Newport Academy – Anaheim

Our experience at Newport Academy was good, it helped my child by exposing him to different experiences. His return home has gone well and he has been much more open to dialogue and receiving the help he needs. I… believe his stay at Newport helped him to be more open minded. The staff was empathetic and caring, and I still have contact with some of them. We received guidance on the following steps for our child’s healing and that has helped us to not feel so alone.

My son received elite treatment during his time. The treatment and support staffs both did a phenomenal job. Communication was very thorough and they helped us through the next steps one he discharged.

My daughter spent 60 days at the Ranch location during a time when she was really struggling. Newport was there on all levels of support from listening, counselling, copping mechanisms & all the tools needled to tackle… all that life throws at you. It is a marathon, not a sprint & Newport academy provides the proper footwear to run that Marathon at the best of your ability.

This was an amazing place and probably my most favorite residential! I had an amazing therapist and the staff workers were always sweet and there for me. I would definitely recommend going here and shout out to all my… favorite staff lol^^

Newport has changed for the better and I went there about a year and a half ago and I’ve completely changed. I now have a job that I’m a manager At thank you for helping

Had to put my 11 year old daughter in a residential so I was told about Newport Academy. I heard nothing but great things about it. Well that must of been true a year ago because my daughter stayed at the Acre house.… Against my better judgment I let her stay there. It was very nice that they were helping scholarship a certain amount of her stay but, that still didn’t matter. My career for the past 23 years has been serving the most underprivileged people and making sure my STANDARD of CARE was IMPECCABLE. You would think the standard for CHILDREN would be even better! Here it was not. Here were my red flags: I was bombarded with welcoming calls from like 6 different people. Program Director, nurses, therapist, psychiatrist, admissions, etc. It was extremely overwhelming. I get to the house with my daughter and the front door area was packed with leaves, which meant nobody took care of the presentation of the outside. Then I walked into the house and besides furniture it was pretty much empty, and no ambiance, no color, no life, no kids drawings, paintings nothing. The first 5 days there she was not put in medications. The rec room was empty except for one bar for gymnastics. The only room that looked somewhat presentable was the group room. It was cozy. My daughter was calling me crying every night that she missed But she was doing OK until she got a roommate That stole her personal property and just destroyed it and threatened her physical harm. I asked to talk To the behavioral staff there and they wouldn’t talk to me because they said that they were not allowed to talk to parents ( not how I do things at my work) So I asked the staff several different times throughout the next couple days to change her rooms and they would not. Until I stated I was coming to take her out of the program then they said they would switch her rooms. Mind you part of my daughters Anxiety and depression was because of being bullied, so this was not ok. The night before I came and took her out they switched her rooms. By that time I was done. I was also told that that house barely re-opened the Monday before she got there which was on a Thursday. Now things started making sense. It’s so unfortunate. Mind you I also live far, a 6-8 hour drive away. I hope moving forward they learn and make changes for the better

So basically I got assaulted by multiple people in this place and the staff didn't care

If I could give it less stars I would. I went here almost 5 years ago and I am STILL haunted by my stay. I have NIGHTMARES. Not only did I break my hand and they didn’t take me to get it checked out, they overdosed me… on blood pressure medications and I almost died. My max stay was 3 months, they kept me for 4. It got so bad there I begged to go back to my abusive home. Not only did it permanently ruin the relationship I could’ve salvaged with my parents, it gave me entirely new trauma to deal with well into my adult life. Do not send your children to this Hell!

My daughter was admitted here at the tail end of last year. My daughter has a severe mental illness that has only been verified recently. This is the first residential during her current mental health journey. I would… like to reflect on my star rating for individual processes we had during her 2 months stay. First and foremost, the alumni team is a huge factor for the star rating. If it was based on the team, absolutely 5 stars . The team has been a huge help with the hurdles of the mental health sector of overall healthcare. I am very happy and grateful for the active alumni support. Now the on-boarding was an absolute total nightmare that affected my personal mental health. We had very few options because of our insurance. I had to travel to California to get her into a residential facility. My insurance unfortunately covers very little for adolescent mental health care in my current state. So,we were referred to Newport by a local crisis center. The on-boarding process was smooth until after my insurance okay’d the treatment. Once that happened I had a hard time reaching admissions to get the ball rolling for planning her stay. Eventually we were able to get agreement on a date and time for the initial on-boarding process to get my daughter into the facility. I traveled to California a few days before the agreed on-boarding and acceptance date. The day comes and my daughter and our family are getting ready for drop off. THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE HER APPOINTMENT THEY CANCELED. I was immediately out of 1k. I had to rearrange my flight, stay , transportation, etc because of this. I was furious! And also, my daughter needed to be in a facility for her own safety. I had to wait 2 extra days. They didn't verify my insurance until the day of acceptance. And they sent me the acceptance and rules of the facility the day before the initial on-boarding date. I had to get new clothing shipped to her. Her clothes were too stylish. I look back now knowing this wasn't suitable. But as this was our first facility, I had hoped I would have been guided through this mental health journey. It's such a vulnerable and sensitive time in any family's life. And admissions made it absolute hell. Now the care team at the facility was decent. Her therapist was amazing. She was straightforward and guided the therapy sessions professionally. She didn't coddle my daughter and was realistic on approaching coping mechanisms. Now I say decent because the outside staff that looked after the kids, were too friendly with them. The staff should have been more professional and set boundaries in their relationships with the kids. Discharge day was another type of hell. My daughter was dirty and unkempt. I was furious and asked why they sent me back my child in this manner. If I sent my child to school like that, I would have had CPS knocking on my door. They said they can only encourage the kids to clean themselves or do group therapy. My daughter was given 2 large black garbage bags of stuff she accumulated at the facility. It was ridiculous to see her holding onto trash bags outside a facility that looked like a reality show mansion. When I was able to rummage through the trash bags I immediately called mental health services for assistance. She brought back items and materials deemed for placement back into a crisis center for her safety and our families. I was upset to learn this after the fact and not been notified that my daughter’s health was further declining. Would I look into this facility for services again. No, not likely. My daughter's health needed a higher level of care. And this is understandably not possible due to her individual needs. Newport did what they could. The therapist at Newport was the first to validate my concerns about her diagnosis. She was able to provide accurate clinical notes to a new team of medical doctors. Which in turn, helped to give her a solid diagnosis to work with.

Excellent service

I have nothing but good things to say about Newport. They helped my daughter tremendously. She went in wanting to self-harm (she had previously) and thought of and talked about ending her life. She also had a general… disinterest in growing up and facing life after high school. Newport was able to help her transition off of the meds she was on (which it's felt was the main cause of her feelings) and onto meds that have helped her get back on track with life. I was able to talk to my daughter twice a day and contact staff anytime I felt the need to check on her wellbeing. I even was given personal therapy sessions to help me be a better parent. When I felt she was ready to come home, there was no hesitation from the psychologist to agree with me and she came home just days later. She was well taken care of and given more than adequate accommodations during her stay. At no point did I feel I made a mistake taking her there. And if the need arises for her to return to Newport, I will not hesitate to send her again.

Abusive practices that psychologically scar their patients.

I went to Newport academy voluntarily as a teen many years ago, so this is not recent but I did want to share my experience. I was trying to get help for severe depression, and had never gotten into any kind of trouble… with substance use, sneaking out, disrespect, none of that. But the program felt more like a punishment than a healing environment. I felt as though all my basic rights and independence were taken away. I was forced to attend AA meetings despite never having drank or done drugs, and when I complained, I was told just to treat my depression as alcoholism and take the same steps. They talk about tailored treatment but it's really not. I had very little contact with my parents, who I was very close to. Everything I said to them was monitored. A lot of the staff wasn't very nice, and I feel as though the staff was trying to manipulate my parents. Of course I cannot prove these things, but I want to encourage parents to really do their research. And before you ask, Newport, I do not want to email you about my concerns. Best of luck to anyone seeking help.

I just wanted to thank Newport academy for all that they did for my daughter. She was there in California last year during the summer. They did not give up on her. They kept helping until she realized she needed the… help. Olivia who is in charge of the therapists. She helped our daughter. There is know one like her. I wish there were more like her. The only bad thing was my insurance was gonna stop so she had to go somewhere else. But I want to thank the staff, all the workers, therapists, physchrtist, and Olivia. Thank you for not giving up on our daughter and God bless all of you. Newport academy cares!

If I could give this place zero stars I would. If your child has any type of behavioral issues or a history of lying or doesn't want to go to treatment don't even think about sending them here. These people have… accepted my daughter than denied after we traveled over 2000 miles to get there twice!! Bc of a lie my daughter told. They took her word over what her mentally stable parents said and the proof from the hospital. My child needs help desperately and these people turned their back on her.

We wanted to share our excellent experience with Newport Academy. For years we have referred teens, and their families, to Newport Academy, always with good results. The facilities are beautiful and professional, the… staff is skilled and caring, and they have the expertise to best understand and address the unique needs and issues of struggling teens. Our ASAP Program recommends that parents looking for the best treatment for their teen look into Newport Academy.

Just please don’t go. Please don’t send your kid there. I went there as a willing adult, desperate for help & came out with more trauma. I’m so grateful for the treatment center I went to after… I wouldn’t be sober if I… hadn’t gone to that one. Newport made me want to rip my hair out constantly. They told me I needed to stop talking about my experience/wanting to leave because I was making other people want to leave.

My daughter went to this clinic for 6 weeks, came back home and had a relapse even worse than before. John Friedeck was her family therapist and took on himself to write an unverified false abuse and accusations against… me, the parent of the child without knowing the full scope of the contentious divorce my daughter was caught in. John Friedeck has a lack of moral and a lack of understanding his role and the extend of his role as a family therapist. If you want your child to get better, don't send her there! The staff is unethical, uncaring and

I'm a referring professional who has worked with Newport Academy with several of my clients recently. It can be unnerving to recommend that a parent send their teen to another state for treatment... but Newport has made… that process very smooth! I'd be remiss not to mention our liaison Christy, who spends a great deal of time talking with parents and guiding them through a big unknown. As the referring professional, I never felt out of the loop and always felt like my families were being cared for. If there was a change in plan - I was always informed so I was able to work alongside Newport on behalf of my client. I've been very impressed so far. Shoutout to Newport and thank you for taking care of my clients!

My daughter attended Newport Academy in Orange, CA. When she returned home she was exponentially worse. The staff was abusive and neglectful. My daughter contracted bacterial pneumonia while at Newport and was left… untreated for days until she had to be taken to the ER. The staff assured me throughout that it wasn’t serious and I shouldn’t visit or it would undermine her treatment! The facilities were filthy, and my daughter got lice while she was there, although the staff tried to say that she arrived with it. Care packages were routinely “lost”. My daughter had severe anxiety and began developing OCD type behaviors while at Newport. She was disciplined for the behaviors and told she was just seeking attention. After discharge my daughter was diagnosed with severe OCD and has to this day only continued to get worse. My daughter was traumatized and invalidated by an unfeeling and cold staff who cared nothing for her and treated her with contempt. To this day, several years later, she attributes much of her trauma to her experiences at Newport. This place is 100 percent about extracting as much money as possible from desperate families, they care absolutely nothing for the kids who are unfortunate enough to get stuck there. I will always regret the fact that I trusted this place with my child.

It is hard to put into words how grateful we are for the incredible program at Newport Academy. Our daughter’s care team was made up of the best therapists, nurses, psychiatric professionals, and support staff. One of… our biggest concerns we had was the fact that she would be over 2,000 miles away from home, but everyone was so quick to communicate and involve us that we truly felt like we were part of the team. The program is very structured and allows for multiple therapy sessions per day, a wide variety of activities, outings, and medical and academic support. In the relatively short time she was there, our daughter gained more insight about herself than years of therapy at home could ever accomplish and now has a solid foundation to build on.

We had our daughter attending this program. It is not good. They do not do much in the way of activities. Mostly group therapy where maybe one or two people get the opportunity to speak. The cc’s were too young and very… often non-responsive to clients. High turnover of therapists. We had 3-4 different personnel in 2-1/2 months. Sadly, we chose to cancel our attendance here and chose a different option. It is very expensive as well. They were a little snippy after we left. Consider them lacking in professionalism and stability.

Staff was supportive and kind during this difficult time.