Sierra Tucson

I went to Sierra Tucson in 2020 and it changed my life forever. I went in after what was basically a psychotic break from PTSD trauma I had never dealt with, and panic attacks. No treatment center is perfect, sure there were things that could've been improved but I've been to a couple treatment centers and this one was what really worked... because of the people there and the environment, the EMDR programs, the education I got on PTSD, and the way it healed my deep rooted family issues through their "family week" therapy program. Most "reputable" treatment centers are stark, institutional environments in bad locations that make you feel even more depressed. Sierra Tucson is the most healing environment ever. It is situated on 160 acres of land in beautiful Tucson, with wild horses and cows surrounding the property. The most gorgeous stars at night. Clean air. There is a swimming pool, yoga, acupuncture, holistic nutritionist if you want them... In addition to all of your daily therapy and groups. Not to mention, you are completely tech / phone free throughout your stay (unless you have approved work). When you are getting better you can get approved media time for say a half hour a day to use your phone. This allows you to escape from all of your issues back home and from being inundated by social media and all the negative stimulation. I REALLY REALLY cleared my head, tapped into my emotions and learned soooo much about myself. Anywhere that you're allowed your phone will not work!! It was the best escape.Secondly, the people here are amazing. I come from a very "normal" family and social circle, I hid my issues behind a "normal" mask, so I was naively terrified of who might be at a treatment center after seeing movies about rehab. It ended up being people just like me, and some different that were wonderful people that taught me A LOT. I made some of the best friends of my lifetime and one that became a boyfriend of 5 years. You connect on a different level than in the real world.. you don't have the distractions of substances and cellphones, so you really bond and help heal each other with sharing your experiences and relating.. and there is so much fun here too! You have a full schedule of therapy and programs but also have extra time for Hikes, pool time, the gym, talent shows, bonding in your housing environment with all your new friends. It truly filled my heart. For anyone scared to take the leap, I kept my issues under a rug and didn't seek help most of my life and it destroyed me- taking the initiative and just GOING to Sierra Tucson was the best decision of my life and I am grateful to God for it. I never knew it was possible to be in as good of a place as I am today and it all started there.

SCAM- beware!! (i am from San Francisco, and this is a real review)Absolute garbage treatment .. complete waste of money, time and hope.. DO NOT GO HERE- DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY.CEO, Timothy Palus, called me multiple times per week, confirming the treatment provided was below adequate... offered to discuss crediting us back funds.. and as soon as we left the facility, went dark.His email is: Timothy Palus [email protected] cell phone number is: Direct: (520) 432-0879 Ext. 134DO NOT GO HERE. THIS IS A SCAM-

sierra Tucson is grossly understaffed. considering it costs $45K to enter the facility (please make sure your insurance actually get billed and if you are self pay NEGOTIATE. they will give everyone different pricing. I was sexually assaulted by a resident, reported it, asked for resolution (to have a mediator in a meeting with the assailant) CEO (Tim) wanted to meet with me, however after multiple attempts, he simply ignored the issue and did not follow through with our meeting. I met with a number of people who told me "we'll make sure and follow up regarding this issue", however that didn't happen. I had to sit next to the person who assaulted me every day. From his roommate I gathered that this man was told to "simply not talk to me"Majority of issues get swept under the rug. When I first got there there were 2 ODs, a number of sexual assaults (with predators being allowed to stay on campus with general population) in the last 14 months they had 3 suicidesIn addition the facility is falsely advertised. It's is falling apart. During a hail storm they put buckets in residents rooms to collect the water, there is extreme dry rot all over the place, they misrepresent what they have to offer (pool gym are only open if they have enough staff)BHAs are overworked and underpaid Groups are overcrowded and led by instructors with minimal training Medical response is slow and dangerous (my friend had sugars of 500 and was told they couldn't do anything till the morning because there was no MD on staff at night.I badly hurt my knee while using a rock climbing wall and the staff told me "it would take too long for the dr to respond so I was better off ordering my own supplies to stabilize my knee"Pictures online make this place look like a luxury retreat it's anything but.If you are thinking about sending your loved one to this facility I would caution you to do additional research on Acadia health care. Proceed with caution, especially because they will push additional tests on you that do not qualify as diagnostic or useful by the medical community (themselves included, genetic testing is a waste of money)They will do 1 EMDR session, even though it is extremely unethical (EMDR should be performed at least 10 times in a short span of time to benefit and also ensure the patient doesnt have adverse effect (they open a can of worms and do not give tools to process, which can lead to worsening SI and trauma)therapies are subpar at best.check out recovery ways and other facilities before deciding

I am writing this review to inform others who are considering this facility for treatment. I wish I had listened to the negative reviews before coming here. This place is a complete scam. I went here with a promise of being cared for for PTSD and was further traumatized by this experience. The admissions counselors will try to sell you on what this place claims to be but the admissions counselors are not actually on site and don't know much about the current programming. For most of the staff, this is their first psych job out of school and it is very apparent. You will spent 95% of your time here in giant lecture halls filled with about 75 people. They repeat the same lectures every week. I have so much that I could say about my time here but I will try to sum it up in bulletpoints. * Before coming, I let them know that I could not have a male therapist. They gave me one anyways. He didn't show up to our first appointment. I went to his office to ask what happened and realized he looked like one of my abusers. I told Joan again that I couldn't handle that. Nobody listened. I ended up in full blown dissociative crisis in group therapy and none of the staff helped. Other PATIENTS had to help me get out of it. It took another week before I got a new therapist.* The new therapist I was given had her own crisis and ended up leaving. They gave us a new substitute therapist each time who spent the whole group therapy session trying to play catch up. * They did not have a room available for me for two days and made me sleep in a closet with a cot with a door that would lock from the outside so I got locked in. Thankfully, another patient heard me yelling and opened the door.* Someone committed SUICIDE while I was here.* The nurses "forgot" to give me my medication for 8 days and when I started getting suicidal again, they discharged me. I was worse when I left than when I came in. I believe this used to be a really high quality facility as I was told by some others that were here in the early 2000's but that is not the case anymore. Please feel free to message me if you would like to know more about how they treat their patients here.

I went to Sierra tusan in 2020 and in 2022. I went for trauma. The first time I went, my experience was amazing. I stayed in the lockdown unit for the 27 days I was there (both times). I did somatic experiencing with Dr Seymor. He was a huge help to me. Due to memory issues, I was facing trauma. I felt staying on the lockdown was a good choice. They had horse therapy and took us on hikes. The second time I went there, I did have a similar positive experience, but I did have some issues with the lack of staffing. Groups sometimes got forgotten, but most of the times they found someone to sub, but it would take a bit.The art therapist there was a huge help for me. He really helped me understand what I was struggling with internally through art and figures and how I would place things. There is a pool and hottub, which was a nice break. Since I was in the lockdown unit, it was nice to relax outside with the others in the group. I was fortunate my insurance did cover this place at the time due to how expensive it can be out of pocket. I have been to a different mental health rehab when I was a teen in Chicago called Timberline knolls. Prior to going in 2020 I reached out to TK and they felt they did not have the staff to help me but gave my mom a number of someone to best help me find a place that will meet my needs and Sierra Tusan was the most highly recommend. Based solely on my experience, i felt like I was helped. I do have some more tools in my tool box. The only big issue i had was going back the second time I was told I can do EMDR even if I stayed in lock down which was not the case. I did, however, still benefit from my stay.

The irony is this is supposed to be best place. While it can't be the worst... it surely is not the best. The staff and administration is bonkers.The rules I understand. What I don't understand is the insanity of what should be a sane place. Watch out. under staffed, profit margins is solely the goal. EVERYTHING IS EXTRA.... and they do not bill insurance. even when you have it out of network. It is a nice campus though.

If you're looking for safety look elsewhere......its no longer safe, and is woefully understaffed.This was my second visit to ST (the first being in 2020) and since they were acquired by Acacia Health, its a whole different institution. I was there in July this year and it felt like a college campus. People vaping in classrooms and all over campus with little regard for those around them. They now allow residents their cell phones and often people are walking around facetiming or making videos, which violates patient privacy. We even had a comedy night and there were no less then 5 people recording with not a tech in sight. As for the smokers, well they now have free reign. You used to have to be in the "butt hutt" to smoke, but now, if it rains, come on over to the patio at Morning Star! Nevermind that the people who don't smoke don't want to smell it. There are no consequences here!And speaking of butt huts, residents are supposed to remain in their own lodges hut. Well, not anymore! Smoke wherever you would like, but just avoid the Red White and Blue butt hut, because that's by invite only. What's that you say? Invite only? Yes, apparently the veterans make their own rules and can allow (or not allow) people to visit. When this was brought up to staff numerous times, nothing happens. Same with phones, vaping, smoking, you name it. It's a free for all now. Residents are also supposed to wear their name tags at all times to be identified by your name and the color allows folks to know what lodge you're in. Not many people wore them, so it was hard to know who was staff and who was a resident. Residents are also supposed to only be in their own lodges for safety. NOT ANYMORE! Go where you like, there are no repercussions. There is also supposed to be a dress code at ST which is on the website. Since this was college vacation, everyone was running around in the least amount of clothing, with asses and boobs on display for all. People also wore clothing with alcohol logos and again, it didn't matter, even when brought up to staff. Swimsuits were worn to classes, it was wild.ST does not have gender neutral bathrooms, and does not print peoples schedules with their appropriate name (dead naming people). Staff continually misgenders folks. The therapist continually used terms such as "men and women" even though there were both trans and non binary individuals there. If you're going to ST for an eating disorder, or are in a bigger body, you should also know that ST is not size inclusive and is not ED friendly. You have to wear a Fitbit that tracks you, however, there is no way to remove the amount of steps you can walk. This can be dangerous for some people. When I brought this up and my concerns about having steps on it, they just didn't have me wear one. The towels may not fit around your body (which can be traumatizing) and many of the chairs have arms which is not always inclusive of all sizes. For what you pay to get in here, you should be guaranteed safety and privacy, neither of which you can get any longer from Sierra Tucson.

I came in to Sierra Tucson after nearly taking my own life! After 30 days in the Red White and Blue program i left with a renewed sense of self and i was no longer in the darkness that was consuming me. I now feel grateful, happiness and joy. Thank you Sierra Tucson and all your wonderful staff! You saved my life and I am eternally grateful.Thomas A.

I wanted to take some time now to write about my experience at Sierra Tuscon and how, with their help, I was able to change my life for the good. By way of background, I am a chief law enforcement executive in the State of New Jersey. I went to Sierra Tuscon in July of 2022 when I was truly at a low point in my life. For as long as I can remember, I was continually making bad decisions in my personal life that was ultimately leading me to sadness and depression. But I was a cop who never felt I would look for assistance from anyone. I would always look to take care of my own problems and was dead set against the concept of treatment or therapy. But in July of 2020, these bad decisions had taken their toll on me and my family and it was time to give in and get professional assistance. I contacted a healthcare professional I knew and they immediately told me that they would help me to get into Sierra Tuscon, as they were the best at what they do. In addition, I was also told that they had a special program know as the Red White and Blue (RWB) program that was geared toward people like me. The program solely brings together military and first responders who are in need of assistance and who often share similar traumatic events that related to their professions. This gave me some reassurance that I was on the right track. Shortly after that, i was on a plane and eventually found myself in the middle of the beautiful Arizona desert at Sierra Tuscon. I was anxious and scared and wasn't sure I did the right thing. That is until I met William "Doc" Reynolds, the administrator of the RWB program, a former military man and a psychiatrist who I would ultimately become friends with and who helped to change my life for the better. He told me to trust in the process, participate in all my sessions and to take full advantage of the opportunity I was given. For the next month, I did exactly that. I got to interact daily with his caring, dedicated and professional staff who would ultimately identify some of the root causes of trauma that I had been carrying around my whole life and techniques and methods that would help me to deal with it. All of my days there were highly structured and very intense which allowed me to focus on your treatment. I can tell you those days were not easy. The RWB program was great for someone like me, a first responder who did not feel comfortable opening up about things with just anyone. The process group I was with was comprised of former military, cops and fireman. We became so close that we all still talk weekly after nearly two years. The bond we now share is unbreakable. While I was there I also got to meet and get to know many ordinary people who were also struggling with maladaptive behaviors. I got to hear about their trauma and some of their stories that led them to alcohol and drug addiction. Just prior to leaving Sierra Tuscon, I gave Dr. Reynolds my uniform badge and told him that he could use it anyway he wanted to hopefully inspire other first responders like me who were reluctant to seek treatment but was ultimately glad they did. What I can tell you is that everyone struggles with something and that it is important that you do something about it before it becomes a real problem. If and when that time comes I would highly recommend you consider Sierra Tuscon as the place to begin your treatment. I can only hope they do as much for you as they did for me

I am presently at zero Tucson and I feel cheated and slighted. They're stealing money for me. I'm due a large amount of money back and they won't give it to me. I didn't sign anything that said they would be able to keep this money. Nothing about a penalty program or, this is all you're gonna get. I signed nothing of the honest that I thought or two I meant and I am pissed and I will tell everybody that I can hear about the billing and how they scam people that need help.