Lakeview Behavioral Health

Lakeview Behavioral Health

ABOUT LAKEVIEW BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Lakeview Behavioral Health offers residential and outpatient care for adolescents and adults. Based in northern Atlanta, Georgia, the facility provides dual diagnosis and addiction treatment that includes on-site medically monitored detoxification.

TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT

Treatment is individualized and begins with an evaluation to assess substances used and dual diagnosis needs. Separate treatment tracks exist for adults 18 and older and children between the ages of nine and 17. The center offers inpatient crisis stabilization, partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP).

Dual diagnosis treatment includes specialized programs for suicidal thoughts, depression, schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar disorder.

Lakeview combines evidence-based treatments with holistic activities. Adult clients will participate in 12-Step meetings, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and individual and group therapy. Holistic treatments include art, music, and expressive therapies, nutrition and wellness counseling, and recreational therapies. Educational meetings may focus on relapse prevention, medications, and triggers for using. Family therapy may be incorporated as needed.

For adolescents, a specialized treatment staff work with clients and their families to treat mental health disorders.

Staff will create aftercare plans for clients that may include therapy or outpatient treatment. Holistic treatments like expressive arts and recreational activities are incorporated.

STAFF CREDENTIALS

Lakeview Behavioral Health employs doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), and therapists.

ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES

Gardens and a heavily forested area surround the modern facility. An outdoor deck leads to pathway next to a lake. Clients will have access to a basketball court and community areas equipped with ping pong tables, chess tables, open seating, and a TV. Bedrooms host two twin beds and a desk.

WHAT ALUMNI SAY

Sixteen of 19 alumni commenting through a Best-rehabs.com survey gave overwhelmingly negative reviews, with common concerns including unprofessional staff and a lack of quality care.

Several complained of a lack of individualized care. Alum Lexis wrote: “I hardly received any treatment and when I did it was subpar.” Kari added: “Treatment was nonexistent and the doctors were never there.”

Reviewer Leah added that while clients were required to attend therapy four times daily, “It is not targeted therapy… when [you’re] not in group, you are vegetating in front of the television.”

Others compared the facility to a prison, citing unclean conditions. Others reported dissatisfaction with the “horrible” food.

Alum also called staff “unprofessional,” “rude,” and lacking compassion. “The nurses & technicians were great,” Bernadine commented, “However, the psychiatrist and social worker were less than poor in their responsibilities.” “I have never been treated with such disrespect,” wrote Dianne.

The only alum to praise the facility, T.M.S., enjoyed therapy and treatment plans. “You get that much needed time to gain the tools to help fix your issues with mental and or addiction. The staff is very friendly and want to help.”

WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY

Four family members responding to a Best-rehabs.com poll echoed concerns and dissatisfaction with treatment at Lakeview. Two loved ones compared the facility to a prison. Two loved ones referred to staff as “rude” with another calling employees “power hungry, petty.”

One parent called the facility “unprofessional” with horrible communication that they would not recommend anyone attend. The parent, A, also critiqued sensitive information being shared.

Respondent D.G. wrote that Lakeview “seemed to keep her longer than necessary so they could bill insurance.” Parent J. commented: “Our daughter was there for three days and if her experience was even half as bad as ours, as parents, it is awful.”

WHAT STAFF SAY

No current or former staff members have responded to a Best-rehabs.com poll to date.

FINANCING

Lakeview accepts major health insurance providers such as Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and Humana. Medicare replacement and managed Medicare plans (such as Amerigroup and Wellcare) are accepted. Intake professionals will work with clients prior to admission to review insurance coverage and benefits.

Lakeview Behavioral Health Reviews

The whole process was very unprofessional. Communication is horrible and the social worker that we were assigned was very rude and condescending & had conversations with my child that she should have never had, relaying information to him that should have been spoke about in our prescence. Felt very uncomfortable with my child being there and would NOT recommend this facility for help. It's truly in need of an overhaul of professional help.
Lakeview is a miserable place to be... Movement, as per going to eat, is controlled with patients forced to line up and proceed under supervision through a number of locked doors. Food is mediocre to poor. One unpleasant ward-boss summarily denied me a second cup of coffee at breakfast. The majority of patients complained daily of not having been seen by a physician. All rooms are shared. The majority of patients are sent there against their will by the police or by emergency rooms. Beds are small & uncomfortable. Bathrooms have prison-style sinks/showers. Patients are locked out of their rooms during the morning hours. Personal toiletries are forbidden. Shaving is strictly supervised. I arrived with 5 each of pants, socks, shirts, underwear, and books. The ward-boss arbitrarily limited me to 3 each of the above items. The stay is usually extended so as to milk more money from the payee. In my case, I was discharged at 8AM but not allowed to depart until 3:00 in the afternoon, thus allowing Lakeview to bill for another day. At the end, Lakeview included a self-pay $1475 surprise addition to the bill, which was verbally explained as my regular single $246 copay, but which they applied for each individual day. Yet, on the printed bill, the $1475 is listed as "Admit Fee". That's Lakeview $ hocus-pocus. Once they have you locked up, insurance will not pay anything if you walk out for any reason. The pre-admission "counselors" tell any lie to encourage self-admission. Avoid this dreadful facility.
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  • After getting a good report on Friday they turned my son out on Saturday...They didn't even notify me.
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  • This experience was not what I expected from a behavioral health center. The nurses & technicians were great. However, the psychiatrist and social worker were less than poor in their responsibilities. The social worker spoke with me for less than 2 minutes. The discharge care plan was incomplete and inaccurate (no discharge diagnosis, wrong address) and the referral was not in Atlanta as I requested. They still have not provided copies of my medical records after a month and a half of repeated requests. My phone messages have gone unanswered. I finally got to talk with one man who stated that he is waiting for the Dr to write the final diagnosis. BUT I do have a bill from the doctor, Surprise, Surprise! I called the doctor's office and, once again, got a recording; even though it was during office hours (3:20pm). He stated I could pick up the records on Thursday without the psychiatrist's final report!!! Pitiful and very frustrating.
    If you like prison you'll love this place! This place stinks!
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  • This is the worst experience I have ever had. ... Half of.the workers don't speak English and they are so rude and hateful. I have never been treated with such disrespect. They need to close this facility..I want never go back.
    Awful place if you didn't have a mental problem going in, you will when you come out!!
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  • Worst experience ever. My daughter was there and was treated like a prisoner. Staff very rude and disrespectful. Seemed to keep her longer than was necessary so they could bill insurance. Also, we paid upfront but was told by our insurance company they should have never done that. Also, we paid more than we should have and now cannot seem to get a refund. We keep getting the run around.
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  • Was treated like an inmate.
    What a horrible place. The staff was unprofessional and rude. Treatment was nonexistent and the doctors were never there. The food and access to water or juices were awful. I came in sober and wanted to detox and get some therapy to begin the recovery process, what I got was nothing. please please please don't go here. Don't send a love one here. I am finally in recovery thanks in absolutely no part to this terrible place. Investigate them now!!
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  • Unbelievably horrible. A prison with power hungry, petty staff. Our daughter was there for three days and if her experience was even half as bad as ours, as parents, it is awful. I am sure it was 10 times worse. Run, don't walk, from this facility!
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  • SHUT THIS PLACE DOWN NOW, they will lie to you and do not allow your insurance to pay for this.
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  • This is the scourge of the earth. There is absolutely no mental health. Do not use this place and the food is terrible I weigh a hundred pounds and got down to 85 I've never weigh that little in my entire life they also claim that they have you checked out in the hospital prior well they didn't for me and now I'm sitting around horribly horribly sick they're thinking I have an autoimmune disease and it was just starting to peek around the time that I went in...they don't care if you're depressed if you have a panic attack you're acting out and you are rude it couldn't be that you don't have control of your body hello I plan on doing I plan on doing so big all my signs of my autoimmune disease were present in the hospital but somehow they sent me there anyways and I wasn't able to get the proper physical help and now I feel so sick. This place this stinks all it is is a revenue maker.
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  • Negatives: the food was not the greatest but it's at no charge to your bill. Majority of night shift techs do not care they gave med early so we woul go to bed before 10. It is a stabilizing unit so no you won't be treated with lots of individual time. Positives: I enjoyed group therapy, day shift techs are wonderful!!! They talk to you share things about there lives to make you feel normal. PHP and IOP are amazing!! You get that much needed time to gain the tools to help fix your issues with mental and or addiction. The staff is very friendly and want to help.
    I was sent here on a 72-hour hold by Gwinnett Medical Center ER... When I was unloaded at Lakeview, some girl who looked 12 (with no communication/patient skills) took me to an empty office room, handed me approximately 20 pages of paperwork to fill out, and left the room. At this point, I broke down crying out of exhaustion, hunger, frustration, etc. But I pulled it together and completed the forms. Then I waited for the girl to return. And waited. And waited some more. Finally she returned and told me to follow her, which I did. We walked and walked and walked (this place used to be a huge office building). The girl explained nothing as we walked, then finally we arrived at the floor I was assigned to. The girl passed me off to a tech for processing. I sat in a hard chair waiting to be processed as this tech ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. During my stay (Tuesday to Friday) I witnessed and was subjected to a case study in staff incompetence. I was denied my current maintenance meds because "I had to see a doctor first"). I was having severe side effects from cold turkeying my SSRI and other depression meds. Finally saw doctor on third day, at 10 pm! He had already pre-evaluated me based on incorrect notes from Gwinnett Medical, and I was displeased with the medicine he prescribed me. To sum up, there was NO treatment, the group therapy consisted of unprofessional flackies asking the same questions everyday, and if you were at all truthful about what was happening to you there, you were scolded by the head nurse for turning the meeting negative. And other indignities I suffered was being mocked in front of the group when a tech opened my suitcase my dear husband had packed and brought to me and shouted, "who packed your suitcase". If you're sent here against your choice, please refuse if you can. Lakeview Behavioral is a scam operation!
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  • ... If they find out you have extra days through your insurance they try to milk your insurance company. Never ever go here. ...
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  • LOVE IT
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  • Horrific. ... Staff generally lack compassion, many downright rude. A few of the MHA's are very nice and try hard and one of the doctors is good. But most docs, as reported by other patients, barely let people talk before they are sent out the door. Food is horrible. Stay away from this place.
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  • Honestly this is the worst experience I've ever had in my life. I hardly received any treatment and when I did it was subpar. I was supposed to see the doctor every day that I was there but I did not. I saw the doctor once out of five days. Which reminds me that I should have only been there three days but the doctor that I had said he "didn't count weekends" so I had to stay in this place for two extra days. When it was finally time for me to go home at noon, I ended up not leaving the facility until about 5 because they are completely unorganized. My girlfriend had to come in rage to make them release me because they had forgotten. It took hours for the doctor to sign my discharge papers, they had to completely search for him. I did not like the medicines they had me on. I am a 19 year-old young woman who's taking the time to tell people that no one should attend this place in hopes of feeling better about anything because they don't care.
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  • Horrible place. I only stayed in front of the TV all day. I was misdiagnosedand the amount of money I had to pay at the end was not worth what I got. The food was the only thing I looked forward to every day. I only saw my doctor once, for less than two minutes. Once I received my papers at the end, I saw what I was diagnosed with, which was all completely wrong. What a waste of my time.
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  • They do not give individual treatment. Phone time was not equal. Others got special treatment and extra food and snacks. Those there for substance abuse got no help. It was never talked to about my suicide attempt. Never asked why I did it. It was never addressed.
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  • This place is a prison. It's nasty... bathrooms are not cleaned. Scum around every corner, dust everywhere... If you ask a technician for help, you won't get it. If you do get it, it will take hours...I had to wash my clothes in the sink because no one would show me where the laundry room was. They will not knock on your door before entering...They lock the room doors around 7:45 AM. If your meds make you tired, you cannot lay down...There is no individual therapy. You are required to go to fake group therapy 4 times a day. It is not targeted therapy, and if you don't participate, it is held against you...The group sessions make you more depressed because they ask way too many personal questions and want you to share with strangers...When your are not in group, you are vegetating in front of the television. I could continue, but this is a rotten place...If you can't hide the fact that you are still depressed, they will want you to stay. Find a place that has both individual and group therapy, and has doctors that will check on you.
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  • Definitely NOT a rehab or anything else they promise to be! See my review on yp, (Yellow Pages).