The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center

My experience at Sylvia Brafman was tremendously positive. First and foremost, the treatment team all care tremendously about client success. I came in for co-occurring substance abuse (marijuana) and mental illness (bipolar type 1), and they have given me a surplus of tools to take with me as I am now transitioning back into normal living. The housing facility (I can only speak to men’s housing) is good - it creates a strong social environment and has amenities such as a pool, gym, and barbecue, though there was a hiccup with the AC not working that has since been addressed. Part of what’s great about the facility is that they cultivate independence, by taking you shopping for your own food which you then cook yourself. You prepare your own lunches to bring everyday, and additionally are encouraged to maintain hygiene. It can be difficult living with people that have intense mental illnesses, but that comes with the territory at any treatment center. The clinical side of things is excellent. You meet with an individual therapist a minimum of once a week, but typically you can meet with them again for family sessions, and additionally can meet with a life coach or case manager. Jackson, my therapist (who funnily enough has the same name as me) is amazing at diagnosing issues and more importantly, giving practical solutions. He is knowledgeable and relatable, and is one of four primary therapists they have here. The group facilitators are by and large equally amazing. Dr. Andy and Will G are both long-recovered addicts who emphasize individual attention and interactiveness in their group settings and create atmospheres that are engaging and truly therapeutic. There also is a patient advocate named Alexis who takes all clients under her wing and is always there at clinical for anyone that needs a quick pick-me-up. Dina and Keera, the respective clinical and housing directors, do a great job of running the show, and will take any suggestions without hesitation. If you are considering treatment here, know that it is the type of facility that will truly allow you to get out of treatment what you put into it. The more you come in willing to learn, the more you will get out of it. Additionally know that it is difficult and frustrating at times to have your freedoms restricted (you cannot leave housing and must attend all groups). This will be the case at any similar treatment facility. But Sylvia Brafman is truly above adequate at getting to the root of the problem and impressing solutions upon you, and the sacrifice is truly worth it for those truly struggling. They emphasize all treatment forms, including DBT, CBT, and psychoanalysis in their groups. This is a great way of making sure treatment can work for any individual, no matter the struggle. Lastly, family is included in therapy here in a way it isn’t at many other treatment facilities. In addition to weekly family sessions, they have weekly “family night” on Thursday evenings where family members are encouraged to join and learn what is going on in treatment from the perspective of select patients. Overall, what’s most important is that I came here a shell of myself - not even knowing who I was anymore when I looked in the mirror. I can honestly say thanks to SB for helping me find myself again… five stars.

I entered Slyvia Brafman in February 2025, I was struggling a lot in my life. Constantly not performing at work, substance abuse issues, and a major depression was putting my life on hold. Coming to Sylvia Brafman has changed my life. They met all my expectations on what a treatment center should provide and even beyond in certain areas. I’ve been to another treatment center before and this one was a stark difference. They genuinely care about the clients, Dina the clinical director is always available, her office door is open for clients to walk into at any time and is able to listen and help with any issues I had. Housing is great, they help us maintain a clean environment and the behavioral health technicians do a great job of keeping the peace between clients. They are very friendly while also maintaining a sense of discipline that demands respect. Particularly, Jerry, Ron, Daryl, DJ, and mark did an amazing job of making me feel comfortable and while also making it a fun environment to live in. They really encourage social interaction and a sense of community which was a key part of my recovery. They focus on substance abuse and especially the mental health aspect which is extremely important part of recovery that other treatment centers seem to lack. There is even a patient advocate named Alexis who’s job is to specifically to be there for the clients when they are having a bad day and nobody else is available to help. And I wanna give a special shoutout to my therapist Jackson! He was a major part of my recovery, I couldn’t imagine having a better therapist he does his job so well and always knew the right thing to say. Overall, now that I am out of Sylvia Brafman I have changed as a person for the better. For the first time in my life I’m genuinely happy with myself and they helped provide me a detailed exit plan which helped so much with my transition out of treatment.

Ignore their reply to Billy Bob Jackson below and see his edit to the comment, as their reply is seemingly dishonest, although I do not claim to know their motives. They can seemingly claim they don't know who Billy Bob is all they want, and say it's not their facility, but the address is the same, so with 100% certainty, it is the same facility. It seems they are intentionally being misleading, because Billy Bob Jackson seems like a pretty obvious fake name, but you can make that decision for yourself.