The Menninger Clinic Review

Neurodivergent? Gender non-conforming? Then move along, you're not welcome here. I showed up, naive, miserable, and so eager to engage with the program that numerous staff commented on it. 6 weeks, a new mortgage, and every ounce of savings later, what do I have to show for it? A misdiagnosis that would haunt me for years, a recommendation to an actually competent program, and lots of new debts.

What can you expect at Menninger Clinic?

Pros:
-Comfortable facilities
-Decent meal options

Cons:
-Staff unwilling to respect chosen name/pronouns
-Homophobic staff that will take away TV privileges for watching a tame movie about *gasp* homosexuals!?!
-A treatment team with no regard for you and your needs
-A cookie cutter treatment program with absolutely no room for personalized care
-A philosophy that actively discourages inclusion/development of an external support network
-An attitude of superiority shared by all Members of staff I interacted with


More money than you know how to spend? Need somewhere to put your embarrassment of a child for a few months? Then check out this great opportunity! Want to actually improve your mental well being? Then I would suggest a hard pass unless you want to waste time and resources that could be used on actual treatment.

Here's some exciting things you can expect based on my own time as a patient:
-A complete misunserstanding of meditation and mindfulness in general
-Regular classes that give even the most underfunded public schools a run for their money
-Large concrete walls that keep out any unwanted publicity of your family's "little secret"
-A patient handbook last updated around the turn of the century. Need someone to tell you the expectations and rules? Too bad!
-Personal care perfect for crushing your last remnants of self esteem
-Respect (😂 sorry, couldn't get through this one with a straight face. Menninger Clinic only respects their back accounts)
-As many as 3 hours of treatment per day, wow!
-Refusal to provide any continuing care recommendations unless you finish their arbitrarily long program
-A well earned mistrust of numerous proven treatment methods based on their gross misapplication


All jokes aside, do not attend the Menninger Clinic if you want to improve. 3 years later, and I think I've finally worked through the trauma associated with my experiences at the Menninger Clinic. I can see the remnants of what was probably once a great program, but it's long since degraded into a public school counselor level of care. That's not even an exaggeration, at least my old school counselor had a net 0 impact, I genuinely believe Menninger Clinic set my treatment goals back by years. I still have flashbacks to red faced staff yelling at me for things that, as an undiagnosed autistic person, I didn't understand. You'd think the medical professionals would've noticed, having observed me 24/7 for 6 weeks in both a clinical and miliue environment, but I suppose a misdiagnosis that led me in the total wrong direction for years is the best I could hope for *apparently*. Menninger Clinic led me to mistrust proven treatment methods by applying them with all the grace of someone who took a weekend course at the learning annex. Personally and wholeheartedly, I believe a society that respected mental health would shut this facility down for patient abuse. But alas, we don't live in that society so predatory organizations like the Menninger Clinic are allowed to prey upon the sick and helpless.

Closing thoughts:
Menninger Clinic does not wish to help you.
Menninger Clinic does not respect you.
Menninger Clinic does not take responsibility for the damage they cause.
Menninger Clinic does not see you as a person.
Menninger Clinic is a predator, draining the life and money out of the poor saps who assume their reputation is deserved.

I'm writing this, years later, at recommendation of a REAL therapist, to help me find closure on this miserable chapter of my life. My time at Menninger Clinic has far reaching implications that damaged my faith in the mental health profession as a whole. I don't know what it was like 20 years ago, but the Menninger Clinic's practices reflect a gross negligence that I honestly believe should be criminal, something I would gladly repeat under oath if anyone ever found a way to prosecute them. I'll even contact my various psychiatric providers to sign something confirming the validity of my testimony.

If you only remember one thing from this,
DO NOT ATTEND MENNINGER CLINIC

My experience was awful. I have been diagnosed with Schizo by 9-10 board certified psychiatrists. My father has been abusing me for years over my psychotic condition, & pushed me to the point of suicide twice & told me he would never talk to me m again unless I gave him power of attorney. I think that’s really crazy & abusive for a 25 year old who is financially independent. I attempted suicide the 2nd time because of the abuse. Him & I had also agreed in writing to opening a trust fund for real estate with over $100,000 worth of my assets. After the suicide attempt my father was nervous that I would sue him because the abuse was really well documented, & he then coerced me into going to Menninger, & said he would pay for it himself. He then used $50K of my real estate money to pay for my treatment & told Cory Walker he paid for it. The very first thing he did was lie to admissions that I had a diagnosed drug psychosis. He’s not a good person, he justifies his hatred for homosexuals with religion, he drinks & drives, hates minorities, not a good guy. The moment I walked into the door, Cory Walker immediately pointed the finger at me & called me a drug addict, & didn’t give me the benefit of the doubt on my overwhelmingly diagnosed condition. She documented I was very delusional the entire time that I was at this clinic, & no sort of evidence indicated that my condition had improved - quite the opposite. She also documented a string of “persuasive” “overpowering” & “convincing” emails & phone calls with my dad that went on behind the scenes along the lines of “you need to send my son to rehab for his drug psychosis, & he’s a liar” because he wanted medical evidence to pin the suicide attempt on drug use because he was afraid I was going to sue him for abusing me. Cory was happily his best friend. She gave my abusive father the benefit of the doubt & started calling me a drug addict right away. She claimed that my lethal suicide attempt was just drug abuse, getting high, & completely neglected the issue. I did not feel comfortable at all with her. She claimed I was no longer in psychosis & therefore diagnosed me with drug psychosis, but, there is no medical evidence in my records to support that claim. My own doctor went through my file & said there was nothing in there at all to support a diagnose of pure substance induced psychosis as she documented that I was suffering from 9 present tense delusions. Cory lied to please my father & diagnosed me with drug psychosis wreaking havoc in every way imaginably possible & then coerced me into rehab & with my father by saying they would lock me up in a psych ward for 2 weeks if I refuses. My father got exactly what he wanted & spent $60K more of my real estate trust fund. She basically called me a liar, refused to document the emails / lies between my her & my dad that were used to make a misdiagnosis of substance induced psychosis, & she drained my trust fund while I’m in the process of getting approved for disability. She refuses to give me the email exchanges or document them in my medical records because she knows that they’re bad, & her lie got my social security claim denied despite overwhelming evidence. The SSA simply pointed to Cory’s lie & denied the claim. In light of the facts, Cory refuses to acknowledge her mistakes & would let me go through the highly stressful appeals process for my SSDI claim having to justify & appeal against the big lie from Cory. My actual psychiatric issues were completely neglected & she does not want to acknowledge this because “we’re Menninger” & we’re superior. Multiple of my psychiatrists literally disregarded her diagnosis & I was actually surprised that they didn’t even give her diagnosis a second thought. They knew it was a lie. What’s even crazier is that Cory documented the result of my clinical interview met the criteria for schizophrenia, & not substance induced psychosis. & what is beyond sad is that Cory Walker does not want to acknowledge her lies that are not supported by medical evidence, that she got my disability claim denied despite overwhelming evidence I have a serious disability & refuses to acknowledge the facts, the money she wasted, her inappropriate & abusive behavior. She would eventually let me be homeless before she would admit her mistakes. You don’t begin treatment with suicidal patients this way & you don’t lie to appease someone’s abuser. The reason that she said she gave me the substance induced psychosis diagnosis is not even documented in my medical records because she made it up. My father got his perfect lawsuit defense & drained my trust fund. Corey still refuses to give up the email exchanges between the two of them & used to make a fake diagnosis, & Cory knows this & thinks that leading a top hospital gives her the power to get away with anything. Cory should come clean to her lies & dishonest behavior, & try to make amends for the damage she has caused me & my family dynamic that I thought couldn’t get any worse. You cannot ruin people’s lives & then refuse to pick up the pieces because you’re worried about your reputation at the clinic than doing the right thing. Cory is disturbed, & I have experienced first hand that she is incapable of empathy. I would not go to this hospital if you are in a fragile state of mind or have serious issues. They may take your $50K & treat you like trash. They may mentally harm you. They severely mentally harmed me & did much damage I can’t even fit it all in this review. This clinic is not top 10 anything & Cory is not unbelievably smarter than 10 board-certified psychiatrists. Cancel Menninger.

My 16yo son spent 2 weeks at Menninger for depression. The facility and staff are top notch. I would highly recommend. Of course, the downside is the expense, but that is more a reflection of mental health care in this country

My child had a horrid nightmarish experience with CPAS... the nurses treated her very nicely BUT the awful doctors and social workers would not see my daughter. Thanks to doctor walker and the vile dallas adams, my daughter overcame a sense of abandonment and sense of worthlessness when her doctor wouldn't prescribe her with the correct dosage or when they withheld here from seeing her scheduled appointments. Terrible people with degrees only in it for the money. Would not recommend this treatment center that cost up to +$2000 a night. unbelievable.

At first, I hated it. I felt trapped. We found that I had a benign tumor in my brain. After my surgery, I was happy. Now, I m really happy! Shoutout to Kaitlyn.

The care and attention they provided was EXCELLENT - I'd HIGHLY recommend Menninger Clinic.

Wonderful Experience.
A very close friend of mine is going through the CPAS unit currently. She is doing better-in fact she seems to be thriving. The staff seem very well educated, personable, and friendly. So far so good. Praying for the best possible outcome!

I am quite shocked at the amount of poor reviews. After going to 4 other Psychiatric facilities over a 60+ day period I can tell you that you will not find a better Hospital in the state of Texas. I stayed on the CPAS unit for a little over 6 weeks, the staff was fantastic and friendly, they actually care about you, and genuinely want to help. Most of the staff has been there for 5+ years and their experience shows. Shout out to Anthony who is now a charge nurse for the HOPE unit. He really helped me out especially in the beginning.

I received quite a bit of 1 on 1 care from nurses, doctors, and staff. 1 to 2 hour sessions with my psychiatrist and psychologist. I've never EVER seen any doctor sit down with me for over an hour in my entire life. Numerous activities and group therapy sessions every day. I have extremely bad anxiety being around people, I was so scared the first two days I didn't leave my room and had panic attacks. The nurses helped me through the anxiety and before I knew it I was playing ping pong with people, playing video games, and showing up to the group sessions.

Every patient was more than welcoming, we all were there for similar reasons, you can really relate with patients and see how different mental illnesses effect people. You will learn so much just from getting to know everyone on your unit. In my experience with other hospitals I've been to, they discharge within a week or 2, had considerably less group sessions/therapy, and almost no 1 on 1 other than 15 minutes with your doctor, and all you could do was watch bad TV or sleep. Being on a unit for a longer period of time, at least for me, really allowed me to get the help I needed.

Genetic testing, really comprehensive psychological evaluation, physical health eval, MRI's, sleep studies, blood work. Honing in on your proper medication/dosing, therapy both group and solo, they test for EVERYTHING. This isn't a clinic you go to just to get stable, this is a clinic to help you in the long run, help develop tools and strategies to cope with your mental illness. Menninger means business... I took 1 500 question test O.o and another 250+ question test for my psych eval, even did the good old Rorschach ink blotter test.

My experience there definitely changed my life. Am I perfect? No, but I certainly can deal with life better than when I went in. It's the only facility that has had a major impact on my life and my thinking. I can't speak for the other units and staff, but as of the end of 2018, CPAS is top notch, and I'd imagine the other programs are as well.

It is the place to be if you need REAL, calculated, and attentive mental healthcare.

I also wanted to point out that the addiction counselors were very honest and realistic. It was refreshing to see a bit of a different approach to addiction treatment. Although addiction is not the main focus at Menninger you do have some good options available if you are proactive about recovery.

Shout out to Dr. Rodgers for being the first Psychiatrist I've ever met that really took their job seriously, actually wants to help you, and takes the time to properly assess you. He is a true Doctor.

Shout out to Dr. Arnold for caring just as much as Dr. Rodgers does, for being open minded, passionate about your work, and a strong desire to decipher the mind.

These Doctors are professional, extremely well educated, fascinated by their work, and it shows.

this was a terrible nightmare. The worst experience of my life. I am 5'3, entered at 110 pounds. I am now 130 pounds, struggling with obesity, gallstones and liver fatal problem after they restrict my exercise over 2 months. BEWARE!!!! The psychciatrists and social workers are obese and want you to be fat like them. They will not help you. This was like a holocaust experience of my life. I will now die because of these awful people.If I had a beofre and after photo, would be so powerful...before FANTASTIC, after , DYING OF OBESITY

When I got there everybody seemed nice. I opened up about things I never told anybody hoping that the therapists and doctors would give me a diagnosis. Instead they called the police and were gonna have me dragged to a hospital, which in my experience, is not pretty. In the way of trustworthiness, I say that Menninger Clinic is the most untrustworthy of them all. If not for my father, I would not be writing this review today. For all Trauma patients reading this, take it as a warning.

The hospital has a superior staff, including the nursing staff and counseling staff. The food is excellent. Except for religious activity available for all, the hospital nearly shuts down Sundays; programming is needed for Sunday.

Our son (diagnosis - schizophrenia) went to Menninger after being in a drug detox program for three weeks. Three stars due to staff in billing and mainly due to minimal emphasis on addiction issues, but excellent place for mental health and stabilization. His stay was 3 1/2 weeks. It helped our son stabilize and was a controlled environment for testing, assessment, etc., which he never would have agreed to under our watch. He became stable here so that he could move on to a long term care facility. The social worker was very helpful in assisting us in finding the right fit for our son and in guiding us in the right direction for his continuous care. Very expensive; their billing could be better laid out so that you could get some reimbursement for non-network coverage. (Example, dividing out the therapy, etc. - I am still waiting for reimbursement, so we shall see). The person in billing was clueless about coinsurance, etc., and refused to contact our insurance company for preauthorization so that we could get reimbursed. She yelled at me "I will not call your insurance company!" okay............. once they have your money, little effort to help you get any of it back from insurance. So, in short, if the person has only mental health issues and you have zero plans of getting anything reimbursed - great place.

It has been 10 Years ago today since I entered menningers treatment program, I was scared to death coming all the way from my home in MN, where I was inpatient for a month following a suicide attempt, I can only talk positive about the program and how it changed my life and all that I learned well I was there. The skills that I learn well there I use daily and know that they have help me get to the point I am at now. Today also marks 10 Years sober for me. I was hoping to make to trip down there to get my 10 year chip the same place I got my first chip however I am not able to. But I will get my chip back here at home in MN. Yesterday I turned 36 Years old something that 10 Years ago I didn't think I would make it.
I am very happy yes still on medication for my mental illness, but much less then in the past. I am happy Home onwer, been at the same employer for 15 Years.

I was at the Menninger Clinic several years ago. Me leaving was up to my parents. They didn t like it because they never saw a difference when they visited and possibly the price, too. So they pulled me out and went elsewhere. I really liked Menninger actually, mainly due to not being prescribed lot of medications. "Elsewhere" put me on a lot of medicine and at high doses. My advice would be to speak as much as you can to the doctor. Make sure you are getting the right medicine at the right dose. Con would be too many rules and not much outside. Pro: friendly staff, good food.

I was a patient here years ago and this hospital has only gotten better since then.. ive been to several inpatient facilities in Houston and Dallas and this one is the absolute best. The price tag is hefty but worth every penny. I probably complained so much during that time but looking back this really was the best hospital I ve ever been admitted to.

I don't know about the level of care currently at this facility. This rating is for the Interventionist the Admissions office at Menningers provided me. Ian Cunningham (Intervention) is the gentleman they referred me to. I paid Ian right at 10,000 hard cold cash to get my non compliant special needs who suffers from a brain disorder from his rental home to Menningers. Ian did not identify who is was while on premise of my child's property and used no deescalation skills at all! He was not successful with the transfer, and stole every bit of my money. I used a Dr. that is knowledgeable about brain disorders and the escalations those inflicted exhibit when under undue stress. My son received the care he needed at another place besides Menningers, and is doing exceptionally well. This is because I used a service that had the skill set and know how to deal with people that have brain disorders. Run from this interventionist as I even signed the contract stating I wanted unused funds. Ian continually ignores my request. He stole money from a loving mother of a special needs child. Admissions at Menningers was of NO assistance to get my money back. Beware. Run from this interventionist. I have dealt with my child's brain disorder since birth so I am knowledgeable with what I saw in Ian's poor services and lack of skill set to deescalate my son. I trusted Menningers with proposing a high quality interventionist. The Clinic truly failed me, and the admissions office gave me responses like they really didn't care! We Mothers of special needs kids hurt enough. I hope this saves some other mother thousands of dollars. I wish some one had warned me.

I'm currently a patient writing this review on the CPAS unit. This is by far the best psychiatric care I have ever been provided. This unit is dedicated to comprehensive psychiatric assessments. I have undergone psychological testing (which included answering a total of 800+ questions), genetic testing through Genomind, a MRI, a EEG, and I met with my psychiatrist and social worker twice a week. The reasoning of admission will depend on what testing they preform.

There are groups to attend all day that include wellness planning, safety planning, music therapy, leisure awareness, dialectal behavioral therapy, acceptance commitment therapy, mentalizing, mindfulness, crafts, and more. They have all been helpful and informative. If you take advantage of all that is offered then you will be busy the entire day. They have a real gym with weight training, cardio machines, a yoga studio, and a basketball court that can be used once you reach a certain level. They incorporate time each day for physical fitness and yoga. They have bootcamp once a week, and you can request one on one with a trainer. During the weekend, we play volleyball either on the sand court outside or in the gym with the other adult units. The addiction recovery groups include AA, NA, Refuge Recovery, and Smart Recovery. I first went to them to support my peers, but I learned so much about the other patients and myself. I am on the eating disorder track, and I attend groups after meals specifically geared towards body image, nutrition, perfectionism, and general support relating to these types of issues. They have been beneficial and helpful. I love being able to integrate with the other adult units throughout different activities and groups because you get to meet so many wonderful people. The food has been consistently good. They have many options including a salad bar, fruit bar, pizza, grill options, daily meals, and a variety of desserts. They allow you to order from door dash and instacart if you want other food or snacks. You can also order things from amazon and have them shipped directly to the hospital. They have a cafe with Starbucks coffee that we are able to go to in the morning.

My psychiatrist, Dr. Walker, is truly the most amazing physician I have ever had. She is so down to earth and truly cares and listens to her patients. I cannot be more thankful to have her. My psychologist, Dr. Yang, has helped me in more ways than I can describe, and she has taught me a lot about myself through the testing. My experience with my social worker, Dallas, has truly been a blessing. My admission with Jamie Walker was very smooth. All of the clinicians, including the internist, nutritionist, psychiatrist, and psychologist were extremely thorough and would sit with with me for at least 45 minutes one on one. I have never had someone take their time to listen like these people. All of my nurses and MHAs have been wonderful. Anytime I needed them, they were always ready to help or just listen. They encouraged me each day, and they always try to brighten my day. Shout out to Jerel, Caroline, Debra, Jennifer, Len, Eileen, Quadrell, Allison, Rick, Sandra, Reggie, Micheal, Arly, Jarvis, Julie, Charlene, and Camile. The rehab therapist, Jessica, is such a delight to have around. The housekeeper on the unit, Michelle, is incredibly sweet and smiling each morning. Every staff member I have come in contact with have been kindhearted and welcoming. I honestly cannot say enough good things about the people here because they are all special.

All in all, this place has changed my life for the better. I know it is costly to be here but everything is beyond worth it. The care you receive is extraordinary and unforgettable. I do not regret a single moment of my last three weeks as a patient. I'm so blessed and grateful that I have had a chance to come here.

(I honestly have no idea where the bad reviews come from because everything has been absolutely amazing from admission to discharge planning.)

Hands down the best experience in a psychiatric treatment facility I've ever had. The CPAS program is incredibly thorough - I've wondered for years whether my diagnosis was correct but after extensive physical and psychological testing, I finally understand what's going on. My medication has been corrected and stabilized. The facilities are top notch and the programming is engaging and helpful.

The CPAS progam staff are attentive and create a safe, inclusive environment. I was concerned Menninger would be another dead end like my other experiences in psychiatric facilities; I'm extremely grateful that I found this facility to help me get onto the right track! I couldn't recommend the program any more highly for anyone who has had difficulty receiving a proper diagnosis and creating a recover plan.

I am quite surprised by some of the negative reviews. Our experience was positive with every member - from admissions, psychologists, psychiatrist, social workers and nurses. They are caring, kind and most importantly, extremely competent and knowledgeable. The assessments are thorough, the treatment is extraordinary and the compassionate nature of the therapists is unmatched. They care about each patient and want long term success even after discharge. They are open and transparent with family members and truly care for each patient. Highly recommend it.

Dallas Adams is a very manipulative man, you is a very dodge and suspicious character who gives terrible referrals. He believes he can read you like a book a very assertive social worker

staff was ok the doctors were ok cpas was an ok unit the hosiptal was nice very nice top of the line very clean . also i think they should not have a in paitient for 3 weeks just 2 weeks other than that it was a 5/5 experience in inpaitient

"This place changed my life for the better and I couldn't thank the amazing nursing staff enough!"

Just because they are rated one of the best mental health hospitals in the US doesn t mean they are. I met with Sherry Grogan NP. She is too busy dining with the pharma reps to actually care if a drug is right for you. She will push and push Rexulti on you even if it makes you sick to the point of fainting. When I said I didn t want to continue the drug she got upset, and said with attitude, what do you want to do? And proceeded to give me a long list of drugs that I could pick from. That s not my job or expertise. When I told her I was having suicidal thoughts she said, Well your life can t be that bad. Why do you want to off yourself? . Stay away from her.

Menninger Clinic is amazing. Coming to it as a skeptic of any treatment provider's actually ability to help me change the destructive path I was on, I say this with all honesty: Menninger rocks. The care and insight that they bring to the table is unmatched. I came in suicidal and broken and dependent on all sorts of destructive behaviors to survive, and I left in one piece, positive about life and the world, and excited for my role in it. They helped me put all of the broken pieces of my life back together again, and showed me how life could be worth it.

I was on the Compass Young Adults unit, summer of 2012, and the milieu therapy of being surrounded by my peers, and giving and receiving feedback/support, was just as helpful as the therapy provided by the experts and the day-to-day care provided by the nurses and MHAs. It's such a well-balanced, well-structured program, and add to that how beautiful the new facility is... well, let's just say, Menninger is first place in the business of saving lives. Five stars, and highly recommended. Take a chance, give life a chance, and give Menninger the chance to help you put your pieces back together again. It's worth it.

By the way, my insurance didn't cover long term 24/7 psych treatment, but I was able to get my insurance to cover treatment at the out-of-network coverage level after a couple of appeals.

The adolescent unit worked so hard to help me and I can confidently say that because of menninger I am a stronger and healthier version of myself. All other hospitals I've been to do not even compare to how amazing this place is.

I was at your Topeka Kansas location in the 90's.
I had a wrong diagnosis and was at Menninger to get a correct diagnosis.
I got back home and found that Menninger also made a wrong diagnosis. I finally did get a correct diagnosis.
Psychiatry has at least an 88 percent average of misdiagnosis, with MD's running a close second. Check some of the studies, like Mayo Clinic has done.

They offered me painkillers... Got mad at me because I refused to take a medicine I knew for a fact wasn't good for me... I wasn't angry at them , I just simply said it didn't work bc I had been on it in the past. Now, I hear reports that same medicine is really damaging people's brain's...To top it off they shipped me off in the middle of the night with 2 mental health officers to West park Springs... And put me with a bunch of convicts... Come to find out I'm not bipolar I have PTSD.... Which they made worse. Oh they also gave me back everything they night they shipped me off , except my cell phone... Which I had a very hard time getting back from them... I read over their paperwork and it seems they like to experiment on their patients .... But I mainly ended up here because I was going thru a custody case and I was ordered to go by a judge that then requisite herself... A judge from Tarrant County Family Court.... Of course I was admitted back in December 2017......

My time at cpas was full of information that I did not know until I got here. As far as health I had new diagnosis that I was not given the right tests for.So finally getting the right information in short amount of time without having to wait to long was excellent care for me. The cpas doctors and staff were very understanding of what I was and am still going through. They had a great since of humor which is very important to me at times. Thankyou for making this transition a bit easer. Shout at out to all the staff I will miss you.

The patience and understanding displayed during my time at Menninger has been exemplary! Thank you for caring and showing Love to all the patients; you aren't praised enough. Taking the time to address individual concerns and to not rest until problems are resolved has given me new respect for ALL who work at Menninger! Again, thank you.

The doctors flat out lied about how long they saw me. Charged more than they should've because I did not get the care that they told my family. My family agrees and they know everything they did wrong. I would not recommend this.

Terrible establishment shame on the doctors and nurses and especially dumb social workers.

Menninger has saved my life, and I don t say that lightly. When I was drowning is a maelstrom of fear, anxiety, and depression, the doctors, nurses, therapists, and MHAs threw me a lifeline, helping me reevaluate myself and what I want out of life.

There s a reason they re highly regarded, and Menninger is absolutely worth the time and money.