NCH Behavioral Health Center - Arlington Heights, Illinois

beatrice M.

My stay at this psych ward was not pleasant. A lot of the staff were disrespectful and rude. I was in the adolescence program around 2021. My favorite staff was Latroya and Cory, they were so nice. The day I was getting discharged, Melissa threatened me that I wouldn’t be getting discharged because I talked about how I make impulsive decisions during group therapy. When releasing me to my parents, she brought me in the elevator with her and was being unprofessional. Staff would also constantly gossip about other patients. The level system is dehumanizing. The fact that you cannot talk to anyone or sit by anyone but staff when you first get there is outrageous. The food was very good though. I learned new coping mechanisms, however I felt worse than when I came in. Also they’re very quick to put you on medication. I think that is odd, my opinion is that they just want to drug you up to give you short term solutions to long term problems.

Sean C.

I came here for the Adult IOP program after a recent stay at inpatient unit at a different hospital. I cannot say enough about how well this program is run and the people who run it. Dee and Cory are amazing at what they do . They have that perfect balance of understanding your thoughts and challenging your thoughts . Everyone is able to speak as much or as little as they want. The program is well structured and you can expect the same and clear expectations daily. A variety of activities and discussion groups from daily check ins to music and art therapy. Strongly reccommend this program if needed.

erick B.

A patient was transferred from Edward Elmhurst in Naperville to here.(whole different issue)
As a VOLUNTARY patient. She expressed she wanted to leave the following day of her arrival. And asked a nurse if she could sign a 5 day discharge (while I was on the phone with the patient) and she was told that, they don’t do that at this facility.
Which is a legal requirement in the state of Illinois. So her legal rights were being ignored. Untill I got to visit her on Sunday, and personally asked the nurse about the 5 day discharge. And magically the answered changed.
There was much more disgusting things about this place but the main thing I want to get across is
If you have a loved one here check in on them! And if they express they want to leave to you and you feel like they are in a safe spot to leave contact the “Human Rights Authority”
So they could help advocate for them and make sure none of there human rights are being violated.
This facility had the same complaint but at its Naperville location regarding the same complaint as above. Many red flags. Here.
Again contact
Human rights Authority if you are having issues!

Christine F.

I never review, but PLEASE don't sign your teens up for their program!! You will just end up frustrated due to the poor communication from one person to the next. I was told my daughter could get ADHD meds prescribed in the group and that she'd get help with her missed assignments when school started. I asked them if they provide transportation from their facility to the school and they said no, but sometimes the health insurance will. That would've been a great time to tell me that she won't be able to go to school until the program is complete, because she's considered homebound by being in that group...by the State!! I'm not sure if it's more training that is needed, or better management, or a better way of explaining what to expect to families, but probably all of the above!! AND why call it "group therapy" if there's only ONE kid?!! Just communicate and wait until you have 3 participants or don't do it!

ahmed

I stayed at this adult behavioral unit about 6 years ago. I’m sure plenty has changed since then including the staff, but the experience that I had here for a week was honestly exactly what I needed; a bit of a break from reality to focus on myself and how to get healthier mentally. Unlike Lutheran General, they allow you to wear your street clothes and have visitors. They also have a schedule where every hour we had group activities. The doctors and nurses were patient and understanding when I explained my problems and how I was feeling. I started taking my medication since then and I haven’t looked back. It changed my life for the better. Unfortunately the medicine is very physically addicting and I get withdrawal symptoms when I stop taking them. Double edged sword but I’d rather be productive than in bed all day extremely depressed. That’s my personal experience with this place. MUCH better than Lutheran General in Park Ridge.

Qaftsiel

I was a patient in 2-South recently. The condition that landed me in NCHBHC isn't the usual (it's an endocrine disorder with marked psych symptoms), but thankfully the teams of nurses, docs, caseworkers, and BHAs at NCH not only took me at my word when I explained what was going on, but actively asked insightful, curious questions to gain a better understanding of my condition and how best to help me get back on my feet. They were also phenomenal allies, and because of their conscientiousness and willingness to listen, I felt safe as a nonbinary patient.

Thank you Dr Okoli, Dr Ghani, the entire glorious nursing team, Jen, and the fantastic BHA team. Y'all worked in tandem with my outside team of docs and helped me get back on my feet when I was too exhausted to keep up by myself. Special thanks to Alma, Jen, Donte, John, Emma, Aleksandra, and Syed, who sat with me during difficult moments and made me feel seen and cared-for as myself, not just as a patient. Endeavor, you'd do well to give every single employee there a solid raise (they've seriously earned it), and perhaps consider hiring a few more folks. I was surprised to see some faces back so quickly after they'd already put in a full shift. Your teams need rest and recovery time, too, especially teams so attentively patient-focused as this one.

As far as the facility goes, it's an inpatient mental health hospital. You're rarely the only patient on the ward, and you definitely shouldn't expect to be waited on hand and foot if you're otherwise able-bodied and of sound(ish) mind. You don't get to have your phone or electronics, no drawstrings, no belts, no hoodies-- it can feel isolating, but it's standard protocol for these sorts of places for good reason. This is not a penthouse suite at the Ritz-Carlton-- it is a hospital where you *will* be working alongside your doc team and other patients to heal and adapt. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

Some rooms are singles, and some rooms are doubles. All the floors are clean, beds are comfy, blankets are hospital standard (you can ask for an extra if you're cold, and room temps can be adjusted individually), and the nurse and BHA teams check in every fifteen minutes, day and night. Leaving your door half-open helps mitigate the change in light levels when they check in if that disrupts your sleep, and the nurses can give melatonin to help with getting *to* sleep. Showers are on a sign-up basis in morning and evening, and while the spigots kind of have an awkward spray, the water is warm and the shampoo smells good.

The food is palatable to enjoyable (with the sole exception of the chicken parm, which is... well, it's *only* describable as edible-- best avoid that one), the papers come in daily so there are always crosswords, the TV gets regular channels as well as Freeform and Netflix, and coloring pages and word searches can be requested. They keep you busy with six to seven group sessions a day-- it can be exhausting to attend, and some folks find the topics 'cringey', but believe me, it's stuff that can really help, especially if you're honest with yourself and your docs about what you're dealing with.

Overall, I would recommend NCH Behavioural Health 2-South to any adult in crisis as a safe, warm, helpful place to heal and find your footing again.

Gloria S.

I was a inpatient here! I was in the teen section or whatever! I was Discharged like 2 weeks ago and I have to say.. It was pretty good! I was in php and Vincent loved my scary drawings! Cory was my fav before I got admitted! Vincent was my favorite! He made me feel happy and he made me laugh! Some patient said Melissa was cool, but no she ain't.. I didn't like her at all... Karen helped me so much! I loved her! I also loved my case manager but I forgot her name, Dr moe is strict... He's rude and not so kind, he didn't even look like he cared about all the stuff I was saying!!! These two made me want to hurt them, but if I did I would stay more longer so I guess I didn't get my chance, anyway it was great here! Loved all thw other patients! ⭐

Janet V.

Some kind of insurance scam going on in this facility, fake patients using cell phones, local actors, when asked a fellow patient if she had done any acting or modeling, because I had seen her in the entertainment section of the Daily Herald, she said no, but then ran to the nurse station and said, "I think she suspects something, I don't want to stay in the same room with her. Ran off when she saw me, nurse follows her, not knowing I was there, I ask, is everything ok? Nurse replies, Why would she be, you attacked her! Never happened. I requested all the legal records, and found massive false statements. Cost me thousands of dollars of not covered insurance costs and left me with PTSD. This place is a completely abusive scam. Never allow anyone to be duped into being in this corrupt facility. Shame on them. Lara,Sue Aimee Dawn Dwight Johnx2 Alex Linda Christine Kurt , all fake patients using cell phones, Alvie, the employee, various creepy nurses, aggressive threatening, you are unknowingly drugged without your permission. It is the scariest unethical facility. I barely made it out of there alive.