The Ascend program was a wonderful, massively helpful space to receive support and care. I found community with people who have lived through and could validate some of my own experiences, and we learned from each other every day in ways that I never anticipated. We built concrete skills to help us manage our mental health needs, but we also met human beings who were cheering s on every step of our journey. I've very highly recommend this program to femmes of color who need support. You won't find a better group of people to guide you back to what it means to stand on your own two feet in this very complicated, very painful world. This program would not exist without the massively incredible leadership of Alexandria. She is the most incredible clinician I have every encountered. She cares about the Ascend program and making sure that it is a space for for participants to learn skills, build community, and grow. She's an empathetic clinician both for the clients on her individual roster and the large group sessions as a whole. She knows the DBT skills backwards, forwards, upside down, with eyes closed, and with her hands tied behind her back. She has the ability to explain these skills in ways that are accessible for all types of learners and make sure that the cohort finds concrete ways to translate the skills into their personal life experiences. She's also able to do all of this while being an absolute tech wizard on the computer to make sure that community guidelines are followed on zoom, slides are shared, and validate the thoughts of feelings that participants share with the group all at the same time. There's no one else like Alexandria. She is the reason the Ascend program exists. And HRI is EXTREMELY lucky to have her on their staff. But more than that, the Ascend program participants have the privilege of knowing her. Vivian is an incredible nurse practitioner who helps run the program. She maintains the culture of firm but empathetic care for the Ascend participants. She listens to everyone's daily challenges in addition to the chronic trauma experienced by her patients. When people need someone to listen to them 1-1 or check in about some of the group content they're learning and struggling with, her door is always open for a chat during breaks or over lunch. She's a wiz when it comes to thinking of medications at the drop of a hat that may help treat certain symptoms or support a patients' current medication regiment. And if a prescription isn't working, she's quick to think of other medications that can help. She cares so much about the wellbeing of everyone who walks in her office, and they are better off for it.

I am extremely disappointed with HRI Hospital. In my experience, their communication is very poor. They rarely answer the phone, and it’s incredibly hard to get any updates or speak with someone when it matters most. What makes things worse is that my family member keeps getting released, and within a week he ends up back in the hospital again. It feels like there is no real long-term help or proper care plan in place. We are left feeling helpless, and it doesn’t seem like they are addressing the root of the problem at all. For a hospital that’s supposed to help people heal, I’ve personally witnessed a lack of communication, support, and follow-through. From my experience, this has been one of the most frustrating and disappointing hospitals to work with. I truly hope they improve — but right now, I cannot recommend HRI Hospital based on what my family has gone through.

i have been treated with nothing but dismissal and disrespect by HRI staff and the subsequent places they have referred me to. i went in to address severe mental health issues, and left worse off and with significantly more trauma than i did upon contacting them. do not trust their claims of LGBTQ+ acceptance or support, as they often fail to meet the bare minimum standards of respect towards trans patients.

1/10 recommend. To start, I have a Seizure disorder. They changed my medication for the simple fact of not wanting to order my correct medication. Not a single staff (including the Doctors) knew what to do or how to handle it when I had a seizure. A staff member came up to me after I got back from the ER and told me that the staff who handled me while I was mid-seizure tried to pick me up, dropped me and I smashed my head on a wooden chair. It was the same staff that fought for me to be taken to the ER when I had my second seizure because nobody knew how to handle it there. As a hospital, a seizure protocol should be in place. Next, there was an altercation and the only thing the Nurse was able to do is threaten a patient who has severe trauma from their childhood revolving around molestation to move them to a Co-Ed unit which was triggering. The staff talk down to the patients like they are anything but Humans. We are there to heal and get the help we need not be treated like we don’t matter. They have their favorite, which they treat different but for the most part patients are treated as less than. Not everybody in HRI is competent enough to defend themselves so this was really upsetting. Shoutout to Bodie who treated the patients as individuals and truly cares about helping them. I don’t know what I would have done without him while being inpatient.

Couldn’t tell the staff from the clients. All behaved very similar. The small group of girls running down the hallway giggling turned out to be staff. That concerns me because I’ve watched this happen several times with different people all with Hospital IDs. I couldn’t tell if I was in a Jr. High School or a hospital. The doctor needs to be escorted around the hospital. He is unaware of his surroundings. He definitely shouldn’t be prescribing medication. Air quality and environmental decoration needs EXTREME HELP! Refresher courses and/or more education for the staff should be a requirement ASAP! Learning to run groups would be helpful. The disrespect towards clients is so inappropriate here. One concern. The staff is very young with very little experience. The seasoned good staff have all left with no mentors to learn from leaving the bling to lead the blind. One staff member didn’t know a very basic tool of trauma. Later, he said he did know. Gaslighting 101! That’s what HRI Staff does best. Gaslight the vulnerable clients.

This facility was extremely helpful

A really wonderful program with wonderful staff!! I was in the women's partial hospitalization program, and the environment was very safe and encouraging. I learned many great coping skills that will impact me for the rest of my life. Vivian was my Nurse Practitioner and she was incredibly warm and kind. I will miss her dearly! She really listened to me and helped make strong suggestions on how to proceed with medications. My clinician team was incredible as well. They were all incredibly kind and understanding. Only con is that other patients from other programs sometimes bothered me at lunch and the facilities aren't the cleanest. Overall, I really enjoyed the program and highly recommend it if you are looking for a partial program!

Cate and Vivian were extremely helpful and so lovely.