Santa Cruz Behavioral Health Division - Santa Cruz, California

Lisa H.

There are always well-meaning people and some that go above and beyond. With mental care, one should go above and beyond. I was screaming for a year to get my son a therapist and after a year of waiting was told there are only 2 therapist on staff therefore, definitely not enough support for the mental health need in Santa Cruz county. The medication piece has been very disturbing. There is a disconnect between health care providers. My son was given one medicine after the next with no accountability with health care providers. The final straw was when he was given 5 times the dosage from his month shot, which led him straight to the hospital. I'm extremely disappointed with the sense of disconnect within the entire mental care system. Again, there are some great staff who really care, but the system is too big for just a few people who do their job and care about their patients.

One has to be there own doctor and an advocate for their loved ones for proper care.

Rhea H.

I literally had to tell them I was going to kill myself to receive any help, but once I got my foot in the door I haven't had a problem obtaining help. I do wish they would let us know about changes when someone in our case is no longer there, my care coordinator was just gone one day, I was trying to call her for something very important to do with my housing that she didn't follow through on. I tried for weeks trying to contact her, left multiple messages and tried contacting others who work on my care team, and no one knew anything. She wasn't working there anymore, no one told me anything or that I even had a new coordinator for weeks. I contacted the manager of the apartwhere I was supposed to move the month before , it was just dropped and I didn't know about it, luckily I went ahead and called the apartment manager myself! I had packed my whole place, and was waiting for my coordinator to let me know when I could move in, it was an apartment that was for a mental health recipient to rent, I ended up making all the arrangements for it myself! I feel like I should have been informed about the change in my case management right away, I was totally stressed out about it and no one said anything, it was very unprofessional and caused me a lot of anxiety. I was just left hanging and could of been made homeless as I had given my 30 day notice to move! Not cool at all.
There should be more Therapists on staff, mine transfered to another job and I have waited for over a year for a new one,far too long

Wisestars A.

Terrible-I spoke with 3 social workers trying to get help for a family member struggling with mental illness-they had no resources to provide me and were devoid of compassion and human empathy. I understand that part of the issue is lack of funding and sufficient programs to help those who fall through the cracks of what their services can provide, but on a human level-this was a one or zero star situation.

My S. A.

The women that work in the main office seem very bored. They’re not friendly or approachable. These women are the first contact that the patients have with this facility and they just don’t seem to care. Most of the patients are very nervous when they go in for their appointment and it wouldn’t take much to smile and be pleasant. You can even hear the lack of respect they have for the patients when you have contact on the phone with them. It is almost impossible to get in contact with some of the doctors. My son has been going here for years. The best doctor he had retired quite a few years ago. She was very caring. I’m very disappointed in the care he receives here. Everytime he mentions a symptom to the doctor, all they do is prescribe a new medication. I wish the all the staff here would go through NAMI training.

Rachael C.

Id give them negative stars if I could. it's IMPOSSIBLE to get anyone intelligent on the phone and they guard the doctors like he's the President. I can't get refills on time and they make me want to kill myself due to their complete incompetence. They should leave the mental health business immediately as they are just making people crazier by their lack of integrity and inability to do the simplest of jobs.

Liz Z.

The people here are evil. They assume everything you say is a lie. If you require a higher level of care (like IOP, PHP, residential, all things that are legally supposed to be covered by insurance) they will try send you to a disgusting dirty traumatizing residential facility that makes you sign over your social security money to them so the county doesn't have to pay for your care like they're supposed to. They do absolutely nothing to help you, yet you have no choice but to go there. They lie, manipulate you, twist your words and gaslight you. It's sick. No one here has any experience with my diagnoses so they say I'm lying about it instead of doing research or finding people that do who can help me. I've never felt so hopeless in my life.

Adam J.

Dr. Daniel R. Model
WOULDN'T TRUST THIS GUY to watch my goldfish. I was 100% honest with him and instead of being helpful NOW I DO NOT TRUST Psychologist again. Started out good, we are in a PANDEMIC, everyone is escalated right now. Then started to gently suggest on multiple occasions the use of drugs. After I had expressed I prefer the long haul of counseling and GUIDANCE. Another Psychologist with the Drug Companies SILVER bullet theory. DAN there is no silver bullet it doesn't take 12 years in college to know it is hard work and HONESTY that make a GOOD PERSON.

janet M.

If I could rate zero or minus I would..my child was a short term pt ,,I could not ever get ahold of the Dr. directly regardless of the importance. Her assistant hopefully would return my call in a few days just to lie to me also. It's very obvious they get paid by the head and arnt trying to help..they just make it so you have to keep coming back.