“I was admitted to Forest View on December 2nd after suffering a severe bipolar mania episode. The intake process consisted of signing a plethora of forms, then a guided tour of the facility, followed by dinner. All of the staff I interacted with during my intake were very kind and compassionate, especially RNs Terri and Ashley.
I met with Dr. Benjamin Johnson the next day, who finally gave me an official bipolar diagnosis. Dr. Johnson then prescribed me Lithium, which he called “the golden standard” of bipolar treatment. Not long after, I met with a Case Manager named Julia. Julia was nothing short of brilliant, and explained the aspects of my treatment plan, while making it very clear that she was a resource.
On December 5th, I met with my official Case Manager, Jesi. Jesi was very thorough about my established treatment plan, and let me know that if I had any questions or concerns, she was available.
The main form of treatment at Forest View is group-based. From Morning Focus to Art to Gym, there is a wide range of groups that patients can attend. My personal favorite was Morning Focus, as it allowed me to set my daily goals and how I would achieve them. Participation in groups was heavily encouraged, but not absolutely required. I genuinely believe that the groups were the best thing for me, in addition to medication.
However, that’s not to say that Forest View is perfect. You could easily differentiate between the staff who genuinely cared and those who just wanted a paycheck. Despite this, the staff have no protection against patients. At the very least, unit nursing stations should be protected by plexiglass and have a secure entry/exit.
Lastly, there is no separation by acuity level. This is perhaps the biggest issue that Forest View has. The general population of the facility consists of a majority of low acuity patients and a minority of high acuity patients. Low acuity patients who have anxiety, depression, bipolar, etc. should NOT be in the same unit as high acuity patients who have been diagnosed with psychosis and schizophrenia. I myself had a couple panic attacks due to high acuity patients having their own outbursts. Thankfully, Noah and Julia helped me calm down with grounding exercises.
Forest View is far from perfect, but a majority of the staff genuinely wants to help you succeed and recover. I will be forever grateful to those who I interacted with during my stay.“
Psychiatrists
“I was admitted to Forest View on December 2nd after suffering a severe bipolar mania episode. The intake process consisted of signing a plethora of forms, then a guided tour of the facility, followed by dinner. All of the staff I interacted with during my intake were very kind and compassionate, especially RNs Terri and Ashley.
I met with Dr. Benjamin Johnson the next day, who finally gave me an official bipolar diagnosis. Dr. Johnson then prescribed me Lithium, which he called “the golden standard” of bipolar treatment. Not long after, I met with a Case Manager named Julia. Julia was nothing short of brilliant, and explained the aspects of my treatment plan, while making it very clear that she was a resource.
On December 5th, I met with my official Case Manager, Jesi. Jesi was very thorough about my established treatment plan, and let me know that if I had any questions or concerns, she was available.
The main form of treatment at Forest View is group-based. From Morning Focus to Art to Gym, there is a wide range of groups that patients can attend. My personal favorite was Morning Focus, as it allowed me to set my daily goals and how I would achieve them. Participation in groups was heavily encouraged, but not absolutely required. I genuinely believe that the groups were the best thing for me, in addition to medication.
However, that’s not to say that Forest View is perfect. You could easily differentiate between the staff who genuinely cared and those who just wanted a paycheck. Despite this, the staff have no protection against patients. At the very least, unit nursing stations should be protected by plexiglass and have a secure entry/exit.
Lastly, there is no separation by acuity level. This is perhaps the biggest issue that Forest View has. The general population of the facility consists of a majority of low acuity patients and a minority of high acuity patients. Low acuity patients who have anxiety, depression, bipolar, etc. should NOT be in the same unit as high acuity patients who have been diagnosed with psychosis and schizophrenia. I myself had a couple panic attacks due to high acuity patients having their own outbursts. Thankfully, Noah and Julia helped me calm down with grounding exercises.
Forest View is far from perfect, but a majority of the staff genuinely wants to help you succeed and recover. I will be forever grateful to those who I interacted with during my stay.“