctor's rude behavior. I left a message. No one ever called me back. Thankfully, I got my daughter out of that place!

Well...I was in a rough spot at the time, and I needed a place to go to get help. They admitted me to this place, which ended up being a huge mistake. The staff obviously had no care for the patients. They bossed us around and took advantage of us in the worst ways possible. The other patients I had met were not getting any better. In fact, some of them were even worse. There was one guy who straight PUNCHED A HOLE in the ceiling. This was in April 2016, and I really hope this place has gotten better since then.

My daughter was assaulted here, I called and left messages all weekend without a single call back. I finally drove down for hours and demand someone speak to me. I had to demand the police be called. Oddly enough I've talked to three other parents who had similar experiences. The D.O.N was nice enough (once I was there in person) but the Administrator and the patient advocate never called even though I left messages. I never got an apology.

This place sucks, they hold you there for no reason and when you are supposed to be releacesd they never let you leave

I was placed into the Adolescent Unit under the 72 hour hold about a year ago. It was a joke. My discharge date was affected because I wasn't participating in group therapy. Do you know how annoying it is to listen to the same stuff all the time? I've been to 5 different places in different states. Hearing the same platitudes over and over again. Say something that's comforting but also realistic! Also big problem is patients getting too intimate with each other. A lot of PDA went on in the Adolescent Unit and it wasn't handled with proper consequences. A lot of dating. There was this one occasion where everybody was in the group room and while I was walking around I witnessed this girl and boy go into girl's room, from eavesdropping I learned that they engaged in oral sex or something. It's disgusting. Please do something with this issue so other troubled people don't have to experience what I've experienced. I feel like there needs to be more creative and different activities that could actually benefit a patient. I feel like I could run a place better lol.

I was in the inpatient unit for 10 days three years ago. This place helped me more than any other! We went outside EVERY day (unless it was raining) for exercise, so I don't know what people are talking about. I got to wear my own clothes. The things I'm reading on this post are not at ALL what I went through! Food was good. This place saved my sanity and saved my life. Granted, this was three years ago, and perhaps it's changed. But I will always be thankful for the wonderful staff and the help I received! I met amazing friends there, and they too were very happy with the experience! They said it was the best they'd found in the Denver area.

My 25 yro disabled son John is there (over 70 miles away from us) now, and he has history of very severe pediatric traumatic brain injuries he sustained at age 10 from being hit by a truck that ran a red light as he was walking to school. John has epilepsy secondary to TBI and is basically a dependent adult who lives with me and his little sister still, but does very very well, other than depression and suicidal ideation and now actions, again secondary and often is this case for TBI suffers.

It is appearing to me that much of ones 'care' and follow up completely depends most often on what INSURANCE one has, and possibly how much they can make by (extensively or otherwise) treating someone, including wether or not follow up or outpatient care is offered.

My son has been there since Saturday morning, and these reviews mostly scare me. They need to treat my son and family appropriately and with respect, but at this point do NOT appear to be doing so. John is disabled and has Medicaid and Medicare, and imo, they appear to not care about those they cannot milk for more and more funds (apparently not even offering outpatient services or intensive/appropriate inpatient services and treatment for the less fortunate who DO have insurance, just not the higher paying) and is why I came here to see other's experiences and thoughts. I have major concerns now regarding their treatment of those who do have physical/medical as well as mental health disabilities.

Our loved one was brought to HBH as part of a 72 hour hold after a suicide attempt. She stayed one week and was transferred to a RTC. Reading the reviews before hand, we were extremely afraid sending her here. However, our experience with HBH was a positive one. The staff were friendly and communicative, the facility clean and not too hospital like. We received daily updates from the Doctor or social worker and were able to get hold of them when we had questions. HBH did exactly what we needed them to do, that is, make sure our loved one was stabilized and no longer a danger to herself. I bet the success of the residents will be determined by what they bring to the table rather than what a place like HBH will "do" for them.

Poor moral in majority of staff. There are a few good folks who seemed to care but the overall tone was meat market, Bring them in ship them out. i took daughter there for her improvement from a supportive consutative staff to assist her in her problem. What I received was an INTAKE person who seemed to want confrontation. A Socail worker who had to many cases and really never communicated, a PYSH doctor who did nothing but status quo.I saw very little strong medical knowledge in staff and absolutely horrible customer service , felt we were bothering them when asking questions and trying to gain the guidance of HBC.They clearly wanted to take in and ship out a "payday" with very little investment in patient and parents and the long term recovery. Maybe that is there mission but I would say never more frustrated with a medical facility at a time when we were dying for support and guidnace

Someone close to me was admitted and completely mistreated by Dr. Adde.

I do not even want to give 1 star from the experience we had with this supposed Behavioral Health Company. We asked to speak to someone about their Outpatient Programing, instead we were treated unfairly and felt violated beyond measure. We were placed in a locked room, our keys, phones, wallets taken, a metal detector used to ensure we were "safe". Then when we attempted (repeatedly) to explain our purpose of being there the "counselor" we had told us that we had to go through the assessment process for our son no matter what. Then we were told that our son couldn't leave unless they felt he was safe to go. They actually threatened to remove our son from our custody, and all we were there for was to see if their outpatient therapy program was best suited for his needs. I WAS APPALLED at how we were treated, and left feeling violated of our rights. NEVER use this company, EVER! My husband and I work in the health care field and cannot believe the treatment our family went through.

Terrible place. Never send a family member here if you care about them.

They make It Impossible to contact your loved one! You need to have a pt ID number but how can you get that if you aren't able to talk to your person. I have called multiple times theses last couple days and was told they can only take a message for my person. I am becoming increasingly concerned in the health and well being of my fiance. I'm literally his emergency contact on the forms they made him sign so why am I not permitted to contact him!!!!!!!! The 2 times he has tried to call and I answered the phone beeps 3 times then hung up. I called the facility to ask why when I answer his calls they are dropping and was told the call was patched through improperly!!!!!! So how am I supposed to get his ID number if your staff cant even transfer a call properly.

I will not go into it here publicly, but am giving it 1-star in hopes it will slow down their patient-load for those who are considering voluntary check-in. I strongly do not recommend this facility. I agree with most all the reviews I ve read here.

I feel sorry for people who need help and have to come here. I listened to my mom on the phone be mistreated by staff. And they would lie about her sleeping or being on the phone and she would call 2 minutes later saying she was waiting for the phone. They barely communicated with us. I was supposed to sign papers for my mom to be in my care and they just let her out the door. I went through her paperwork and there were other private emails for other patients mixed into hers. At least she was safe in there, but other than that I feel sorry for whoever has to be in their care.

Highlands Behavioral health system is a fantastic short term inpatient treatment facility. As a clinician I trust the staff at Highlands to give my clients the best possible treatment. Besides their caring staff their modalities are in the best interest of my client. My clients have came back from Highlands feeling as though they have a head start on their treatment goals. I would highly recommend Highlands intensive outpatient program for teens as well (CAMP) . It is a great way to provide high quality care in a short term setting.

Terrible place, they took my brother from ER without my permission or informing me. Please keep your love one away from this place. I really have hard time to get a hold of my brother. The staff needs to be in the some sort of behavior program, very ill-mannered, unprofessional and rude.

Ridiculous place! Gave the special pt number and some rude RN wouldn t let us talk to the pt. Unbelievable that a mental health place doesn t support the patients mental health by allowing people who were given the special pt. number by the pt. s parents to talk to them. How do you expect pt s to heal if you don t allow those who positively support them to have time with them to check in...mental health care is broken!!!

They will talk to your under the pretense of being an outpatient facility, even if you say you "just need to talk" you will be forced into a minimum 72hour hold even if you are healthy, happy, and have never made a suicide attempt. The hold results in you being put into a facility with people who have very serious conditions and require additional care they are not getting. The nursing staff is touch and go, the helpfulness is limited of all persons, and it will be very difficult to get a lawyer or in touch with anyone if you need additional help. Do not recommend. Use a web service to find a psychotherapist or psychiatrist if you need drug management help. Do not go here unless an attempt has been made, or family/friends are unable to be supportive to the patient at this time.

I was told he would get med the day he got there it was 3 days later still no meds, I was told the doctor was out sick. So I guess they only have one doctor that can write a script. Do not let you child go there worst experience ever. We were going through enough we didn t need the hassle of fighting to get him help!

Watch you step at Highlands! Make sure your MD & Psych docs compare meds with each other! I checked myself in & when the 48 hour hold was over , they forced me to sign in for how ever long they wanted to keep me. To top it all off, the over does me for three days & mixed meds that were not to be mixed then I came down with what I now know was , Vasculitis & I could not walk for three days! They did NOTHING at all about this. Refused to give me the med list ( nurse snuck it to me ) and sent me a bill for over 110.0000 !
Needless to say, That bill will never be paid!
Look at the review summary ! 2.9 stars ? Would you want you child or for that case ANY family member in this hell hole?

At one point , they had me so drugged up that I could not stay awake in group & the group leader yelled out, " Do us all a favor & get her the hell out of here . Her snoring is disrupting this group! " Yea thats what people do when they are o.d. ing ! It is not snoring however, it is gasping for air !
This place KNEW they were in trouble & what they did to me was WRONG. When that second bill came , I called & told them, "If I get one more bill from you , I will sue for that amount twice"! I never got another bill. What does that tell you?
You are better off at Porter or EVEN Denver Health ! At least THEY monitor drugs!

A few of the staff members were kind and caring people, but a majority of them were just cold, insensitive, and even egotistical. A lot of them treated their patients as if they were inferior. None of them offered me any emotional support, and it was so blatantly obvious they did not genuinely care about their patients. They also handled many situations rather inappropriately. I was put on what was called SP3 treatment, which restricted a lot of my freedom and required me to always be within arms-length of a staff member. These staff members assigned to follow me around did not so much as introduce themselves to me, or give any indication whatsoever that they were trying to keep me safe. They would just follow me around like mindless zombies and treat me like some sort of stray dog they were forced to watch. In addition to this, I had to have some strange man who didn't so much as tell me his name watch me sleep all night, all whilst they had completely drugged me up. Is that not an extremely inappropriate and triggering situation? I came out of this facility 10x more emotionally unstable than I was when I went in. The staff is incompetent.

When I was released, I proceeded to look through my case file. Despite the fact that I underwent no thorough, in-depth psychological evaluation whatsoever, someone decided to diagnose me with borderline personality disorder and leave multiple papers in my case file stating this. At no point during my stay at highlands was I evaluated by anyone thoroughly enough that they could have possibly come to this conclusion. Not to mention how ridiculous and illogical it is to diagnose a patient with a personality disorder and neglect to even discuss it with them! I honestly don't understand how in god's name these people take themselves seriously. I can't even express how much built up anger I have against the highland's staff.

If you know what's good for you, seek treatment else where. Highlands is a joke.

I would recommend this facility to my friends, family and all who need help. The staff and doctors work very hard to help you get into a good place....

It is my honest opinion that this facility needs to be shut down. If you have any choice in where to send a psych patient, I would urge to avoid this facility at all costs. Very little treatment is received by patients - it is essentially an over-priced holding facility run by a group of jaded 20-somethings.

There is so little treatment provided that patients are able to read a full-length novel each day. Even though groups are scheduled throughout the day, the social workers/facilitators regularly do not show up. Of those who do show up, it's clear that they despise their jobs. These poor kids fresh out of college with their degrees already hating the path their life has taken, making the patients' stays even worse.

The communication between different levels of staff members is terrible, leading to a ridiculous amount of inefficiency in patient care. This place is everything that's wrong with mental healthcare in the USA - minimal to nonexistent care to either gouge insurance companies or bankrupt vulnerable patients.

Incredibly poor care also led to the death of patient Carson Magines, who was overdosed on Fentanyl and dead for HOURS before BHS noticed it, then tried to cover it up. Please google this for yourself to get an idea of their level of 'care'.

Don't send anyone you love here! no consideration for the patient only for making money for their hospital. Nurses and doctors are not qualified to run this facility.

I was put in the adolescent ward 2 years ago and I got very sick. I was throwing up constantly and they were insisting I had an eating disorder and needed treatment for it.
I had a kidney infection that went untreated and they just wanted to blame it on something else. I hated it.

I've been inpatient 4 times and this facility was by far the worst. I told them from the moment I arrived I'd ended up on an m1 hold largely because my work schedule made it almost impossible to make a psychiatrist appointment and I needed meds before I left if anything was going to change. I left without having taken a single mood stabilizer. They tried to pass off Adderall as an antidepressant. They said they made an appointment with a psychiatrist for me late on the Monday I was spposed to go back to work. Took the day off, got there, they had never heard of me. While I was there, more than one patient was hassled for using a wheel chair only to fall once it was taken away. My roommate had seziures and was constantly ignored during them. Seriously, if they send you here, you might as well just like to get out as fast as you possibly can. They will not help you at all.

If I could give less than 1 star I would. Unfortunately, this was my daughter's 6th time being hospitalized, but her first time here. This was by far the worst facility she has been at. We didn't have a family meeting except for her discharge meeting, I didn't meet or speak with a Dr. regarding her meds, nothing came of this hospitalization. When you spend 16 hours at the hospital waiting for your daughter to be admitted, just so that nothing comes of it, is absolutely frustrating. Advocate for your kids and try to go anywhere but here if you truly want your kids to get help.

My 15 year old daughter has been in this facility for 6 days and I cannot be more pleased with the staff. They have been very caring and supportive. My daughter has said everyday that everyone was so nice there. I feel she got the care and support that she needed during her stay there.

Absolutely a terrible place physically and mentally. After specifically telling them, towards the end of my stay, that I was no longer suicidal, they noted down that I was "extremely suicidal and depressed". Along with this they would not lift my hold on the artificial grounds that I was "homocidal and a danger to others" despite never having a violent background or indicating any violent tendencies ever! Not only did they tamper with my legal documents, but they continued to threaten not only me but my parents by refusing to indicating if I would leave in a week or not. They also kept one of the kids longer than needed, for INSURANCE PURPOSES! On top of that, my doctor or whatever he was, was going to force me to take a large dose of meds, even though I explained that I would not take any due to personal and idealogical reasons. However, "strangly" the revoked that after my attorney contacted me. The next day they woke me up at what I assume was earlier than normal due I the lack off sunlight to let me know that I would be leaving that day even after being told just hours earlier that they needed further evaluation of when I would leave. I assume it may have been that I dragged an attorney into this, if so that would have been very dangerous if I had actually needed the help. The drama continued unto my attorney and new therapist when they reused to give her my records. These people are not only rude, but they are slimy and arrogant. NEVER SEND ANYONE HERE UNLESS THE NEED FOOD!!

There is a reason this place has a 2.5 rating. The staff is relatively friendly and the food is actually better than I expected, but that is where my compliments run dry.

First, the social worker assigned to me started to make medical suggestions to me about a subject that I am highly educated about. I felt like I was being treated like a child.

Second, they have created a system that is so bogged down in paperwork that it is completely inefficient. If you need something signed or review etc, don't even bother. Now that I think of it, I don't think they even had computers available to the staff.

Third, one of the "doctors" was from Nigeria and had 0 American medical credentials.

And finally, upon discharge my phone could not be located. My social worker came outside and was told about the issue. He went inside and came back out very shortly telling my father and I that he reviewed the camera footage from when I arrived and I did not have a phone with me. I went and used a computer to locate my phone's last whereabouts and it showed that it was still at the hospital. At this juncture the social worker who "reviewed" the tapes was gone and was ignoring our phone calls. Luckily enough someone from Risk Management put together a team who found my missing phone. This Rick Management person also told me that the social worker didn't have access to the security cameras. So in short, the social worker assigned to me lied to my face and my father's face, for what reason? I have no idea.

If you need help go ANYWHERE else.

This was my first stay in a psych unit as an adult and I don't remember a whole lot from it. What I do remember was a lot and I do mean a LOT of coloring. There was NOTHING else to do there. The staff was not interested in anything you had to stay. I had maybe one therapy session. I don't remember meeting with a doctor but I must have since I was put on medication. They would only release me to my family out of state because I was still a huge suicide risk. 13 months, 9 hospital stays (6 months total inpatient) stays later I'm finally on the road to recovery. There ARE good places out there...this isn't one of them. I wouldn't go back.

I felt it important to add a review.... my child was being put on a 72 hr hold, and the only place they could find with an open bed was Highlands. I read the reviews, talked to a few folks and boy was I freaked out. My son arrived just before midnight and the place just felt cold.... the lady checking my son in was very straightforward and honest and I was very upset I had to leave my child there. After the first day & visit, I felt more comfortable about the situation. The staff have a tough job... they are keeping our teens safe and alive... and that isn't always easy. It's not a fancy place, definitely plain and simple- but you must consider a lot of patients that arrive are on high alert, angry, upset or maybe even high on something.. so what can you expect?? Don't!! Do not walk into this place with expectations. Walk into here with hope that you will wall out with your family member in a better state of mind then when they arrived. Be grateful for safe places like this and be respectful to the employees- they have a tough job. While there are many activities, keeping in mind our visit was only 3 days, we were provided a clean bed (bring your own blanket!), food (this isnt a school lunch meal & definitely not a 5 star restaurant), clean bathrooms with running water (a shower can be a blessing with the anxiety and stress is high) and pleasant staff (at least every one we worked with was very nice). So, parents... take a deep breath, say a prayer and know- you child is safe here.

I rated this place one star, it wouldn t let me do 0 stars!!!! My daughter was released today!!!!! First Complaint..... Very disappointed with the Social Worker Lauren! I liked her at first but suddenly when I didn t agree with her the attitude came out!!!!! I was trying to get her transferred 2 days ago, no other place would take her without good behavior for 72 hours. Suddenly after 1 day of good behavior they wanna send her home....still in mania! So I disagreed with them and they informed me If I didn t come get her I would be reported for Negligence . JT is a staff member who looks like a gang member....gold teeth, ghetto attitude and used excessive force with my daughter!! I asked to see the tape from that day, but they wouldn t allow me too. They claim my daughter threw a large heavy wood framed chair( I don t agree ) she only weight 120 lbs!!!!!!!!! The doctor was great!!! He is very good at diagnosing and prescribing the appropriate meds!!! Some of the staff truly cared....... most of them seemed to hate their jobs!!!!!!!! Most of the time my daughter was there I was up all night stressing about her being there!!!! Glad she is no longer there!!!!!!! Beware of this place it s very bad!!!!!!!

I am not a patient there but my son is and I understand the Hippo laws, his social worker hasn t called me back also the staff seems nice but I get a gut feeling it s not good. We will be going up to check on the facility soon maybe I can change my rating hopefully...

We had a very disappointing and quite scary experience. The doctor refused to review or read any previous tests that we had done. He refused to speak with our current treatment team including therapist and doctor who have treated for many years. He took away all medications and left the patient depressed, physically shaken and lethargic. The staff threatened to call social services if we did not pick up on their timing despite us living many hours away. After reporting issues with Dr. he refused to meet with patient - he would poke his head in room daily and then charge for a visit - unethical at the least. This is our second very bad experience here if other beds are available please consider another hospital.

This was our first experience with a behavior health care facility. A few experiences have us concerned about the professionalism and care provided:
1. While I was waiting in the lobby a family left the facility. The employee that was with them turned to me and said my relative would have a bed available because they just got rid of an angry, uncooperative family.
2. The day of intake my relative spent over four hours in the unit's common area, in school desk, in a paper gown, cold and waiting for instruction. This doesn't appear to be the best way to help someone in need. I spoke to the staff to determine the hold-up and was told several times that they are understaffed and would get to my relative as soon as they could. (Positive - the staff was kind and reassuring, it appeared they doing the best they could under the circumstance. This is the only reason for the 2nd star in the rating.)
3. I spoke to the social worker the following day. They initiated the conversation by stating my relative came in with an "entitled attitude". After I explained the situation that occurred the day prior and some additional information they apologized. They stated they would have the patient advocate discuss the situation with the staff and my relative. In addition, the patient advocate would be calling me to discuss both #1 & #2. I did not received a phone call and no one discussed the situation with my relative.

My 13 year old daughter was admitted here voluntarily for depression. My wife and I thought this was supposed to be a helpful place. We could not have been more wrong!!!

This was more like some sort of sick real life horror story.

First we were told that we would have normal visiting hours. Never was it ever mentioned that we would NOT be able to see our daughter.

After we showed up for our first visit and turned away, and told it was only a phone call. We called in. The rude woman that answered the phone snapped out, that there were too many patients and that our names would be put on a waiting list. If there was time in the next session our daughter could call us back.

That was enough!!!

Time to get her out, or so we thought.

We were told that since this was a voluntary visit, we could take her out any time we wanted. Oh not so!

You see, a doctor has to ok the release. And if a doctor is away for the weekend, well shucks, guess this becomes a legal kidnapping.

Oh, and of course when the doctor finally does come back and finds it within their schedule to sign the paperwork, it is of course " against medical approval" so now insurance will not cover it.

Somehow, I just cannot understand how people who operate places like this can consider themselves healthcare professionals.

Money hungry fiends with no souls who feed on people who are looking for help in desperate places in life. Yes, I believe there is a special place in hell for those who operate Highlands Behavioral Center.

Dr Hernandez is a great psychiatrist I would recommend this place to anyone :) in need of help

It is beyond difficult to get an appointment here, so be prepared to wait weeks and weeks to schedule. Do your self a favor and RUN someplace else. The quality of the care is sub par. I had nothing but a bad experiance. I brought my son in for counseling and he spent the better part of an hour sitting in the hall coloring while I was lectured by a "therapist" on proven theory's. We came for counseling for my son, not for a class based on someones psychology 101 lesson.

The food is average, chairs are hard and uncomfortable, staff asume people faking tics/tourettes, staff respects triggers and pronouns but not preferred name, and very little privacy when using the bathroom/showering. Overall my experience was 7/10

I was on 175 mg of medication and they made me go off of them cold turkey. I spent four days in this facility dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous and the staff did nothing. Not to mention there were several occasions when kids were supposed to be discharged but the doctor decided not to let them leave last minute without an explanation. Please don t send your kids here if you want them to get help, I recommend Children s instead.

Caring, hardworking staff but a horrible system. I am writing this on my mother s google account to protect my information. I went here in mid-January for a suicide attempt and was placed on the kids in-patient level. I hardly got any follow up, COVID procedures are heavily flawed, and on top of that me and many others were mistreated by some of the staff. However, the majority of the staff are hard working individuals with a passion and need to help. I had went in-patient two times at highlands, and php once and I did not get any good follow-up plans. The only reason I gave this place 2 stars is because of some of the wonderful staff that helped me. Some staff gossiped about other patients. Even after several grievances nothing changed. Do not voluntarily come here!

They helped me. It is a mental hospital not a hotel. I think a lot of these negative comments are from people pissed they had to go there.

First, look up Carson Magines to get an idea of this place... If you want to get better, escape your problems, and hope for a better tomorrow, this place isn't it. Now there were a few really good staff members that I met while I stayed there for 9 days.
Teresa, Jt and his brother being a few of them. There are a handful of others, however I can't remember there names. I admitted myself into Denver health and got transferred over here. The "doctors" and "psychiatrists" meet with pretty much everyone. They'll go down a checklist and group your symptoms into what they assume you have. They don't actually listen to their patients. Once they throw you and your symptoms into a convenient category, they will prescribe every medication known to man for you. Of course you don't have to accept them if you feel as though you don't need them which I never accepted. If you don't accept medications and don't agree with their "diagnosis" they'll write whatever they feel about you anyway because "they need to show something to the insurance company" (not my quote but a php staff member's quote).

Mr. Adde doesn't listen and doesn't care. Rana doesn't care and doesn't listen. I've seen people get many new medications during their stay only to end up with some severe side effects. People were prescribed medications for symptoms that did not need medications. When patients told their doctors, psychiatrists and nurses that their medications weren't helping, they were never taken seriously or listened to.

There were at least 5 fights, some of them being physical. This was due to the lack of care from many of the staff. Now I understand everyone is there due to various mental health issues. However, when someone reported an issue about another patient to the staff, nothing was ever done to resolve the issue which led to tensions rising and therefore outbursts of emotions from having to continually deal with the same problems. Group therapy sessions usually led no where. Topics were vague. There was no one-on-one therapy which many people desperately needed. Instead, people with built up frustrations released their concerns during group therapy with lengthy dialogues about themselves.

Inappropriate actions were not handled correctly leading to other patients having to try and correct them on their own. Outdoor therapy is basically a "therapist" taking patients outside and telling them to go play which is the same thing the bha staff did except it wasn't called therapy. The native american cafeteria staff lady is rude and very short with everyone. It took me 10 hours to finally get discharged after being told a solid time and continually asking staff members what the hold up was, and that was because someone forgot to call me a taxi.

Rules are not regulated. People wore shoes with laces sometimes, some people could wear piercings while others couldn't, "phone time" was supposed to be 10 minutes a person yet many stayed on the phone for up to an hour. Negative behavior was still rewarded while people with positive behavior suffered such as myself. Yoga therapy was great though.

I went into Highlands just wanting to end my life. I left Highlands feeling like I needed medication and could hurt someone else lol. This place is a joke at best right now. Save your money/insurance and go somewhere else. Get your own psychiatrist, therapist, and doctor. You won't talk to these guys that much or for very long.They don't really care overall. * Horizon Unit *

Danielle, the so-called PHP program therapist is quite racist as well. Even though I was participating and engaging in the program, for some reason she targeted me the full two days she was there, Wednesday and Thursday claiming I wasn't participating. If you want to "pass" their program here are the steps: 1. Don't be black. 2. Pretend everything is absolutely perfect with your life. 3. Ask Danielle for her number that way she feels wanted and important.

This place made me worse, much much worse. They're just an insurance money dump. Stay away.

Im 12 and I have to say this is a waste of your money it takes your money to repair their crap hole

I was in the adult horizon unit for 48 hours.....I'm truly surprised with the negative reviews! The food was good, you have to wear paper scrubs but can request clothing from friends or family to be more comfortable....every staff member I encountered was attentive, caring, helpful, and friendly. An inpatient psychiatric unit is a scary please to be, but HRBH made it "easy"....I start the outpatient program tomorrow. I highly recommend HRBH!

Horrible place. My daughter was just discharged today. She is worse! Has new huge self inflicted deep scratches up and down her arms... she refused any treatment/ meds they sent her home???? Isn t this a place to get evaluation and treatment? I told the social worker that I was not comfortable sending her home. She told me she would call CPS if I didn t pick her up... is highlands not a safe place? Why would you call cps? I have the recording of the threat I also work for a major CO health system. I will be spreading the word about the treatment my family received and the treatment my daughter did not receive.

Went here for PHP or IOP assessment. They were 10-15 minutes late for my appt then took me and my husband back to intake and started to process me for hospitalization instead of IOP. When I told them I wasn't here for hospitalization they continued to process me. When I told them this program wasn't for me and asked to be let out, they told me no, I had to stay for processing and I was locked in along with my husband(illegally). I had to call the police to be let out. When they came, they verified that I was not in crisis and let me out. After leaving, the officer said that that happens a lot at this facility. Go somewhere else if you're looking for IOP.

I can't complain. They took me in when I was in a great deal of need. They treated me very well on the Horizon Unit and I felt extremely safe there. The things I learned there are priceless and really helped me with my life and all that was going on in it. Thank you for another chance of day, Highlands!

I'd describe it as a lot of really good people working in a terrible system. I signed myself in voluntarily expecting to be able to leave as I felt more stable but was kept unwillingly for a further 3 days. When a problem would come up, their solution was medication. A LOT of medication. Now having been on medication for a while, this wouldn't have been a big deal had I not cycled through 3 different drugs in a period of 4 days. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. It felt like I was a prisoner.

I gave this facility a 1 star, when I really didn't want to give any at all. My therapists for outpatient therapy were WONDERFUL, and I will always be thankful for the things they taught me to get by.

The doctors, however, MISDIAGNOSED me. Before I was in thr program, I was tested thoroughly for adult ADHD at another facility in my home town. The results said I was severe, and needed medication for it. I ran out of medication shortly after moving last summer, so my mental health diminished because no doctor believed that I had ADHD and refused to reach out to my old psychiatrist for records. I got really sick before until I finally checked in to Highlands Behavioral.

When I first saw the doctor during my therapy, I was told "You are not ADHD. You would be bouncing off the walls. You are bi polar." When I told them that they were unfortunately wrong and that I had records to prove it, they denied that I had any proof and wouldn't bother contacting my old psychiatrist. So, I was put on medication that made me VERY sick and when I told them, I was dismissed and given more medications. I became severely suicidal from these medications, to the point where I found a new doctor. She took me off all of the bi-polar meds and tested me again for ADHD.. where.. SURPRISE!!! I WAS INDEED SEVERE ADHD!!!! Ever since I got on the RIGHT medication, I have never been happier. Your doctors are NOT real doctors, apparently. A REAL doctor listens to their patients and does what needs to be done.

The doctors there are failing their patients. And if you disagree, you are a part of the issue. Shame on your facility for not hiring credible doctors who do research!!!! AND SHAME ON YOUR FACILITY FOR NOT CHECKING BACK ON YOUR PATIENTS!!!!!

I don't care if my therapists were amazing, I would never recommend this place to anyone. There are much better facilities out there. Yes, they are pricier, but I would have much rather paid a lot extra to see a credible doctor who cared about my mental health and not prescribing random meds.

Don t send you re child here. My daughter has been here for 5 days. Monday they left a message saying they needed to speak to me about medication. I ve been calling for 4 days and have yet to hear from anyone. They just keep telling me they will give the message. My daughter has been inpatient before I know this is not the way things are done. If you re thinking about services here don t. The staff seems nice on the unit but I ve never seen anything so disorganized and detrimental to my daughters mental health. At this point I don t even feel like she s safe there because of the lack of proper care. I don t know if they are short staffed or what but it s unacceptable. I m about to start calling regulatory offices and my insurance company to try to get her transferred somewhere else. I can t even reach the patient advocate .

Staff seems'ok' but im not sure what problem they have.
My wife had an episode.this was the only place I could try to get her help.
I pray they are able to help her

I agree with many other people on their opinions of this place. when we went to visit my sister in here we were always 30 minutes late to go into the visiting room because they were t ready for the visitors I guess. as we were getting ready to discharge her, they promised us all these appointments and when we called to set up a time on the day they gave us, they never even scheduled us on the day! no one wanted to answers my mother or I s questions and my sister only got worse since she was admitted. if you truly love your someone, don t send them here

I was recently transferred here from the ER. Other patients there are great, bring your own crayons, the crayons there suck. If the weather is nice, we have recess outside :)

I was inpatient in the Horizon unit for 6 days, I realized once I returned to my life how much it helped me. I would recommend this location for anyone dealing with depression, or suicidal thoughts! Thank you!

Thank god im not the only person with an extremely horrific experience here. I think about this place everyday and i ve been out for a while now. Please if you truly care about someone and they need to be safe do NOT bring them here. Since the day I was discharged I have nightmares about this place all the time. I had to have more therapy once I was discharged because of the nightmares and flashbacks I was having. This place is living hell, at least when I was there. Please do not send your loved ones, ESPECIALLY TEENS here. It s awful and made everything go down hill the minute I got there and when I had been discharged.

Honestly our daughter received fantastic care. Food, was awesome she said and nursing care was great as well. Saved out daughter.

Basically prison. Every day there I d look out the window at the Taco Bell way in the distance hoping to be free like everyone else at Taco Bell. I was 18 but put in the kids ward but apparently I was too old and had a room all by myself, if that s not more depressing. The shower has no door but a thin sheet, thus I did not shower, cause staff is allowed to peak in. At night the pillows were paper thin, staff wake you up with a bright light every few hours. When I was diagnosed as perfectly fine and could go home they would not release me because i Had no where to go! I d rather have been homeless than here! You had to line up each morning like prisoners, wear wristbands with all your info, making friends was advised against, large selection of food but staff watched you and noted how much you ate, outside during gym outside you had to be doing something and staff constantly watched, you couldn t just enjoy the outdoors which was rare. Staff with ok but it felt as though they didn t care or listen. The worst part was you got to use a phone once a day for 5 minutes! That was the highlight of the day but also sad as well knowing that whoever you were talking to was free and living elsewhere. 5 minutes isn t long enough. There were visitation times, about 30 minutes a week or something, and it was sad if no one showed up to visit with you, also sad that all these people had freedom and you didn t. I received no therapy or real help, just was confined and caged , no one but staff could leave the building, there were codes and locks on everything and the place was constantly cold and you were always watched. Most everyone was medicated. One girl had been there for over a year and was perfectly normal. This was years ago but I d still hate to go anywhere near that building!

Highlands Behavioral Health facility is (in my opinion) one of the BEST behavioral facility hospital in the state and possibly the nation. Their food is amazing, (oh and by the way, there is a cafeteria so you can eat with your fellow peers and staff for all 3 meals), they have various "groups/therapy sessions", gym time, outdoor rec, permission to smoke cigarettes after each meal (Breakfast, lunch and dinner), nutritional classes, fresh HOT WATER showers with GREAT WATER PRESSURE, coffee (decaf) available ALL DAY LONG and regular caffeine coffee available at meal times downstairs, phone time, visitations, they provide FREE hygiene products (soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, brushes, hair ties, you name it, etc. and so on and so forth! I could go on ALL day about all the great things provided to patients and staff at HBH! The staff is amazing at what they do and HELP US ALL to keep a healthy routine/schedule going, (that includes ALL positions, including, maintenance and cooks), the behavioral health specialists, care coordinators and doctors alike! I had Dr. Wright and he does an exceptionally well job and is a great human being! ALL of the rest of the staff are as equally loveable and caring (Erin, Jason, Zeuss, Bernard, "Tee", Kendall, Nick, (If I spelt her name wrong, I apologize!), Patty, the young Native American young lady, Rob, the pastor gentleman, and EVERYONE else was just as loving! The entire staff was quick to calm down any tense situations or arguments that may have arisen while I was there and did so in a professional manner, in my opinion! They also make sure to take notes and evaluate what and who to assign as roomates (in other words, they take the proper precautionary steps to insure all of our safety and needs and quite frankly, they fulfilled all mine! The doctors an nurses work together to monitor ALL the patients whom take medications and they do an excellent job about following up with patients and explaining to them how their meds work and making sure everyone who needs so gets a safe and adequate amount (due to daily check-ins and follow-ups, etc., I observed staff continually asking questions and interacting with ALL patients, I observed some negative reviews on here, however, my review is positive because it is the truth LoL! Dr. Wright, righted my wrongs and did a very professional job and ya, ALL staff there rock! <3:)<3 The facility is very clean and organized and they make sure that all patients are safe and sound and do 15 minute intervals to make sure everyone is safe and OKAY! Obviously, it is a very good alternative to other options and they treat everyone very fairly and just! I do not wish to go back LoL, however, I would definitely give this place a 5 star rating oh and did I mention... they have a laundry machine there, TV, music room, snack time, all kinds of great options for both the patients and staff alike! Maybe one day I can go there as a volunteer of some sort and put smiles on people's faces, just as they did on mine! May Jehovah (God) and Jesus Christ bless EVERYONE there, including staff and patients alike! This place gets FIVE STARS and it's a unanimous rating at that! Much love, AMEN! <3:)<3
P.S. - The average stay is between 7-10 days (is what my mother told me), however, if you cooperate with everyone, follow the simple rules and guidelines, go to one of many various groups, proper hygiene, eat your meals and stay healthy, it certainly may expedite the process towards an early discharge/termination, take me for example... my stay was approximately six days, so, if you set your mind to it and obey the authority, you can get out even earlier than anticipated! Transportation is also provided (a taxi voucher) free of charge for those who do not have a way to get home! Allow me to end this review by saying God (Jehovah) bless the entire Highlands Behavioral Health facility and all staff and patients alike! Bless ALL your hearts and in the name of our HEAVENLY FATHER JEHOVAH & in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!!!!!!! <3:)<3

I was taken here from manitou springs, afer a suicide attmpt led to me being taken by ambulence to memorial hospital. this was such a great place. we got to go outside and listen to music in the courtyard every day for 30 min to 1 hour. it doesnt seem that great, but t me it was amazing. the hospital that i had previously gone to was PeakView and we would get barely 10 minutes of outsede time in a tiny courtyard per week. not per day, per WEEK. the staff was very kind and helpful, knew how to help me, they had pretty good food, and i was even able to bring my dog and see her once or twice a week. i couldve had her all the time but a boy in my unit was terribly allergic to dogs and shes a lab so tha wouldnt have been good at all. i made lots of friends and they even let me switch rooms so i could be with one of my friends i had met there. they had a whole room of games that you could access all day and you could bring them to your room to play. we got to go to a gym downstairs and play games for a while every day and that was fun. they let you have shoes in your room after they took the laces out (for obvious reasons) the doctors were nice too. the only reason i gave this 4 stars is because after my 1 week was up my mom had to wait for 3 hours for me to come out. please go here! it may have changed because is ben about 1year since ive been here but id still recommend it to anyone.

Absolutely abhorrent care. Do not go here. Do not send your family here. The staff is unprofessional and emotionally and verbally abusive to patients. If you want your loved ones to become MORE suicidal, send them here.
I was put on medication while there, which us the only help you will receive. There is only a social worker to set you up with outpatient treatment and a doctor who will prescribe meds. No therapy at all. Most group sessions were canceled. The nurses would leave the TV on and call it "Cinema Therapy".
I was set up with an outpatient medication evaluation for the day I was discharging from Highlands. I was never told about this appointment and even if I were told, I was still in the hospital, therefore unable to make it. I found out about the missed appointment a month later when I had my outpatient therapy appointment. By that time I was running out of medication but could not get into the outpatient psychiatric appointment for 3 weeks. The psychiatric place told me to call Highlands and have my doctor call in a prescription.
I called Highlands 8 times in 6 days. I kept getting told the doctor would call me and/or call in the prescription. He did not. The 9th call someone called me back (who received my message from the Chief Nursing Officer) and she said she would call me back after talking to the doctor to have him call in a refill. She never called back. On the advice of my pharmacist, who had also been waiting on a response from Highlands for 6 days, I drove 2.5 hours to Highlands to talk to someone in person about getting the med refill. After an aide tried to get in touch with several people (social worker, doctors) she said she would take down my info and have another doctor call in my prescriptions. After 3 hours, the prescriptions were not called in. I was completely distraught at this point. I went to a crisis center for help but the only thing I could do was check myself back into a crisis unit. The next day I was able to get my prescriptions refilled.
My time inside Highlands was stressful and traumatic and I continue to be traumatized after leaving.

Patient died here in 2014. Highlands tried to cover it up.

For those wondering why there is such mixed reviews, it's really quite simple: This place is great if you are rich and have great insurance, but if you are poor and have little to no insurance this is nothing more than a prison you have to pay out the a$$ for and will get kicked out of as soon as the money stops flowing. In short, this place is an overpriced daycare center for rich terrible parents to drop off their spoiled brats for awhile so they don't have to deal with the monsters they've made. Or in some instances the teen/young adult will be well-behaved and depressed for a good logical reason, but their parents don't want to take responsibility for their child's upbringing and depression. If you are an adult and your depression stems from money problems, then going here is the worst possible thing you can do to yourself. Just like any other business it's all about making as much money as possible as fast as possible, and believe me, the law is on their side.

You've been warned.

I was hospitalized for a week (7 days), I fell out of the shower, in my room, from the floor being soaked with water, because the shower curtain had about 5 inches of gap on each side, the water constantly went onto floor. Now there were approximately 25 patients and at least half of them told staff about the shower curtains. They were not repaired. So anyhow, I asked to go see a doc, they said the doc will be in, in the morning. Gave me ice/hot packs, flexeril, nothing to kill any pain. Asked a nurse to check my vitals, as I felt chest pain and I do have congestive heart failure. So nurse decidesto call down stairs to see if I needed another evaluation to be held, so I then have to wait this other person to get where we are. So in the meantime, the nurse asked me "are you just wanting us to take you to the hospital?", I said of course not, I can't afford this place much less a hospital bill too. So once they have the lady to come over and reevaluate me. Once they decided that I am okay and not needing to be strapped in or whatever it is, that happens. The nurses ask again, how are you now. I said I still have pain in my chest and now its radiating my neck and down my left arm. So finally the nurse that didn't believe me says "okay going to get ambulance to come get you and send you to the hospital. No, it wasn't my heart, but if it had been, I could've died!

If you don't like feminist sjw's and being taken off most or all of your meds. Don't go here. It's full of that.

Longer review on YELP. Voluntary patient, 8 day stay (tues-wednesday).

What can I say in the few words I have? The staff ratio of 12 patients to 1 staff member? The lack of credentials displayed? How I was injured by the head of recreational therapy and my wound was not treated? How I was pushed out the door and had to call 911 from the parking lot as I was vomiting?

This place bullies and belittle and breads patients down.

If you love the people who are seeking help, seek help else where!

I was informed this evening that a male staff memember, Jeremy... was checking on my 15 year old daughter in the shower....by my daughter.
So, I asked to speak with the charge nurse who informed me this is a common practice and they are vetted to do so....

As any mother, I got upset.... at which point the charge nurse (who refused to give me her name) became condescending and extremely rude.

As a mother, I assure you... I will NOT stand for a male checking on my daughter while she is showering!!
I am contacting 9 news in the morning.
I assure you miss charge nurse this common practice will be changed, or I will not rest until you are shut down!!!

You have my Child to help her not to cause more issues!

No adult MAN... will look in on my Child in the shower ever!!!!
I will be contacting the news first thing in the morning!

I do not, in any way... recommend sending your children here!!!

Do you want your child checked on by a member of the other sex... while they are nude?!

I damn sure do not!

I refuse to be spoken to in the way miss charge nurse chose to speak to me!

You will be investigated! A man looking at my child in the shower is child abuse!

My 15 year old daughter is there for help, not to be watched shower by an ADULT MAN!

Do not allow them to care for your children.

Awful staff and adults of the other sex are vetted to look in on your child in the shower!!!!!!!!

This will NOT be stood for! And I assure you I will not back down until this is resolved or this place is shut down and exposed!!!

Very poorly run business. Staff even sent me to another hospital with someonelse's stuff after weeks of misery. Doctors were confused when I said I didn't smoke. Keep the cult of psychiatry out of your life

Despite what we are led to believe, you just like everyone else you have everything you need to be successful, happy and fulfilled. Live your life

My wife s and my calls were also ignored but I did something about it that made it impossible for them to ignore me any longer. I walked in and spoke with a social worker in person, not my loved ones, but a social worker who gave me the run down. If you re not getting a call back I d recommend you do this instead of sitting in the dark. I seemed to stir the boat. They offered to take a message but I told them that I would not be leaving until I spoke with some one. I was talking face to face with someone after 10 minutes of waiting.

The intake portion was great. It took 2-3 hours but for assessments and get some food but our first contact was a positive experience.

If you follow the proper procedures for visitation it s a smooth operation. Visitations rules are: 2 people at a time, have your ID, have the patient number, no kids under 13, no phones, no keys. Very straight forward rules. Just do it to speed up your visiting time and check your ego at the door. Your loved one is the most important thing and there needs far outweigh yours if your road of life leads you here. I d recommend getting there 15 minutes ahead of time as the front desk clerk can easily get overwhelmed with all they need to do during at the beginning of visiting hours.

If you have a loved one in the program PLEASE do yourself a favor! WHEN you receive a call from a number you don t recognize drop everything you re doing and take the call! In a meeting at work? Take the call! On a first date? Take the call! TAKE THE CALL!

That s your social worker calling to set up a family meeting after your loved one has been evaluated. Take your phone off silent! Keep looking at your phone! Do what you need to do to get that update! DO NOT MISS THAT CALL! Missing that call maybe your only chance to speak to someone on the phone, hence why I went down there. After reading all the reviews of ignored calls I took it upon myself to go to the hospital to get my answers.

Marissa was my loved ones social worker and she called my wife on 2/28/20 with an update. We missed the call and she left a message. My wife returned the call within 5 minutes. My wife and I both called her back for an update but our return calls were unanswered.

I personally walked in on 2/29/20 and requested that I speak with ANY social worker. I spoke with the weekend social worker, Tiarra, who meet me in a conference room and just gave me all that information I just shared with you.

In my case my loved one is there on a 72 hour hold. To speed up the process just take the call so you can get back to normal ASAP. It s looking like because we missed that call my person will be there longer.

Update 3/2/20: My wife and I are sitting in the waiting room for our loved one to be discharged. Dr. Ade was suppose to here around 1 PM to begin the discharge paperwork and we arrived at 2. Dr. Ade walked into the building through the front door at 2:30 and it is currently 3:47 and we are still waiting for discharge orders. I know it was Dr. Ade because the young women at the front desk said hello and called him by name. My wife is a professional nurse and the only way we got any phone calls is when my wife talked face to face with the charge nurse, Maria, on the morning of 3/1/20. As my wife always says, if you want to get anything done in a hospital talk to a nurse.

After the discharge I spoke with my loved one and found out that they only spoke with a doctor and the social worker once in the 4 days they were there. They also asked for water and was told harshly to go back to bed on by a nurse on 2/28/20.

This has been the worst experience I've ever been through with my child. My child was there for almost 48 hrs and I hadn't heard from anyone. I called several times, left messages with no return phone call. I finally called and left a fairly nasty message and finally received a call back. The communication at Highlands is terrible. If my child ever needed hospitalization again it definitely would NOT be at Highlands.

Never been but checkout intake the story by buzzfeed. Also prop the door the second you go in and it closes it locks. Better yet go somewhere else.

DO NOT TAKE LOVED ONES TO HIGHLANDS!!! They are incompetent! The lack of care, knowledge or time put into accurately evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients is putting your loved ones at risk. I rushed my daughter in for treatment and evaluation when she had made cuts on her arms and claimed to have taken 100 allergy pills. The staff member led us to a room and asked how old my daughter was. (She is 17 and a minor) He said good she was over the age of 15 she can fill out her own paperwork. I told him that I was her mother and would fill out the paperwork. I shared with him about the pills she had taken less than 30 minutes ago. I expressed my concern about what the effects would be if not quickly treated and gave him the box the pills came in so they would know exactly what she had taken. He said sorry I am not a doctor and handed me back the box and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with paperwork and handed it to my daughter. I again said I am her mother expressing my concern what the side effects could be and asked if he would please tell a nurse or doctor. He told me because my daughter was still conscious and over the age of 15 that I had no say in her treatment or admitting her. My daughter was taken in Friday at 8pm not admitted until 11pm. No doctor spoke or contacted me. No attempts were made to learn about her medical or mental history, or what events led up to her being taken in. The following morning I still had not heard from a doctor or anyone from the facility. I called to speak with the doctor and get an update on my daughter. I was not allowed to speak to anyone and told they could not confirm or deny any information and would transfer me to the social workers voicemail. I left a message asking the social worker to call me as soon as possible. No response. I went to the website and filled out a contact form with my daughters name, my contact information and a brief overview of concerns about my daughter asking them to please call me. No response. Finally at 4:03pm Saturday I received a call from a nurse asking to verify my daughters current medication dose. I said I would be happy to bring her medication in and speak with the doctor. I was told that would not be necessary. I asked when I could see my daughter and they said they would have her call me. Monday I received a call from the facility asking for insurance information I provide the information and asked to please speak to the doctor. Again I was not allowed to speak to the doctor and transferred to the social workers voicemail. A claim of depression was sent to my insurance then I received a message from the facility that my daughter was ready to be discharged. I called a begged to meet with the doctors to share my daughters history and several documents from psychologist, teachers, family members and more painting a clear ongoing history and pattern of mental health issues far beyond depression. Validated serious concern for my daughters safety and the safety of others around her. The doctor never reviewed the information and did not met with me. My daughter was released with no medication or treatment plan. I was told to lock up all knives, medications, razors or anything that she could use as a weapon and they sent us on our way. Everyday we are shocked and horrified by high school shootings and other behaviors from those with mental illness. Asking how could this happen? Take a good look at Highlands Behavior Heath and you will have your answer!!!!!

This place is the worst there was no 0 button but then I remembered the nurses and BHA are so kind! The Dr sees you for 10 minutes and diagnose you with some extreme condition. The nursing staff is amazing but the Dr are so bad that they are overwhelmed by unhappy patients. They come by every 15 minutes at night and flash a very bright light in your face until you wake up then they leave the room. Then they have males doing rounds in female rooms and I kid you not they will try and open the curtain, yes just a curtain instead of a door in the bathroom and if your in the shower you need to peak out so they can see you. So many hippa violations . There are so many violations the sych Dr will come and if you are sitting in the hall they will discuss your
Illness and everyone can hear your business and you can hear everything. They try and use fear and make you afraid to say anything. The beds are so hard and the food is aweful you go for treatment and you come out worse. I am still trying to process what I went thru. I asked to see the Dr and I was sitting down the hall and the Dr made some comments to the effect that tell that old lady to rub some cream on it. If I could here all the way down the hall every room leading to where I was sitting could here. I never asked to see another Dr ever. I think this place is more about making money then healing there patience. Worst place ever great nurses and BHA s. They were pushing medication on patients that didn t want them and denying patience that needed medication. I did not agree with the discharge papers not even close to what s on them but you will sign them just to get out of there. This place will get sued eventually it is that bad.

This place have my son medicine that has negative effects with medicine he was already taking. The two meds combined can cause seizures, coma, or death in many cases. If you want your loved one to stay healthy I don't suggestion this place at all.

Highlands does not provide enough access for patients to their family and support systems. They limit phone access to two 45 minute windows a day. They do not have enough phones for patients allotted 10 minute conversation window. If the "phone time" runs out while a patient is waiting in line for a phone, the patient is out of luck and is not allowed to talk to their family. This policy prevents patients from daily interactions with their support systems, including family and therapist. This policy is not in the best interest of the patient and will cause patients to avoid help in the future. Because of this disregard for the patients needs I can not recommend Highlands and would encourage people to look for another treatment option.

The PHP program was amazing here along with the experiential therapists. I was a patient here from April-June of this year, and am STILL getting random bills here and there. Everytime I called the business office they told me I owed this or that. Once taken care of they assured me I have a zero balance, and then a month later I m getting other bills for 25 dollars or 500 dollars.

Inpatient was atrocious. I was forgotten all day to be taken into inpatient from my Partial hospitalization program after voluntarily checking myself into inpatient. After that wait, I was taken upstairs where I was put into a random room and told absolutely nothing. I was clearly terrified. And at times I did not feel safe.

The psychiatrist was very very quick to write scripts without really talking through meds with you and really couldn t tell me directly the side effects they have. Very quick to diagnose without really understanding why you are there in the first place. Awful experience, and STILL get bills just for her from APRIL!

Also I didn t know I even HAD a social worker until my THIRD day there. And while being there voluntarily, people who got there AFTER me were able to leave right away after their involuntary 72hrs. How does that even begin to make sense? Not once, not ONCE did I actually meet my social worker Sam. I had to talk to multiple people in order to get my discharge information. I had to continue asking them when I was able to leave and no one seemed to know anything.

I m writing this now, because I m still dealing with the repercussions of being here, after receiving yet again ANOTHER bill. I m frustrated with this place that s supposed to be there to help people in crisis, as being one that is just out there for your money. That does not negate he AMAZING therapists there, but the business/corporate side of things is a big joke.

I was told by the CEO and Director of Social Services that as a legal guardian parent I had a legal right to discharge my minor daughter whom I had consented to her treatment. I expressed my concern of not getting any health status or treatment plan for my daughter for 4 days. After completion of her 72hr hold, I was told by the CEO and Director of social services that i could come pick her up. When I arrived they engaged in conversation with my former spouse who was filing for custody and all of a sudden discharge was against doctors orders. I wanted to get my daughter into Children's Hospital in which even the Director of Social Services initialized my intent on discharge paper work.

I personally do not agree with some of these responses as I was also a patient here and experienced the BHA's and other staff. Places like these have to have camera's to catch self harm, touching, and overall people talking about bad things. During my stay I saw lots of attempts of self harm but it was handled perfectly fine by the staff. Putting your self into one of these places will cause you to be monitored and loose pretty much all privacy because you're in there for most likely attempting suicide because of depression. So overall the staff were very respectful with lots of disobedient kids attempting to stress them out by refusing to go to rooms and just not give two damns.

I have been to Highlands a couple of times to do there PHP program. It was a life changing experience. Now this time it was a horrible experience. I will never return nor will I ever recommend this facility to anyone. There is no structure, they don't really protect the patients identity. They don't really teach the skills anymore like they used to and the program Director Bev is a joke. She is supposed to be in there helping us and all she does is hide in a office. She does a horrible job in protecting the patients. The counselors do not control the groups anymore. The program is frightening more than helpful.

This facility has turned into just a money making crap hole. They no longer care about people they just want money.

Don't go there.

there was a staff here one night when i was here a few months back and she got very mad for some reason and started throwing chairs around and yelling at us . which doesn t help if we aren t mentally stable . other staff are okay just that one i hope she got fired she is not professional at all .

They don t judge you and treat you with respect. They challenge you to be better and think through your emotions.

I am the parent of an adolescent patient. Please note that a LOT of the reviews on this page are from patients involuntarily held at the facility for a brief period, and should not be used to judge how this place actually works. Their views are skewed by the understandable frustration that comes from being on a temporary involuntary hold for their own safety and the safety of others.
I worked here as a nursing student intern many years ago, and also brought my daughter here for both inpatient and outpatient treatment, after two stints at CHCO in Aurora failed her. The care and counseling in this facility are AWESOME. They got her out of inpatient in 5 days, and into the outpatient 3-day-a-week program immediately after. Her suicidal ideations have vanished. Her self-confidence and self-esteem have soared. Her meds were updated. The afternoon DBT and CBT group therapies have been incredibly helpful in her fighting against unhelpful thoughts and discussing strategies with her peers to better tolerate stressors and adversity in her life and relationships. She is emerging from the programs far, far better off than she was before. She is no longer drowning in a swamp of depression and suicidal thoughts. Our lovely daughter is back.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend and appreciate Highlands Behavioral Health. Thanks for listening

My daughter was discharged today. When I heard from her I could tell she was in no shape to be discharged. She was sent to a homeless shelter and even the people at the shelter said they were concerned about her mental health. They put her in a cab to a local hospital so she could be re-evaluated. She is confused, exhausted and needs help. She is now missing, having never made it to the hospital in the springs. I am blown away that they released her in this state. The system is broken. This hospital lacks knowledge and compassion. Don t send your loved one here if you truly want help.

My adult son is a patient here. I knew because a caring and kind counselor from the ER in my town let me know. I have called this facility 4 times in the past 3 days. Depending on which staff member answered the phone, I was treated very rudely. They would not give me any information about him, even though I have been involved with his care for 16 years. A parent's worst nightmare is not knowing where your family member is.

If you have a family member or friend with cancer, broken arm- hospitals let you know the patient is there. This place really puts the STIGMA into mental illness. Rude and uncaring. I pray my son is being treated well.

If you love someone and they are depressed or suicidal do NOT send them here. I was released on Friday after a voluntary 72 hour hold. It made me so much worse, that place is horrific. Let me share some insight as a patient here:

I went in under the guise of getting a safety plan, not to be committed.

First, I was left alone in intake for over an hour, next to me was a man who was beating his head, chair, fists against the wall. No one checked on me to see if it was a trigger, I was rocking and shaking and vomiting alone in a locked room the size of a closet.

Next, you are stripped down (literally), made to repeat your story 10 times because they don't have a computer system, it's all written down. After you are stripped of your clothes, your rights, and your decency, they dump you alone in a ward without an introduction or what the rules are.

You are not allowed to leave the ward, even to go down to eat, till you've seen the doctor, which took me 32 hours to see, i wasn't checked on to see if I was eating my food, I was so emotional after being dumped into a physic ward to eat my dinner, I wasn't asked if I had eaten that day, and by morning I had gone without food for 24 hours and I had a hypoglycemic attack, which the illness is listed, and no one still ran to help me even though I said I was going to faint. You can't close a door to save your life, you don't get exercise and you are treated as an annoyance every time you have to ask for something like towels, socks, pants or food, because it's all locked up and you can't get it, and they are too busy doing their "work" to help you. Took us a whole day to get soap in a room, where our only bathroom we are allowed to use is, and we aren't allowed to go into another persons room.

I had a 9 out of 10 (pain level) migraine (chronic migraines is also listed in my chart) and I was left to suffer for 7 hours, vomiting and sobbing while they shine a light in my eyes every 15 minutes, for SEVEN hours before they called an ambulance to treat me. The "Doctor" would only recommend me Tylenol and anti nausea meds to fight a migraine.

One day we were only allowed "fresh air time" before smoke breaks after meals (3 total) for less than 7 minutes a time, that was all the sunshine and fresh air we were allowed that day.

You are not allowed to share personal information to other patients but the groups don't talk why you are there, they are just interrupted by those that can't sit still. The only time I got with the psychiatrist was for a total of 15 minutes over the span of three days, and the social working for 10 minutes one day, but I can't talk about it to anyone else? The only sunlight in this dark place are the other patients, they understand you and make you feel better, NOTHING ANYONE ELSE CAN DO THERE.

I was told the system failed me. I told them I felt I was in prison. That this place was and is a trigger. I was not put on medication and the first thing out of a doctors mouth is "the average stay is 5-7 days" but I was there only on a 72 hour hold, which we were told if we try to leave after that voluntary hold we can be placed on involuntary and all our rights stripped. This place not only made my anxiety flare, my depression to sink lower it killed a part of me I'll never get back. We are treated less than human. We are in prison for seeking help. Don't send someone you love there unless you want to lose more parts that make them whole.

This place is literally garbage. Maybe one out of ten people working there have any interest in helping those whom are struggling. They will treat you like a criminal and drug addict.

This place us a joke money hungry people who dont care about you just there to get s pay check. Your better off somewhere else. Wish I could give negative stars

My mother was brought here 2 days ago for a manic episode. I have been dealing with my mother's episodes for over 20 years, I know her better than anyone. I called yesterday in the morning and was told that I needed her patient number. They told me that she would call me with that number. I still have not talked to my mother nor any staff regarding my mom. She is being released without any care due to the fact that they will not speak to me . My mom has been in many hospitals and this is by far the worst.

As a patient there I am very unsatisfied with my treatment and discharge. As an ethnic individual there was little to no help for personal use. Also just very unorganized and communication sucks. My Dr was ok just wish I would have gotten more medication because therapist appointment isn t for a few weeks and I only got a weeks worth. After calling if could get another prescription so I don t go off the rail they said I d have to get admitted again and evaluated again hence why I feel like they are money hungry and don t care. I do however like the Asian man Dan and Pete the social worker. Y all were amazing. Aside from them, this place is a joke!

To be honest, when my daughter was sent here, I immediately googled the facility and read the reviews. It was hard not to panic, but you have to consider the sources. Treating mental health is far from an overnight process, it can take YEARS to become healthy and it does not come easy, without hard work from the patient including followup care and medication compliance. I would say almost all these reviews are from people who are not mentally stable and from parents who do not understand how treating mental health works. Our experience was perfect, my daughter came home stable (not cured, but stable) it is now up to us to continue her care. I was able to call her during the call hours without issue, all the staff I had contact with were friendly and professional. Payment arrangements were made, I did not feel like Highlands BHS is "money hungry" or overcharged for my daughter's treatment. All things considering, Highlands BHS deserves 5 stars. I believe the patients and parents of patients need more education, I understand how challenging this can be for some individuals but this definitely isn't the fault of Highlands BHS.