Newport Academy – Novato

The therapists and staff at Newport Residential N Cal were amazing. They helped our family navigate a difficult situation and at discharge helped us develop a Family Agreement to help us build a stronger family unit.

If you love your child and want them to get better, do NOT send them here. There are not enough words to describe how truly awful Newport is. They claim to care and value their patients but that could not be further… from the truth. The care coordinators are unprofessional and disrepectful. They do not properly support the patients needs and they blame your child for their illness. You are essentially paying for your child to be traumatized.

I was in a very bad place before I came to Newport, and it was a place for me to reset and focus on my health. I was able to understand myself better throughout the whole time I stayed there. There’s always a few staff… members that I felt comfortable with, and many were very welcoming when I first arrived. Ever since I’ve left, I haven’t been to another residential since.

Was only there for a couple of weeks when I really shouldn't have been, but in hindsight it was still good for me long-term. Needed the peace and quiet as well as a structured routine. The CCs were good, but Talisha was… outstanding. She listened to me more than 2/3 of my therapists did. I will say I wish we had been afforded a little bit more news from the outside world, because I had zero idea the pandemic was happening until I got out. That was quite the shock! Overall, the "troubled teen" industry is littered with abuse and unethical facilities but Newport is not like that at all. Treatment isn't inherently pleasant but this is just about the only facility I would feel comfortable going to or sending my child to. (The chef at the time, I believe her name was Molly, was also amazing. She taught me how to make a delicious vinaigrette and you could tell the food was made with love.)

So greatful for Newport, after trying others with no success, Newport was a breath of fresh air, that not only helped our daughter gain success. Three years later she uses the skills she developed at Newport and living… successfully!

This place was the absolute worst. The therapists were very dismissive about my extreme homesickness and invalidating about my anxiety and fear. The staff were very unfriendly and they did not help me at all. They… favorite the older kids and if you’re younger you’re going to be ignored and treated poorly.

MY EXPERIENCE AT NEWPORT As a former patient of the north california houses I can say that this place helped me out in the long run. I was there 63 days (i was told the average stay was 90). I can say that during my… first few weeks i struggled, i experienced bullying from some of the other patients, but the ccs (basically your supervisors) helped me out the whole time. Your stay 100% depends on who else is in the house with you, some of the people are very damaged and don’t know how to deal with new people. I do hate to say it but you are respected based on how long you’ve been there. when i first entered the program i had no friends and was pretty hated. when i spent more time their, people became friends with me, and respected me more. As i said before, your experience is dependent on who you’re housed with, And unfortunately i wasn’t housed with great people. I was put into positions where i had to chose from being respected by my peers, or telling the therapists about people abusing their medication. I definitely think my experience was unique, and looking at the big picture, it wasn’t all that bad. Newport academy is definitely one of the better residential programs, at least in the bay area. As for more of the living situations and actovitkes at my location, there were three bedrooms, and two bathrooms just for patients. Everyone had a roommate, which gave the house 6 girls in total. during the weekdays we would attend school from about 8-12 (i can’t remember the exact hours) the school was in the garage and had 6 computers, one for each patient. you were given the choice to continue your education through the school you are enrolled in, or you can do an online school. the choice depends mostly on the school your enrolled in and wether they can accommodate for your needs. during school hours individual therapists would come in and pull students, two at a time. my location had two individual therapists and each one would see each patient twice a week. for example, i wouldd see therapist A every monday and wednesday, and therapist B every tuesday and thursday. on Fridays we had what was called “fun friday” where we could do arts and crafts instead of school work. some weeks we would make slime, or draw on the driveway with chalk. The daily activities besides school depends on the location, but every week we would have someone come in for various things. we had music therapy where we would just listen and sing songs. “rock to recovery” was where we would actually make music. we had a nutritionist come in who would pretty much just play nutrition games with us. and weekly we would have equine therapy, where we went and saw horses. we were given free time mostly during the evenings of weekdays where we could read, draw, play games, go outside, basically anything. and in the weekends we would sometimes go on outings and get boba, go to a museum, etc. on fridays we had what was called adventure therapy, and we went to escape rooms, the beach, etc. on saturdays we were aloud to get takeout food, which was always our highlight of the week. we would all get in the minivan and go pick in the food and sometimes go eat at a nearby pond/creamery. overall i definitely overcame a lot of my mental health issues. although i will say that being housed with a lot of patients who struggled with substance abuse , did expose me more to that world. i defiantly think that Newport Academy can be the right fit, but you should definitely consult your child on different options. This is a great place for very outgoing people, and some shy folks could struggle here. I have made lifelong friends at newport, and have really become a changed person.

the staff there were very nice, and the various therapies they offered helped me a lot

Newport Academy is truly life changing! I went to the adolescent program in CA for the full 3 months, and I only really have positive feedback. My assigned therapist was amazing (took some getting used to, though.), and… towards the end of my stay, I had a kind and gentle counselor. The CCs were attentive and validating. They helped me when I was struggling and I can't wait to be able to talk to them again. The school program is difficult for me to comment on, as I didn't participate much in it, but I heard from others that it was great, too! The food was healthy and filling, just a little bland. However, the CCs offered seasoning, so that's an easy fix! Newport Academy is very structured. They had fun and engaging activities every day such as equine, art, yoga, music, dance, adventure therapy, crossfit, etc., and a structured therapist-led group almost every weekday. At the house I was at, we were given free time at snack time, and free time at night. After your 72hr time is up, you are allowed to call anyone on your calling list at scheduled times and for a certain amount of time that varies from house to house. There is a reward system for good behavior and coping skills. You can stage up. There are 5 stages- Orientation (72hr when you're first admitted), stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and community leader. You get more privileges and freedom the more you stage up. (I think rewards vary from house to house, but the idea is there.) I went to Newport Academy due to crippling depression, anxiety, trauma, and SI. I would numbly watch tv every day because the thought of doing just about anything gave me unbearable and inexplainable anxiety that would send me into a downward spiral. It was only then that my parents and therapist decided I needed more help. I've been home from Newport for about a year, and they truly saved me. I went home with a kinder, more understanding home due to the weekly family therapy. I went home with coping skills that were healthy and reasonable. I would 100% recommend to anyone considering this for themself or their child. Thank you Newport Academy! :)

Most of these reviews are from parents. I went to this place personally. Please don't send your kid here. They don't care about you here, they only see you as money. This place put me in a worse place. Very traumatizing… experience. They also violate HIPAA.

2 years ago today I had left Newport after being there for 101 days. It was definitely the hardest thing I have ever done but also the most rewarding. I went into newport after going to 4 hospitals and 3 other php… programs throughout 2020, and Newport was my last resort. A few downsides are the food (the patients aren’t allowed to have any sugar… i think we should be able to have a treat or something once in a while) and the phone calls which are only 10 minutes long for family and 5 minutes for friends. Other than that the staff is amazing at least at Maoli, especially the CC’s. So many people changed my life there and I will never forget them.Newport is definitely not for everyone and it can be very hard. But in the end it worked out for me and I am now healthy and happy :)

Wow, what a difference! From the very beginning Newport Academy was very different! So caring, helpful, and knowledgeable. As a family, we feel so lucky to have found this place. In such a difficult time, I couldn't ask… for anything more.