Fifth Avenue Behavioral Health Center — Addiction treatment center in San Diego, CA

I love this place it has done wonders for me and honestly it has changed the trajectory of my career thoughts. Ive recently graduated from. Peer support specialist training because I was inspired by my counselors Kim, Nick, Fred, and Sara. Great job! And now I can pay it forward.

I repeatedly leave messages for Jerry and never get a response!

I've been with family health center 2 years and 6 months and been pretty miserable with them all I've gotten is a bus pass the entire time. Medical Care was so poor I switch to UCSD and couldn't be happier. I called to get an appointment cuz I needed three referrals that I was told only family health center could provide, and upon calling family health center was told by my case manager Ruby. Because I didn't go to an appointment at a monthly and because my medical wasn't there I wasn't eligible for services. That was no longer client. This is why people are frustrated. I've gone there all this time and haven't gotten anything accept bus pass. And a dental referral. I've never been happy with the mixed messages and the excuses family health center has made to me and everyone I know that is gone the family health center for help. It is unbelievable haven't been in a wheelchair for two years and actually be improving get to be turned away. And they wonder why people are unhappy and act out.. I have so little at my age it really hurts when and all you have done is work at improving and instead of getting help family health center brushed you off 🤕 Really frustrating.

PT 1 Do not sign up for their programs under the current management. They do not take dual diagnosis seriously and are only out for money (even though they are supposedly a non-profit); Don't even attempt to try to self advocate because they will not listen to you and take you seriously. I signed up for their Solutions For Recovery program with housing back in March 2023 with a new(ish) counselor. I went until late April to be told that I'm to meet with my counselor and come to find out, it's supposed to be weekly in their IOS (IOP) program. I attended every group via Zoom and had appointments canceled by said counselor at the last minute and NOT rescheduled. In May they went to three days per week in person in the most scary location down where there's drugs, crime and homeless people rampantly all around. For those of us that have experienced homelessness and are trying to better ourselves and have been victimized and harassed by these folks due to being in the LGBTQIA community, this really is not an ideal location to send clients. Every trip down there would send my C-PTSD and anxiety into overdrive. I ended up stopping the in-person because I could not handle the neighborhood. Management, both mid-level and upper-level, fought me on this when I tried explaining to them, but they were not on my side and they took note that I was being "hard to deal with" when in reality, it was sinking my morale and making it tough to get out of bed those days and I was trying to look out for my own well being. Most of the counselors were good. There was one in particular whom everytime they ran a group via Zoom, they would share their screen and have us meditate for several minutes through a video on YouTube, have us watch a TED talk, never talk to us participants and would end groups early. Their internet connection was horrible and when I commented on the internet issues and the fact that it was pointless to watch a video where you could only understand every five words, I was rudely asked to leave and every time I would join their groups after that, they told me to leave. I got to the point where I would not attend their groups because I was told to leave before roll call and attendance was taken. I was told to leave groups via Zoom by a few counselors and said my counselor would call me, but never did. I was 6, 7 and 8 months clean and sober, working a program of recovery as well as having a small income. I asked to be dropped down to regular OS (Outpatient) and was fought against and told I wasn't ready when trying to explain that I was getting nothing out of the program being that they tell clients harm reduction is A-oK, I was providing more peer-support to the new clients and not getting paid for it. It was making me question my own sobriety and making my mind tell me "hell, these people keep relapsing so I could just go have some drinks and still be in the program and welcomed back with open arms." It finally took me contacting a director at FHC and me sharing my experiences with this program that I was dropped down to regular OS twice a week via Zoom. They also promised a therapist who throughout my entire program, I never met. I was always told to make an appointment with the one therapist they had, but they were always out of the office. I took it upon myself to find my own therapist outside of SFR because that one known therapist ended up exiting. I know for a fact that they tell each and every new client that they get to see a therapist and when asked by a few roommates what I was doing for therapy, I told them about South Bay and City Heights. Once again, no structure for dual diagnosis. When I signed up for the program they told me it was supposed to be a 30% of my income starting in June with the first 90 days being free and allowing me to find job opportunities. I have a felony arson charge as well as health issues that prevents me from getting a job like I have had in the past.

PT 2 I do freelance work on my laptop computer through Amazon M-Turk, Prolific, numerous survey sites, Craigslist gigs, and other gig-economy platforms. In 2023, not everyone has a W-2 job and a lot of people have 1099 jobs now. Their housing coordinator fought me tooth and nail for paycheck stubs when in reality, a lot of people don't receive check stubs anymore, but can produce bank statements to reflect income. From the start, they came up with $300 as an amount to pay for rent. After talking to roommates, I realized that I was being way overcharged rent for what the other people were paying here at my house. I spent many weeks stressed out, as well as my sponsor telling me I should talk to them, but when I did, I was told that was my rent. When I went to the director, I verified that rent should be 30% of any income. I am now being evicted not being able to pay the $150 which is not 30% of my income. I paid $60 in June, 0 in July as told by the director and was to pay in August, $150. I could not come up with the 150 but could provide 30% of my actual income which was $60 again. I am now working with a new therapist who does EMDR, a new case manager and I'm trying to get better so I can utilize my abilities and training to become a peer support specialist. Tomorrow I am homeless again because of unrealistic expectation from this organization. In their welcome packet it says they are supposed to help clients find a program that is more suitable, but all I received was a 14 day notice to leave my house, along with more mis-information saying I wasn't attending groups but one which is absolutely not true. I attended the two I was supposed to attend. It also stated that I didn't pay the $150 that I was supposed to pay when reality is, that's not 30% of my income and it's unrealistic in my state right now to make that much money until my mental faculties are clear and I am in a better space with my trauma and C-PTSD. Stay away from Solutions For Recovery and check out Upac, Stepping Stone or some other organization because you will feel worse leaving than you did coming in through no fault of your own.

Counselors are always extremely rude, the office is very hostile environment and the groups are blank and very repetitive

This program is a failure to anyone that actually wants help. This program is geared toward people on probation that need to pee in a cup and are forced to be in group meetings. The counselors are Walmart and should not have the jobs that they have taken. If your family member needs help do not send them here.