OC Specialty Health & Hospitals - Aliso Viejo, California

Drea R.

Not very found of this place. Looks pretty on the outside however come on people! My daughter voluntarily checked herself in for help ! We were told since she was sent here 3 hours away from home they would provide her with some fresh cloths and bathroom amenities such as a toothbrush toothpaste soap and shampoo. They did NOT provide this child with non of that not even considering she’s been in the same cloths for 3 days. Like really ?
I was told I could talk to my daughter when I call which is a lie… they always make up an excuse as to why she can’t come to the phone until I raise hell. You guys have no compassion for these kids. Which is bull crap. Why get a job working in this facility if u have no compassion for people that need help? I’ve also been told the staff members make fun of some of the kids. That’s not ok
You would think you would get tired of the bad reviews and do something about it! Or are all you just there for a paycheck? THIS IS MY FIRST COMPLAINT! And I will be going down the line to make it clear!

Sweet A.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
💎💎💎💎💎
I am finally home safe, but I’m still in complete awe of the experience I had during my stay. There truly is no place like this hospital in the world. I spent 9 days there, and I was surrounded by the most incredible care and love.

The nurses and staff are nothing short of angels. Their kindness, compassion, and gentle support made me feel truly seen and cared for. I’ve never encountered such a nurturing environment in any medical setting. They don’t just treat your condition — they care for your whole being, with patience and warmth that words can’t fully express.

Charleen — you are the real hope. Your spirit is something I will never forget. Kirsten! Most caring RN 💖🪷💖, Grace, Azalia, Kayla, Tyler, Jessica, Alan, Victor (Caring Gentleman) and so many others whose names I hold close to my heart — thank you for every smile, every moment of comfort, every act of genuine care. You’ve made a lasting difference in my life.

I honestly didn’t want to leave, but I know I had to move on. What makes this place so special is not just the professionalism, but the heart behind everything they do. If someone leaves unsatisfied, I truly believe they may be struggling with more than just illness — and even then, the staff goes above and beyond to bring them peace and healing. I saw how kindly and respectfully they handled every challenge, always with grace and empathy.

I am endlessly thankful to everyone who cared for me. You’ve left a permanent mark on my heart, and I’ll never forget the light you shared during my time there.

Maryam R. L.

I was at the emergency clinic with my daughter, and they were planning to take her to this facility. Thankfully, I decided to check the reviews beforehand. I am incredibly grateful for the honest feedback from others, which helped me make an informed decision.

People in critical and sensitive conditions deserve to be treated with care, kindness, and respect — not rushed through just to get things done. Unfortunately, it is clear from the reviews that this place does not prioritize patient care. They do not take the time to genuinely respond to feedback, instead opting to copy and paste the same generic reply for all negative reviews. This speaks volumes about their lack of concern for their patients.

I am relieved that we did not have to experience this place, and I will never consider it in the future. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences — your honesty truly made a difference.

Gabriel N.

Honest Review – No Bias

There are both good and bad moments in this facility. Personally, I loved the drama between patients and between staff and patients. Yes, some staff break the rules by swearing, but that just adds to the fun. The staff also make fun of patients if they do not like them.

During my stay, the mix of patients was top-tier. One girl had a crush on me, and I had one 15 and one 16 year old friend, one of whom was the funniest and best conversationalist ever. I had the best conversation of my life with him, so that definitely earns some brownie points.

The drama in the hospital is amazing—the way nurses and patients have beef is top-tier. Also, since the food is made for staff to buy, patients basically get to eat what you would find at Denny’s. We also got to stay in our rooms as much as we wanted. Plus, we had snack time and gym. The gym was the best it was basically a half-court with volleyballs, soccer balls, basketballs, and tennis equipment. There was one hoop for basketball. Also, there are a bunch of gay male staff in the hospital.

Now for the downsides. Sometimes, we got collectively punished for something only one person did, which I am pretty sure is considered a war crime and bullying. If you are not into drama, beef, and can't make friends, this place is probably not for you. You WILL feel miserable if you dont make friends.

Another huge downside is that we were late to everything. Since there is an adult unit that always goes before us, we were always late to everything, including visiting time.

Oh, I almost forgot—a major upside is that everything is optional. Plus, all the kids in the unit can hang out in the main room (kind of like a living room) and talk, which makes the experience really fun. Most beef happens in group time and the main room, which is why I parcipated.

Also, shout out to Anthony.

Megan W.

I was a voluntary patient here very recently for 5 days. I have been to other facilities before and this one positively outweighed others significantly. The facility is clean, you are fed 3 times a day actually pretty good food in a nice cafeteria. The staff (like 90% of them) are very kind and caring and listen when you tell them how you are feeling. I have sleep apnea and wear a CPAP machine and they did a lot to accommodate that for me. Dr. Maaz was my doctor and he was very no BS and wanting to get to the root of why you were there and what you needed which I really appreciated. A couple of negative things that didn’t ruin my experience but are notable are that the staff is super noisy at night when you’re trying to sleep which is frustrating, and also kept waking me up to ask how my CPAP worked and if it was on which was very annoying (but later there was an apology which i appreciated), and there at times wasn’t efficient communication about meds, plans for what’s happening once I leave, etc. Overall, I genuinely feel that this facility saved my life and finally feel hope which I never thought I would have. It seems like the adolescent unit is a whole other story based on reviews, but i’m here to say the adult unit is great and made me feel taken care of and respected.

Chana F.

I was a patient here a couple years ago when I was about 15 or 16. Here’s my issues I had with them.

1. A nurse told me I was being “bitchy” and had an “attitude” because I asked to take a shower in the morning and when she said no I was visibly annoyed. Later I found out she had no reason to deny me the ability to shower and we could shower whenever we wanted. I reported this and nothing happened. She left for a few days and came back like nothing happened and clearly wasn’t handled.
2. They withheld my prescribed medication that I had been on for 2 years for the first few days I was there. I told them withdrawal cold turkey was dangerous and they didn’t care.
3. On top of the medication issue, they kept trying to get me to take new medication I’d never heard of and said I wasn’t comfortable with. It took my parents insisting for hours to get them to leave me alone.
3. Food was disgusting. Most of the time it was stale and hard. Sometimes it was okay, usually not.
4. Some staff were nice but a good amount of them clearly didn’t want to be there and acted like strict security guards handling juveniles instead of teenagers in crisis. I understand some patients can be difficult but having a bad attitude off the bat is unprofessional.
5. There was no real outside area. The “outside” was a tiny patio with bars surrounding it and a roof over it. We got no sun.
6. My first morning when they took my blood the nurse seemed like a student or novice to blood drawing as it took her 5 tries. The time she got it was on the under side of my wrist and it hurt a lot. I will say, she was nice, but she clearly wasn’t competent.
7. When I was first being checked in, they had me strip down completely naked which I understand is procedure. However, when the nurse was looking for self harm cuts, once she found the area of my body I had them she said “oh found it!” and laughed. LAUGHED.
8. A good amount of bathrooms didn’t have shower curtains and unfortunately mine was one of them. Water got everywhere everytime me or my roommate had to shower and it was so uncomfortable.
9. The entire building was unreasonably cold. Like freezing. We would go to bed shivering with thin blankets and sheets of below average quality.
10. When they did laundry, all of our stuff got lost after they insisted nothing would be misplaced and I found multiple people wearing my clothes and said they were from the lost and found. I still don’t have everything I came in with.

The only reason why my time there was somewhat decent was because of some of the other patients there who were kind and few staff who actually cared. I obviously don’t expect a vacation resort but there were some basic issues that didn’t need to be there.

L

My sister was sent here for a 72 hour hold and they were the worst people to interact with. They almost never answer the phone, they give no patient updates, they have held my sister for longer than she was even supposed to be there without notifying anyone as to why. We drove 45 minutes to go to the hospital in person for an update and still were not told anything, but we got the pleasure of meeting their rude, careless staff. We even brought an attorney in to assist, and they still will not give any updates on her status. She is only 15 and is basically being held hostage by this insane hospital. If you ever want a loved one back, DO NOT BRING THEM TO THIS HOSPITAL!!

Nicholas B.

I had an excellent experience with Aliso Ridge Behavioral Health. The facility is welcoming, well-maintained, and offers a calm and supportive environment. Jojo gave me an outstanding tour, walking me through every detail and ensuring I felt comfortable and informed throughout the entire visit.