ABOUT DESERT VISTA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER – MESA
Operated by Maricopa Integrated Health System – one of the largest teaching hospitals in the state of Arizona – Desert Vista Behavioral Health Center provides psychiatric residential and outpatient treatment for adults and adolescents with serious behavioral health disorders. The facility specializes in caring for clients undergoing court-ordered treatment, but also admits individuals requiring services on a voluntary basis. The center is located in Mesa, and there is an additional facility in Phoenix.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
According to its website, individuals at Desert Vista are placed into distinctive units based on their age. The adolescent track serves clients between ages 13 and 17 and utilizes the Proactive Solutions model, which “uses collaborative problem solving and focuses on teaching the necessary skills to resolve disagreements in a collaborative manner.”
There is little information regarding the facility’s treatment approaches for adult care, but it is made clear that clients receive multidisciplinary care by working with psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians and nurses along with recreational therapists.
Outpatient psychiatric services are available at the facility, and include individual, group, and family counseling along with assessments, evaluations, and medication management.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The residential treatment team consists of a psychiatrist, social worker, registered nurse, psychiatric resident physician, psychologist, and recreational therapist. The team also collaborates with behavioral health agency outpatient teams and primary care physicians. Clients in the outpatient program work with a physician in the hospital’s residency training program under direct supervision by attending psychiatrists.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
The facility as a whole holds 219 total beds, 14 of which are reserved for adolescent residential treatment. There are currently no additional details provided on the facility’s website or otherwise regarding its living arrangements and related offerings.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
One anonymous alum to date told Best-rehabs.com that the facility was “a great place to manage mania” and rated it highly for staff support, accommodations, safety, and respect, among other strengths.
Elsewhere online, reviews are more mixed. To date, 20 Google ratings average 3.3 out of five stars.[1] Former client Michelle called the place a “real BLESSING” and wrote: “I had a positive experience at Desert Vista. They were there for me at a time when I had no insurance and couldn’t afford to see a doctor.” Another former client, Jessica, commented: “Im and very happy to say that now 10 Years and 6 months later i am still sober. Thanks to the help of the wonderful people there, I have been able to turn my life around.”
On the other hand, some reviewers reported more negative experiences, such as Courtney who gave one star and wrote: “It was horrible. Its a holding cell for your 2 week stay and its no place to go for any real help.” Reviewers on Yelp were also ocerwhelmingly displeased with treatment at this facility. Five ratings averaged 1.8 out of five stars on this secondary source where several reviewers noted poor quality staff and living conditions.[2]
WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY
Though Best-rehabs.com has yet to receive feedback for this facility to date, ratings elsewhere online are quite critical. On Google at the time of this writing, one user felt his brother was not properly evaluated or monitored after being released by the facility despite having a court order for treatment: “This is not the kind of place to send your child, sibling, or loved one if you truly want them to get the help they deserve. They flat out told my parents “We don’t care.”
A similar sentiment was echoed by a Facebook user who posted on the hospital’s page: “This place sucks there communication is worthless !!!! when u have a loved one here they should be makin u feel that they r gettin takin care of well they dont !!if u can avoid this place do so !!!”[3] At the time of this writing, the facility’s Facebook page, which it may be able to edit, shows 17 ratings that average 3.5 out of five stars.
FINANCING
According to its website, Desert Vista works with most insurance providers and offers financial aid to those unable to pay their bills.
[1] https://goo.gl/iTiYCq
[2] https://www.yelp.com/biz/desert-vista-behavioral-health-center-mesa
[3] https://www.facebook.com/pages/Desert-Vista-Behavioral-Health-Center/113379282029044