Tykes and Teens Inc – Stuart

My Experience as a Mother I am sharing our experience because I believe other families should be informed when seeking mental health care for a vulnerable child or teenager. I want to be very clear: this review is not… directed at the entire Tykes & Teens team. My concerns are specifically regarding my daughter’s experience with Nurse Practitioner Michelle Downs. My daughter came seeking help during a very vulnerable emotional moment. As her mother, I expected patience, empathy, and communication appropriate for a teenager. Instead, my daughter left that appointment more anxious, emotionally distressed, and afraid to continue psychiatric care. We filed a formal grievance and appealed the organization’s initial decision. In their written response, the organization acknowledged our concerns regarding the communication during the encounter, its emotional impact, and that my daughter left feeling more anxious and reluctant to continue psychiatric care. However, they ultimately determined that they did not find a violation of their policies or professional standards and closed their internal grievance process. I respect their right to reach that conclusion, but as a mother, I also have the right to share what my daughter and our family experienced. My purpose is not to attack anyone. It is to tell other parents: ask questions, stay involved, document what happens, and advocate for your child. If your child feels intimidated, overwhelmed, or unsafe during an evaluation, do not be afraid to speak up or seek another professional opinion. A teenager who has the courage to ask for help should leave feeling supported and safe enough to continue asking for help—not afraid to seek it again. This was our personal experience specifically with Nurse Practitioner Michelle Downs, and I believe other families deserve to hear it so they can make informed decisions.

After I showed evidence and police reports about assaults I endured, he dismissed them and told me to go back to perpetuator.

They only hold records for 7 years which is incredibly heartbreaking because those records would have been so important to me now as an adult trying to get help for myself. Really hurts that the entire start of my… mental health journey is just discarded like that so quickly.

The level of care at Tykes & Teens is top notch. We’re so grateful to them and what they do for the kids in our community.

My son saw the same therapist for 3 yrs and he loves her. However, at a certain point they age out of their therapist, which I think is terrible. My son has autism and ADHD and hates change. They told me they would… transition my son from his longtime therapist to the new one slowly. Th new one was highly recommended as he has a masters in ABA.(Red flag #1) There is a reason someone with all the special needs training doesn’t work with special needs kids. Anyhow, there was no transitioning. He went one week with his former therapist and the next week he was put into a room alone with a man he didn’t know. His old therapist wasn’t even there for the initial meeting. Who thought that would go well?! By the second visit 30 minutes in the therapist, Mr. “ABA”, called me to inform me that my son is not a candidate for outpatient services. I informed him that I thought that was strange considering he’s been receiving services for 3 yrs up to that point. 90 minutes total and Eric the ABA gave up on my 7yr old son with autism and ADHD. My son wasn’t worth more than 90 minutes of effort after 3 years with this company. The lazy work ethic allowed in this company is disgraceful. Therapists like Eric from the Vero beach location should not even be allowed to work with kids.

This place helped my daughter first with Charlotte and she wanted to see family's together and was very passionate about her career and once a opening was available closer to home my daughter's emotions got worse and… her anger was worse because of certain things that a 5 year old shouldn't know about her mom and dad and they will call DCF so fast on you because of the political and financial benefits of this program that they only use children and families for financial gain. I recommend your children see Charlotte because she's for the children and not making it a personal issue and this is just my opinion and my daughter's mental health and well-being is the most important thing and I think every single father will agree with me and for any parent who wants their sanity and children to remain intact is to never trust anyone who claims to help family's and children reunite.

Put kids on meds that they need everyday & then if something medical happens to the guardian of the child they’ll tell you everything THEY can’t do and help you not at all. And your kid will get kicked out of school ,… 10/10 do not recommend

I’m so grateful for this organization. Darci is so wonderful go work with regarding the billing department and Charlotte is the most kind, caring, compassionate therapist who makes my children feel so safe and so loved.… I’m very thankful and have seen a positive change in my children.

Don’t try to communicate with someone about any billing- especially billing that they screw up and send 3 different bills with 3 different amounts. There is no communication from this place to the parent of an older… teen. Stay away.

Stay away from this organization and please do not contribute your money to them or any of their fund raisers. They are a fraud and do not help children in need. Instead, they prey on children and subjected my child to… psychological abuse!! They refused to see my daughter because of insurance reasons and Marissa kept giving me the run around when I attempted to restart services for my daughter. Instead I was told about a bill, that I agreed to pay, that I had to wait for in the mail before paying. My daughter's mental health continued to decline and after numerous emails and calls, they still refused to correspond with me or see my daughter. After I threatened to report them, after my daughter had suicidal ideation, I was called by a director to restart services. At the First appointment my daughter's mental health issues were not addressed. Instead, my daughter was interrogated about me by her counselor Marrissa, and DCf was called on me by her. I immediately pulled her away! My daughter was devastated and faulted herself when dcf came to our door. It made her worse!! All I wanted was help for my daughter and I was retaliated against by Tykes and teens. They caim to be non profit and there when one needs them. All false!!!

My child was diagnosed with ADHD & autism High Spectrum I was not able to get the proper care he needed I reached out to text and teens thinking that that was the best option for us. However not the case it was the… worst experience of our lives. We requested many times to get changed different counselors that never happened. We wanted different medication that would possibly work for him. That also didn't happen. We were going about an hour every week to go see a counselor that he did like. Unfortunately when we move to a closer location where we were it just went downhill from there. My son and I both were struggling with their changes in our lives we moved to a different city, hour away. It was even worse, my son's counselor did nothing for him. My son acted out more and more as time went on with this counselor. I felt like I was at a loss trying to get the help that he needed. I was struggling since he was born to figure out and to find out what was physically wrong with him and when he was diagnosed with ADHD and autism High Spectrum I was still at a loss not sure where to go. With tykes & teens not working for my son or myself. I once again reached out to a different agency. That agency has been the best thing that has happened to my son not only my son is thriving with his behavior and issues on how to cope but me as is Mom and his dad were all on one page. I unfortunately was tired of others passing the back to a different agency indicating that that is not their problem of expertise. I have found Legacy Behavioral. They will always be my #1 choice and since making that choice we have referred many parents and kids just like us.

My toddler was a former patient. When the pandemic hit my 2 yr old toddler was not responding well with zoom appts. They said to get back to them when they opened. He is almost four now in great need of help with… behavior and PTSD due to trauma. They haven't called me back in months, the automated service hangs up on you. And no one responds to emails... I am saddened that this is what is helping our children... It's disgusting!

I Liked The Place Cause Since Back In Mid Or Late 2013 It Was My First Time I Went Cause I Thought I'll Stay There As A Treatment Hospital But My First Therapist Said To Me It's Not A Treatment Hospital I Was Going To… Talk With You But Shoutout To My Best And Awesome Therapist Mr. Eric Garza He Was The Only Best And Awesome Therapist I Had It Bring's Me Memories And I Left Like Mid 2015. Mr. Eric Garza I Wish I Could Talk With You I Got Many Thing's To Say From The Past Of 2015 To This Year. It's Me Francisco Pedro Gaspar I'm 21 Year's Old Now And My Birthday Is Next Month. Thank You Mr. Eric Garza For Helping Me Out.

Absolutely worst place to take your kids if your are in a high conflict divorce. I have two Motions for Contempt from my ex husband for violating the time sharing, send T&T loads of emails on Parental Alienation… Syndrome and they ignore it; they fed into my daughter's brainwashing and only offer to violate the Cort Order for Make up time for my daughter in the name of validating her and empowering her conduct to manipulate instead of enriching her life with two parents that co-operate and work together for her betterment. WORST experience ever; has made the situation worse rather than better. Don't go if your a Targeted Parent. PAS is really bad and a Specialist in PAS is more effective. Don't waste precious time.

My husband and I recently divorced. Our daughter started seeing Kevin at Tykes & Teens in June. He has been nothing but supportive and helpful to her through this and some of her other issues. He is easy for me to… communicate with as well, either via phone, text or email. She looks forward to talks with him when her week has been overly stressful and emotional. We are very grateful we found her the caring help she needed to get her through this.

Tykes and Teens has been doing wonderful things for our community. They have been providing mental health counseling, etc. for children and young adults for years. Both of my daughters have received services there with… positive results for both of them.

Worst place to take your child. They always think meds is what your kids need. They are a bunch of people with no souls