Four Winds Saratoga

My child was physically abused. He is never going back. The doctor and therapist he sees now recommend filing a state report against four winds. We had to fight to get my child out. We were threatened numerous times with cps if we didn't agree to keep him there. We called for them and next thing you know he was released. DO NOT send a young child here. They dope these little kids into submission and treat them horrible.they expect to scare you(cps) into doing what they want with your child hoping you are dumb and fall for it. My child now has to see a cardiologist because of the medicine they forced into him. I hope someone reads this and runs the opposite direction from this place. They ruined my child's health at 9 he now has a heart condition. I pray that every person considering sending kids here exhaust all other possibilities first before ever placing a young child here. more

I admitted myself into Four Winds after suicidal ideation got to be too much to handle. Do not listen to any severley negative reviews on this site for Four Winds, they must have been at some other hospital. The staff was perfect, I could not find one nurse/therapist/doctor or just general staff that was not absolutely committed to the well bring of any and every patient that enters the hospital. My only complaint, which is not as much of a complaint as a suggestion, was that they should provide us with a little better quality food and not feed us pizza three times a week. Like I said, this hospital is the only reason I am still alive today....and really, dont even acknowledge the bold print, false, and nonsensical reviews. They were written by people who either: - Did not allow enough time for medicine to work - Unfit parents (CPS isn't called for no reason) - Are probably in need of psychiatric care themselves If admitted, just keep an open mind like I did and allow the superb staff and facility in general to help you change your life for good as they did for me. more

This place helped me turn my life around. My counselor and doc were great. The nurses and other staff listened to me. I went in very nervous and felt like my life was out of control and after a change in meds and 8 long days, I left knowing "coping skills". Let's face it, most of us with mental health issues are on meds - just like if we had asthma or some other condition, they help us to live. I loved the food and that we weren't trapped on a floor like some other places. It's nice there. I'm not ashamed to say that if I had to go back, I would. more

I got sent there when I was 16 in 2009 because I tryed killing myself. The programs were okay, some of the staff was nice and helpful to me. I connected with some of them, others I didn't care for. I didn't really like the doctor though that I had to check in with about my meds. He would literally ask me to hold out my hands to see if they were shaking and if they weren't he would up my meds. All the kids were pretty much on the same meds, and we were all zombies walking down the hallway to bed at 830-9. I almost collapsed one night cause I was so dizzy and tired....I didn't realize I was being comatosed to really feel nothing. Other then that the food they had in their cafeteria was super good which is suprising for a psych hospital. One of the activities was to say our name and why we were here and I sorta felt like that was invading our privacy alittle. Overall it was a better experience then the other psych hospitals I have been to. I was getting better with the help of some there and became very close to some patients there that I still have contact with. But I do think they over medicate, I went to my regular doctor and she said 900 mg of seroquel is way too much for me and my body. So just be careful they don't comatose your child like they did to me in the 4 months I was there. more

WORST EXPERIENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD! OUR DAUGHTER WAS SENT THERE FROM A HOSPITAL AFTER AND OVERDOSE. THE FACILITY THERE SEEMED NICE BUT AFTER A FEW DAYS THEY VIOLATED ALL THE THINGS SET IN PLACE TO PREVENT HER FROM CONTACTING ANYONE BUT FAMILY. A STAFF MEMBER GAVE HER THE CODE WORD WE IMPLEMENTED TO ENSURE ONLY FAMILY WOULD HAVE CONTACT. AND ALLOWED A LONG DISTANCE CALL TO BE MADE TO HER BOYFRIEND. THEY NEVER LISTENED TO OUR CONCERNS AS PARENTS AND CONTINUALLY VIOLATED AND DISRESPECTED OUR WISHES. HER MEDICATION WAS INCREASED EVEN AFTER THEY WERE TOLD HER PCP DR HAD JUST GIVEN HER THEM AND TOLD US THAT IT TOOK 30 DAYS TO SEE FULL EFFECT. AND THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO UP THE DOSAGE. AS A PARENT THE DISGUST I HAVE FOR THIS FACILITY AND ITS INCOMPETENT STAFF IS OVERWHELMING. I WILL MAKE IT MY PERSONAL MISSION TO SEE THAT ALL WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR LACK OF RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR CARING FOR OUR YOUTH WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE! DURING A VISIT A YOUNG GIRL WHO DIDN'T HAVE ANY VISITORS ON CHRISTMAS SAT WITH US AND TOLD US ABOUT HER RECENT CUTTING AND I NOTICED SHE HAD EARINGS IN. THEN I FOUND OUT SHE ATTEMPTED TURNING THEM IN BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE TEMPTED AGAIN AND WAS TOLD NO YOU'RE GOING TO BE A BIG GIRL AND KEEP THEM, SERIOUSLY! LET ME TELL YOU THAT YOU PEOPLE HAVE ENCOUNTERED A PARENT WHO DOES CARE FOR ALL OUR YOUTH AND I STRIVE DAILY TO HELP ANY AND ALL OF THEM REALIZE LIFE IS HARD BUT IT CAN AND WILL GET BETTER IN TIME WITH ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE RIGHT PEOPLE. BY PLACING MY DAUGHTER IN YOUR FACILITY I WAS HOPING TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE IN MAKING HER REALIZE SUCH. HOWEVER, IN THE SHORT PERIOD OF TIME I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT YOUR STAFF ARE NOT THE RIGHT PEOPLE. BEING A WOMAN WHO WORKS IN THE MEDICAL FIELD THE VIOLATION OF THE HIPAA LAWS I HAVE ENCOUNTERED IS APPALLING. THESE KIDS ARE OUR FUTURE AND THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR YOUR STAFF AND THEIR WRONG DOING WILL NOT JUST BE OVERLOOKED THIS TIME I PROMISE YOU THAT! I HAVE NEVER MADE SUCH A POOR DECISION IN MY LIFE WHERE MY CHILD IS CONCERN! more

Me and all the other room mates felt violated, disrespected including parents, so bad that i plan on talking to the CEO about this horrible expierience. If anything it didnt help only made things worse during the stay. A guy (part of the staff) almost walked in on me in the shower the first day. The doctor was the worst!!! Her crazy red hair matches a sour personallity! All i wanted to do was get better, but i had to do that by myself. Make this a welcoming not "terrifying" expierence for us to heal. DO NOT COME TO FOUR WINDS!!!!! Parents didnt write a bad review on purpose because they just wanted me out, we were threatend for no explainable reasons. ( much more happend then what is written) more

OMG THE WORST MISTAKE I HAVE EVER MADE WE BROUGHT OUR SON THERE WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD BE OBSERVED TO SEE IF WE COULD GET A BETTER IDEA OF HOW TO HANDLE HIS BEHAVIORS WITHIN 3 HOURS THE DR TOOK HIM OFF OF HIS MED AND PUT HIM ON A NEW ONE EVEN AFTER SIDE EFFECTS WERE NOTICED HE UPPED IT I WAS HEART BROKEN TO SEE MY SON LOOKING LIKE A ZOMBIE HE WAS EMOTIONLESS COULD BARELY KEEP HIS EYES OPEN WE WENT TO SEE HIM 4 OUT OF THE 5 DAYS HE WAS THERE EVERYDAY THERE WAS DIRTY LAUNDRY IN HIS ROOM MIND YOU THE WASHER AND DRYER WERE RIGHT ACROSS THE HALL FROM HIS ROOM THE LAST NIGHT HE WAS THERE WE FOUND TWO URINE SOAKED PULL UPS IN HIS LUGGAGE BAG IN HIS CLOSET I THOUGHT PEOPLE WERE THERE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM WE TOOK HIM HOME AFTER WE TALKED TO THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND FINALLY THE DR WHO CALLED CPS BECAUSE HE WANTED US TO LEAVE OUR SON THERE WITH THE INTENTION OF THE MED GOING EVEN HIGHER SO HE WOULD BE IN THE NORMAL RANGE FOR A MOOD DISORDER MEDICATION ITS LIKE DID YOU NOT SEE THE WAY OUR SON WAS ALREADY ACTING OR HEAR OUR CONCERNS THE OTHER ISSUE WE HAD IS THE NURSE DIDNT EVEN KNOW THE MED WAS UPPED I SAID WHAT EVEN HAPPENED TO SHIFT CHANGE WHERE THINGS LIKE THAT WOULD BE DISCUSSED THEY ALSO DID BLOOD WORK WHICH WASNT NEEDED BECAUSE HE JUST HAD IT DONE 3 DAYS BEFORE HE WENT IN BUT I WASNT TOLD THEY WERE DOING IT I WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED TO DO A BODY CHECK AND VITAL SIGNS WHAT A NIGHTMARE FOR OUR SON HE WALKED AROUND 5 DAYS LIKE A ZOMBIE AND THIS WAS SUPPOSE TO HELP ALL I COULD DO IS TO TELL HIM I WAS SORRY AND TUCK HIM INTO BED more

Good: nothing. Bad: everything.. My daughter was inpatient at polaris for depression. she only saw the doctor once and therapist 2 times. they did not have a structured day way to much freetime . they had unqualified staff - college students. The staff treated my daughter like she had behavior problems not emotional. We wanted her discharged after 8 days and her only getting worse. we had to fight to get her out even though she was feeling safe and would do better at home.. Improvements: they need to have more therapist in the building all the time. they need to have a dr. in the building all the time. they need to listen to the parents and children instead of stating how they feel about how our daughter is doing .. Other: The cheif coordinater Dr. Robert Alessi should be fired. He should not be working with mentally ill people , he has no feelings and refused to listen to our concerns . He took my daughter in a room alone and yelled at her!!! He showd no understanding or feelings . He was a rude jerk and that is putting it nicely. more

Four winds is a psychiatric clinic. They have inpatient and out patient care. They have been around for many years. They are located in Saratoga. They have excellent help for those who need it. Staff is friendly and helpful. They help any age. They have a lot of programs. They have plenty of parking. more