Connections Health Solutions — Mental health clinic in Phoenix, AZ

Regrettably, I had to take a trip today to Connections Behavioral Health for my stepmother. She was feeling frightened and combative, and I was confident that bringing her here would ensure she received proper care. As a 24/7 urgent care facility for behavioral health, it was clear to me that when I noticed Susana's desire to harm herself, she was in the safest environment possible. Connections assists a diverse range of individuals, helping them navigate the challenges associated with mental illness. Upon our arrival at the facility, we were welcomed by Pedro, the Gatekeeper, who was exceptionally cordial, professional, and kind. As we proceeded through the metal detector, we encountered Amanda, the receptionist at the desk, who collected Susana's information. Amanda was not only kind and professional but also provided detailed information about the services offered by Connections; her demeanor was warm and compassionate. After a brief wait, Susana was promptly taken in to meet with Cody, the therapist who evaluated her condition. It is worth noting that Susana was admitted. I would like to emphasize that Connections plays a crucial role in this community for individuals suffering from mental illness. They have been serving this community for many decades and continue to deliver high-quality care to those in need. If I could award Connections 10 stars, I certainly would. I have observed several negative reviews about this organization; however, I do not believe all of those reviews to be accurate. I have brought Susana here on three previous occasions, and she has consistently received outstanding service, always expressing her appreciation for the excellent care she received during her stays. Thank you, Connections, for providing such exceptional service to our community.

I was in here involuntarily because my dad lied and exaggerated on my petition. This whole process is criminal. Being locked in a room with no outside time & fed mentally destabilizing foods - both of which scientifically proven to cause mental impairment - while being analyzed and “strongly encouraged” to take drugs I didn’t feel I needed, when legal rights say I can refuse whilst being accused grandiose & delusional. Psych meds have very serious negative side effects and are easily avoided for many of the population when other modalities - that I practice are older than allopathy & very effectively and respected within mental health. Locked in against my will - I couldn’t act angry or “elevated or have pressured speech” by being in this jail. Even still feeling i was wronged to be there in the 1st place. The “providers” aka psych drug dealers - expected me to be calm and collected - I showed my respects to them and the very serious job they have to keep community and us safe. However 1 provider viewing 16 ish people for 15-20 mins x time all in a row will naturally become a biased observation and sets those like myself who shouldn’t have been in there an unfair evaluation. UPC repetitioned me continuing the exaggeration on my file even worse original petition - still stating very serious allegations that I distinctively addressed in 1st eval. I must say the positive experience were the other staff - I give credit where it’s due and will say I appreciated the nurses, social workers, and other fully present individuals with us - who also agreed I shouldn’t be in there - and whose notes NEVER make it to the providers consideration — mind you I’m diagnosed grandiose and delusional …. All staff besides providers really cared, and listened, reflected if and when needed. Very quickly did those staff regulate the room or people being irate to avoid forced sedation if it were possible which in a very impressive way. However the psychiatrists are dismissive, instigating, presuming you are mentally until proven innocent. Taking the words of the petitioners as law and I didn’t feel seen or heard - they disregarded several very important factors we spoke about - and repetitioned me, sharpening the exaggerating of the original petition to make me look worse then the original petition did …. calling me delusional and grandiose for simply having confidence in my own emotional intelligence and own self regulating abilities. I relied on Somatic therapies to heal myself for my entire life - from self practice to actual formal studying from professionals - so I’m far from being arrogant. I deliberately stay away from medication, so self mastery is my religion, passion, life’s work and actual profession. Self regulating, h3aling chronic issues holistically via breathwork, diet, Thai chi/chi gong, and other practices have delivered; many of these practices several centuries old - while being dismissed. Being told I’m oblivious to my mental state which between emotions & mental state it’s literally all I do and study as I do not want allopathic mediations. I am a somatic worker for other individuals to help them self regulate in massage, breath and meditation spaces. I was told I was grandiose and hallucinations when I spoke of very real feelings and flashbacks I had. I was gaslit: emotionally and psychologically abused by the “providers” who say they observe you as you’re in there for 24 hrs x day - but they only do so for 15 mins x day. I was sent to another facility - Valley wise where thank god the providers had actual compassion, and more discernment - then being validated by staff and via my responses from providers when saying UPC exaggerated and disregarded me. From danger to myself & others - an attempt to diagnose me skitzophrenic - then bipolar to everything dropped including medications - maybe I was right all along and this for profit “we care about your rights as long as you swallow our meds “ process handled me wrong. If I had $ and time - I’d lawyer up and sue this petition / provider process

They were very kindly and highly efficient, I am going with my sister this Friday after Christmas Day, to possibly discuss a readjustment of my psych med and discuss the way that I am currently feeling, I am grateful that their doors are A-L-W-A-Y-S open: thank you psychiatrists and staff there: you were my life savers I was experienced psychosocial behavior from abusing I'm greatly over consuming coffee for many decades a very bad mistake on my part, overuse of caffeine left me in times feeling in fight or flight mode, and I felt emptiness and loneliness and a great desperation: and Connections helped me the same day through their outpatient service: you are all Earth Angels 😇👍❣️❣️❣️

I went there and they did a fetal inspection at the hospital because I’m 2 months pregnant, the next day at upc maybe 12-14 hours later I felt a lot of pain and I started telling the nurses that I need to go to the hospital and that something is wrong with my baby, they responded with “nothing has changed since we last checked” the previous day. One of them even lied to me and said she would get the ambulance for me. At some point they actually said I was complaining too much, and yes I was! If a mother says there is something wrong with her baby, THERE IS something wrong! It’s not something to turn away from. Within the same hour before getting discharged I started bleeding, something WAS wrong with my baby. My concerns got ignored. Not only that but the staff (specifically the female staff) were very rude, one even asking me why I’m not working if I’m “not far along enough” to where I can’t work. Everyone’s pregnancy is different. It’s my first pregnancy, I am anemic and I only weigh 103lbs at a warehouse job that requires 50lbs lifts.. I found her comment very inconsiderate and inappropriate. She made some other VERY unnecessary comments that had nothing to do with being there, she even told me “Okay I’m done talking to you I’ll talk to you tomorrow” while interviewing me not because I said something that made me unsafe for discharge but because I simply said something she didn’t like about a comment she made. She actually reminded me that she is the one that determines when I leave like it was a threat of some sort. She was also the one, that like I said earlier, said I was complaining too much because I was telling the nurses something was wrong with my baby. They treat their patients bad because they know they can get away with it since the patients can’t tell anyone or record for proof. All the male staff were very nice & way more understanding! Such a shame that they were more understanding of something they will never fully comprehend because they can’t go through pregnancy. Yet they took my concerns more seriously than the females.

I go in here on accasion to get my medicine, outpatient. I don't like to go here because one time this place accidently prescribed antibiotics a hospital recently did. So if you don't mind them sharing, not even on a need to know psychiatric information with local hospitals, law enforcement and whatever else I'd go here. If not I'd avoid. Also they confinecate backpacks, wallets, everything and make you pee in a cup. I really don't appreciate being treated like a criminal when I'm not one. Having a background in the medical field it also annoys me they don't know how to even place a blood pressure cuff correctly so then I need to field questions about high blood pressure that I.dont even have. Sadly I am someone that has to be medicated and I wish there were other places that made the process more humane & easy. oh well.

The 988 hotline recommended I go to this place. I don’t know if this is normal but I was actively having a mental health crisis and when I arrived they handed me a clipboard with paper to fill out, had me pee in a cup, passed me to a case manager who tried to ask me several general questions, and then I got to talk to a psychologist only because I demanded to speak to one. I then demanded to leave because I felt extremely uncomfortable, embarrassed and like a burden. My overwhelming anger overtook my initial anxiety and depression, which I guess is good? This is the first time I’ve ever experienced a mental health crisis, so I don’t know if this is protocol, but I personally wasn’t in the right mind to even remember my name because I was sobbing uncontrollably. I was begging for help and I was fighting for my life. They were cold and had no sense of urgency to help me calm down or understand my emotions. It makes me sad to think that this is what people in crisis go through. At one point I was so upset there at my depression worsened. I’ve never felt more embarrassed.

I went here today after witnessing the incredibly traumatic death of my neighbor. I was nervous because of past reviews, but my visit was what I needed. I will never, ever forget the kindness I was shown today by every single staff member I spoke with. The case worker was unbelievably kind and was able to meet me right where I was at - he picked up that I have some medical and psychiatric knowledge and we were able to talk about what I saw on both a mental but also physical level. He gave me resources and told me half a dozen times that he is so happy I came to get help. The psychiatrist was also fantastic - very old school, but he listened to me, and he teared up a little too. He gave me a huge hug as I left and told me that it would get better. The front desk staff were unbelievably kind too. There’s not many resources for people who witness traumatic events like gun violence, sudden suicide, etc. The psychiatrist and case manager were able to pretty quickly realize that I didn’t need medication or to be committed anywhere - but I did need people with me who would let me talk about what I saw. Thank you, to all of the staff, so much. I will never forget the kindness I was shown.

When they created this place I imagine it was thinking of an experimentation laboratory, where the rats all in a cage are observed and see who bites first and how they attack each other. Horrible experience, I went there because the one who claims to call himself a quail run doctor did not know how to treat me and sent me for a second evaluation with his great dedication first I should see if there was the right place, because thanks to that they took me as if I were a criminal, in a patrol and with handcuffs, when you arrive they receive you the same or worse like 10 people. They put you in a place with all kinds of people, criminals, drug addicts, etc. Thanks to this my blood pressure was high, my blood sugar very high and they didn't give me my medicine, only Tylenol and I didn't see the doctor, only at the exit. That was my second evaluation, thank you. Only my experience was terrible in sitting for 24 hours in a recliner like 75 men and women and watching how they scream to be treated. And also how they submit them to shut up. And they take you out to the street worse than when you entered.

The nurse named Raul Alvarado called me a racial slur all because I was in pain and could not move quick enough. I can't believe people like him are able to get jobs in a field for HELPING PEOPLE.

This was my 3rd hospitalization this year but first in this place. I have been struggling with this disease for now two years. Dr. Nadiri is different. She gave me hope. She took time to explain what is happening with me and how I can deal with this. It was difficult for me to hear and process all this. This was first time it was explained to me in a way that she really understood my experience. She gave me time, even sitting with me as I cried for a while. Her support made a hard moment feel less overwhelming.