Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta

I was in the long-term adolescent inpatient unit last year (female). It was so unhinged. Fights are a regular occurrence, so be prepared. They did have some cool incentives for us, and if we were on good behavior, we’d get to go on field trips, have little parties (one was like a prom but in a psych ward, one had waffle makers and ice cream, one was a water balloon fight, one was a pajama party and they BOUGHT US PAJAMAS AND WE GOT TO KEEP THEM, it was actually kind of fun).

Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta provided nothing but the best and genuine care for me! The staff were outstanding and really dedicated they were much appreciated from me and my mother. I would like to give a hugeeee shout out to Ms.Tameka Jones y'all when I tell y'all she was the best words literally couldn't even explain how much I needed to meet that kind spirited individual she was so sweet caring and most definitely hard working It totally irritated me at how much she overworked herself and she knew it to there was nights I wasn't in the right state of mind or nights when the unit would just need her presence and her original time to leave would be at 7:30 she'd stay until almost 10:00 at night just to satisfy our needs make sure we were good and straight sometimes she was so therapeutic I would sit in my room and just cry at the fact she would be there for me and us adolescents I'd think she wasn't taking any self care time to herself hands down was one of the best people I've met in a while! God knew I needed her in that dark and overwhelming moment in my life I truly loved her with so much in me! Also I want to give another shout-out to the MHA's and Therapist Starting with Ms.Ty my therapist when I went in there I entered with the mentality that I would not speak or open up to anyone she made me feel comfortable and reassured me that she was only there to help me and to give me a push and a positive outlook on life her dedication definitely didn't go unnoticed!🩷🥹 Ms.Ashley, Ms.Saketiha, Ms.Laketiha, Ms.Angel,Ms.Amy,Ms.Cornelia,Ms.Ceirra,Nurse Andrene❤️❤️,Ms.D, Ms,Shakira, Ms.Britney the nurses and Ms.Shayna both of them they were outstanding and really genuine I appreciated their care and if you're hesitant on sending your child or family there I wouldn't lie to you I recommend this placement for your youth or whoever you may feel needs some type of stable adjustment 10/10 ! # Zatara G

My adult daughter voluntarily checked herself in. I was told over the phone by a counselor that since she was voluntary she was free to leave at any time. In that 48 hour period, she colored, she painted, she watched Lost. She slept on a cot, she was not given the 4 digit code that allowed her mother to speak with her, she walked around without shoes until it was time for her to leave, they did not relay messages to her and when she asked to use the phone the nurses would randomly shut the phones off and not allow her to. You are not allowed to call into the facility and request to speak with your family member, whether you have a code or not. She had a meeting with a tele therapist over the weekend, that therapist said they were not able to discharge her, that she would need to speak with the weekly therapist. I went there after 48 hours, she told the nurse she wanted to leave and was then given the run around by the same nurse who delayed providing her with the necessary paperwork to begin that process. My first encounter was a rude receptionist, I believe her name was Tracy, after her attitude and grunting I demanded to speak with someone other than her. A Ms. Quiller came out, she was professional and attentive, she relayed the message to my daughter and started the process of getting her discharged, it took 2 hours once Ms. Quiller got involved. I was originally told the release process could take 72 hours. Prior to her discharge they miraculously managed another tele-therapist meeting and of course they sent a representative from their financial office to have her commit to paying them over $3000 in an 18 month period for her 48 hour day care stay. I can promise you. Your loved one may be struggling emotionally and mentally prior to being in this place, before they get to leave, however, they will feel like they're completely losing their mind. They tell you they're adults and can make decisions for themselves but then they lock them out of their rooms, lock them out of restrooms and make them color and paint to occupy their time. I'm quite certain if I had not been on the outside fighting for my daughter, she'd still be in there. Please be sure you know exactly what this place is before considering their services.

My son acted up in school. We were told we had to get a mental health evaluation. When we called our pediatrician they said we couldn’t go through them. We had to go either here or the ER or here. So with admitted ignorance we went here not being from here and not knowing any better. They admitted our 9 year old autistic child without telling us before hand. Then we were berated with statements that were accusing us of being aggressive when we asked for our son back. I was then harassed repeatedly with misleading sexist statements that left us with our son being held by them, and the threat that he would be turned over to the state if we didn’t do so and told to leave. The next morning a “doctor” who spoke with our scared son called my wife and asked “why would your son be here, they shouldn’t have admitted him”. Followed by the statement that the “doctor” “will try and get him out before the three days”. No phone calls back since. Rude staff, ignorant, inappropriate not helpful or resourceful and they made accusingly false information and statements. The staff omitted details that would have helped us to take our son before they made their decision. Now we wait for what they deemed an evaluation. All because we were aggressive with words only when they shanghaied our son. This is a private business and they may help others but for us they completely destroyed and honesty or professionalism within the medical field. Shame on them.

I was sent here for about 3 months in 2018 for an OD/suicide attempt when I was 13 and I had been treated like I was being punished the entire time I was here. This place is very ghetto, and the staff members are just awful to the patients(children) here. While I understand some of the residents sent here are serving time, I am still baffled at the way I was treated as a child for trying to get help from this facility. The staff members would gossip constantly behind other staff members backs as well as the other patients, and they would pit us all against each other. There was one male staff member in particular (Mr Aron) who was just horrible to the patients, he was very mean. One time while using the restroom in my room I noticed 3 or 4 residents from the boys unit staring into my room and laughing- which the staff aloud even after I reported it. Like I said, this facility was very ghetto and the people in charge of caring for children with mental health issues and special needs were a nightmare to deal with-very mean and borderline abusive to children behind closed doors. While it wasn’t all of the people working here it was a big majority of them, especially those that were working on the girls unit during my stay here in early 2018.

Would have given 0 stars. Was not informed that there was no outpatient services upon entering the facility. I set an appointment for an intake which I've done at other mental health places and filled out the paper and spoke to Rebecca. Not one time did I mention suicide or self harm I only explained that it was a touch of depression and anxiety, again no mention of ill intents, to see if they could help me find a therapist. She went and talked to the doctor and informed me that he wanted to observe me 3 to 5 days. I was like um no I came for a therapist not to be here for a couple of days as I have a job and a one year old. So as I tried to leave she said she would be back to speak to the doctor again and gave me a 1013 form basically involuntarily holding me a minimum of 72 hours for observation because I was a self harm risk???? How the heck does that justify itself. She is a liar and could have costed me my job among other things. The psychiatrist apologized to me and unfortunately I had no choice but to stay and even then it felt like a prison. Didn't have the proper supplies to give us like hygiene and bedding. It was a pretty traumatic experience honestly and I will never forget it. Still in that time there I never once tried self harm or a harm of others as that wasn't how I felt. But people should know if you go there you will be there 3 days minimum and a horrible experience if you did not intend to be there. I'm sure it's great for people who really need the help and I understand that. No outpatient, don't walk in those doors cuz once it locks behind you that's it!

I was a little worried at first admitting my daughter after reading reviews. Once she was there, I called to get details and they were extremely nice and understanding. Every time I called up there, the person that answered the phone was extremely nice and understanding. They always had someone answering my questions. I knew every move that my daughter made in that facility. I never feared for her safety during her stay. I highly recommend this facility.

I was overwhelmed and had some trouble coming off of my meds and ended up being able to stay at Lighthouse for a few days and it was truly such a great and wholesome experience! There are SO many staff members who genuinely care about the patients.

I was admitted to the long-term adolescent section of this facility last year, and was there for three months. During my time there, I experienced severe bullying, witnessed several fights, and was jumped twice. I hit my head on the floor and didn't receive medical attention until two days later, when I began to black out/lose consciousness.Close to my discharge date (about one month before), my toilet was clogged. I was on a "no roommate" order, which is pretty self-explanatory. This meant that I did not have to share my bedroom nor bathroom. However, the staff on duty went against the rules, and allowed girls to shower in my bathroom. One of the girls, who will remain unnamed, used the bathroom, clogging the toilet.When I complained about the toilet issue, staff ignored me. Over three days, the poop continued to pile up, as the girl continued to use my bathroom, and use the already clogged toilet. My room became a BIOHAZARD. It was not until after the third day did I complain again (at least the seventh time) to an MHT, Ms. Anna. She removed the poop from the toilet, by hand, and cleaned it for me so that I could sleep in my room without getting sick.Think about it. An MHT was kind enough to clean my toilet with her bare hands, while the actual staff didn't bother reporting the issue to maintenance. Ms. Anna then told another staff, a Nurse who I believe was named Terry, and he took it into his own hands. He brought some type of machine, and unclogged the toilet, which Ms. Anna had cleaned herself.It was disgusting treatment, but I am never going to forget the kindness that Ms. Anna had for me. If an issue is left long enough for a room to become a biohazard, then this facility should not be running.Alongside these issues, many children, including myself, did not receive our phone calls each week. In the long-term program, each patient receives one phone call during the week, and one during the weekend. However, more often than not, I would not be allowed to make my phone call, and neither would the others. No many how much we wrote grievances, or complained verbally, they refused to fix the issue. I wasn't able to contact my family the day I was jumped either (both happened on the same day).The only positives of this facility are three workers/MHTs: Mrs. Kat, Mrs. Sabrina, and Ms. Anna. They were all incredibly caring and compassionate towards our treatment, and wouldn't hesitate to speak up for us. Please do not send your kids here for long-term treatment.

I was a patient here they kept me for over a year! I can tell you right now the staff there were rude didn’t care what happened to you, doctors would heavily sedate you! They turned a blind eye when something terrible really happened, even the staff members would touch the girls and boys and would threaten us if we said anything. If you ever caused a scene you would get a shot that would sedate you heavily as well and be thrown in the quiet room(also known as the padded room) a lot of bad things happen there and they turn a blind eye. When it comes to school work they don’t care about that at all! The staff are usually on there phone all the time and pay no attention.staff also bad mouth the kids and put them down. So if I were you don’t send your children here!!!

The staff that I had to talk to were very nice and professional. My child was treated respectfully and they really seemed to care about him. There was one incident that happened whiley child was there but it was resolved. The staff talked to my child about it and talked to me and explained. Thank you. This was a stressful experience for my child and me, however, I was never not in the know about my child's treatment. I received calls from his therapist, Dr, nurse, and Psychiatrist. If anyone ever has to go through this with their kid, this facility is great. During a stressful time, they did their best to try to provide understanding and alleviate some of the anxiety.

I went to their new outpatient program for a few weeks last year. I can only speak from what I saw on my intake and being an outpatient. The inside atmosphere is intimidating and seems like a prison, but the staff did have programs or fun things for some of the children to do (it was around halloween). Some of the staff is a little rude or careless but I can equate that to long hours and being understaffed. They have one doctor throughout the whole building and only two people including him who can prescribe medication. Lots of the staff do care about the children and want to do more especially with the outpatient program, however there seems to be a issue with management in regards to funding and restrictions. Low staff and low funding is an issue here but it is definitely not the worst thing I have ever seen. Lots of friendly faces

I know many parents are scared to send their children and trust me when I say I read the reviews and was terrified. Our overall experience was great. My daughter stayed for 30 days. She loved the staff. Her therapist Amy was amazing and really connects with the children. The only issue I had was communication was a little lack of and it was hard only talking to my daughter once a day. She gained all her weight back and enjoyed the food and even tried new foods as well. She got two town passes which we enjoyed because we lived 3.5 hours a way and was able to pick her up at 11am and drop her back off by 7pm. Her mental health since she has been back home is great. She utilizes her cooong skills that she learned there. She also loved having church on Sundays and said every weekend they would have some sort of a social for the kids whether it was an ice cream social or a game day social. Overall don’t let all the negative reviews fool you like they did me at first. Thank you to all whom helped B.J on the 100 hall. You guys rock and she already misses seeing the staff that she grew bonds with!!