Center For Health Care Services — Mental health service in San Antonio, TX

Very good service. It was free for me to enroll and now they accept my insurance. Been with this office for years.

Showed up to their 8 am appointment. Gate was barred and I'm left with a question. I called to let them know I was present, 15 mins before the appointment. No answer. 10 mins, no answer. Right at 8 am. No answer. I stayed there until they completely sealed the gates at 8:15 am. What a creepy place. I suggest going somewhere else. The whole place is riddled with homeless, making it completely unsafe to park.

EDIT: OCT 25, 2025 - (3 months after my original review) After taking some time to reflect on the situation, I would say that, yes, I am still very angry and disappointed about the outcome from working with the Center for Health Care Services for my mental health. I did feel distraught after my case manager was cut from the program because of their current budget restrictions. Mental health services require a lot of trust, and I have no trust and I have no faith in the Center for Healthcare Services to provide careful, adequate care, or to keep you the patient informed of important changes to your care. I advise you to seek services elsewhere because this program is underfunded and cannot provide the help necessary to those in need with their mental health. I will list the original complaints I had from the original review in no particular order: providers change without warning, being treated as a drug seeker, poor/lack of communication for followup appointments, being told to use AI for mental healthcare, told to send private healthcare information through email in order to receive appointment, no accountability. I am still very distressed from my experience with them. ------ Quality of care definitely varies depending on who you get. There is a lot of churn in staff. I am actually really frustrated because they changed my case manager who I had been seeing for months with no explanation. They did send a letter that goes somewhere I have not lived in several months and do not have access to that property. So I guess I'll never know. I liked my case manager and it makes me anxious to have to rebuild a connection with someone new and with no explanation or reasoning especially because as a patient you are received first by their prejudices rather than open minds to who you are as an individual. There are many instances that I have actually become more anxious because of lack of consistent service with providers or providers that are very callous in their demeanor. One provider even told me she could not see me again unless I sent my private medical information over email to her email without being able to confirm whether they received it. I did comply, but I had to complain after my efforts to get that information for that provider did not result in a follow up appointment. In return for my complaint I did receive a bootstamped envelope with an appointment card. I also had issues with peer support not being available for scheduled appointments - or consistency like I stated. Even had the supervisor ask me if my appointment was needed for an emergency- which constitutes what exactly? I had issues with them following up or calling me to schedule appointments as well. If you're desperate, this is literally it. There is nowhere else to go. This is the end of the line, so don't expect much. Best thing that came of the service was being referred out of it. The psychiatrist who made me send the information, her name is Grace. The peer support supervisor, his name is Robert. I'm beyond done with this place. I'm very angry, embittered, sad and frustrated. I know they try hard, but they treat everyone equally poorly and do not practice listening skills. I can't afford services elsewhere, but that does not mean that I am to be treated so poorly. I have a whole list of grievances. Oh don't even get me started on when they told me to use AI for mental health services. I mean, really? That information is so very private and intimate, and then this healthcare center tells me to go shove it and talk to a robot when I'm at my lowest. That's not to even mention that that private information I might provide on OpenAI or other sites is saved and distributed to researchers to train the language AI models. Those are NOT effective treatment programs at this point. The AI contributes to negative mental health outcomes according to researchers. I can go on.

I used to have higher regard for this place, but now I'm wondering why do I even still go here? A lot of the things they were helping with has been cut and you definitely have to jump thru hoops and divulge an enormous amount of personal information at the very beginning.

The front staff keep you waiting while they talk amongst themselves. Their local water cooler is the entire front desk. They don't care, they don't listen to you, and they certainly don't help you, even if you're standing right in front of them. It's worse when you're standing in line and there are 4-5 people ready to call the next person in line and they're all talking about their weekend plans or what they did last night. They don't care that people can actually hear their conversations. They must assume all mentally ill people are deaf or unintelligent. That's just the front desk. When you do finally submit your paperwork, they lose it and expect you to go and get it again, like it's that easy. I had to get a denial letter from Carelink that I had to make an appointment for. I turned it into the front desk and the first or second person you see in the back before getting assigned a psychiatrist and appointment. They lost it. Next, the counselors and case managers don't help either. I told the counselor, who's not a real counselor or therapist, that my phone was about to be shut off the upcoming week and that we had to schedule online telehealth zoom instead of talking on the phone. He dropped me because he couldn't get in touch with me and I had no way to reach out. Now mind you, I had an upcoming appointment with the psychiatrist, as well. My psychiatrist and counselor are not the same. The counselor dropping me for missing his appointment also dropped me for the entire program. Worst part, Leadership didn't help either. Out of the three psychiatrists I saw. The first was a nightmare, wanted to commit me cos she wanted to leave early for a four day weekend. Kept calling me and they're not supposed to call directly like that. She kept insisting I come in earlier than my appointment. I had a scheduled ride and repeatedly told her I couldn't change my ride. I only had one ride. I needed to be assessed so that I can get on meds. It was critical. Needless to say, I went through hoops with Leadership to get me a new psychiatrist, who was perfect, but he left after he got his hours in. The one that oversaw him became my new psychiatrist. And I LOVED Ms Burmea, plus she was permanent, not a resident. But because of this particular non-counselor who decided that my appointment with him was much more important than my psychiatrist, med management, and advocacy removed the only REAL help I was trying to get. This place failed me miserably. I hope it works for others, but this place let me down, and left me worse off. I do not recommend it for anything else except for MOST of the psychiatrists. DO NOT opt for counseling. You have the psychiatrist which is much more important for your med management. Find an actual therapist separate from them. They'll tell you, you can't, but it's not true according to their guidelines and policies. Read them first before making any important decisions. They don't help you with any resources cos they don't bother and they're too lazy to look. They just don't care cos there are too many people needing help. I'm a human being not a number and deserve to be treated with respect. I was lucky to make it out with my dignity still intact. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Trying to get enrolled and if you are not in immediate crisis they put you off. And it’s not like there are so many other places you can go. Many psychologists and psychiatrists do not accept people with marketplace insurance or no insurance. There are thousands of people in this city alone who don’t have mental health care. Yet when you ask for help or call 311 they tell you to reach out to CHCS. We need a better system plain and simple

When I thought compassion and love was lost Chcs is truly a blessing not only the receptionist s are so welcoming but the doctor are truly understanding and very interested in you well being . The case managers are also Amazing. Very caring and will help you with any resources or help you need and the follow thru for your well-being by ChCS is awesome! Looking for help especially for you mental health definitely I recommend this place . Don't be scared help is here .

These stars are only for Fernando my case Manger. I had been treated here from 2020-2023 I believe. I honestly hated seeeing my psychiatrist. They would always change, not my choice but due to them constantly changing I can’t even remember any of their names. I hated seeing them. Their not bad people but all they care about at least to me is uping or changing my meds. 😩 I hated it. I just need to be heard. Thats where my boy Ferns comes in the assigned case manger. Honestly he and a few others outside of here saved my life. I hope Fernando reads this one. Mannnnnn he made me feel okay and heard. He really cared about my well being him just hearing me was enough. I’ll forever keep in my ❤️ and mind a few things I learned from him. I remember him telling me when I would get panic attack yes it scary and it does feel like I am dying but I will not and all the other times it happened I didn’t. Also I overthink like crazy, I remember venting to him about work worries and just him putting things in my worst fear perspective somehow helped. He said okay if that happens how will you feel? Not good right maybe for a few weeks but in a month or so how you feel? Better right?. I have since kept that and use it still. He was so funny to talk to and make laugh. I cried when it was my final day of letting go of the services. I didn’t wanna lose the support/bond with my case manger Fernando. I had been meaning to write this but I kept forgetting. But These Stars are solely solely to my case manger Fernando. I pray one day he is able to read this. Fernando I tear up as I right this you saved my life. Just hearing me out, you truly are part of the people that saved my life. I will forever be grateful for the services because thanks to them I met Fernando. Ferns! I hope life is treating you great! You deserve it!

I don’t know where I would be without CHCS! I was homeless for a year & a half and was referred to them through Haven for Hope. I’ve had a couple different caseworkers and all have been caring and helpful. They helped me receive housing assistance quickly and got me the mental health care & meds (free of charge) that changed my life! Dr. O is amazing and always celebrates my successes! Highly recommend to anyone needing help.

This Center for health is a great center for adults, teens and children. One of my friend referred it for me and I referred it to a lot of my friends with or without insurance . The assessment get done in a timely manner and finished the same day .people here are available to schedule a doctors appointment after the assessment. you will get quick and fast services all the time. the staff is super sweet. Thank you center for health crew for your wonderful service here in San Antonio Texas.