Clinical Therapist at FHCSD describes sloppy and uncoordinated management of FHCSD mental health department

 A current Clinical Therapist working for the Family Health Center of San Diego (FHCSD)  has revealed what anyone who has tried to use their mental health services knows all too well: that the management of the FHCSD mental health department is sloppy and uncoordinated at best.  This therapist says that "each clinic is run differently, under different interpretations of the same policies and procedures - practically the definition of weak and ineffective management.   

The therapist also says that what she considers to be positive, is that they are able to make internal referrals to clients to interdisciplinary teams for medical psychiatry, psych testing, SUD, etc.  Given the FhCSD culture of not believing in patient consent, this is a little disturbing and isn't consistent with reports we hear about months-long wait to see a mental health worker, plus we have concerns about the patient being informed about this "team" and not being used just to generate revenue for the organization. 

The "advice to management' from this therapist is also disturbing, though somewhat typical.   She doesn't mention the patients who actually try to use these services, but rather believes that management should do an anonymous survey of employees to know what their true opinion is.  In what has been reported to be a toxic environment for employees, and management known for retaliation for even minor criticisms, we think it unfortunate, but understandable from an employee perspective, but what about us?  The people who wasted so much of their lives trying to use this service thinking they were getting mental health help and the people still trying - shouldn't their opinion count for something?

It is pretty obvious why they would never want to do that with their "patients".  Under the "leadership" of Myra Ruby, the Director of Mental Health who has never had another job in her life, and her sidekick Dixies Galapon, on her second job, the department has proven to be an abject failure.  We believe that it has close to a zero percent effectiveness rate and it has harmed countless residents of San Diego, and cheated them out of their mental health care. 

FILE: FHCSD - 13 - Glassdoor - therapist - each clinic run differently - 2022-01-22_12-08-10