THE DEVEREUX FOUNDATION

If I could leave one star I would this place should not even be open anymore! IF YOU LOVE YOUR CHILD AND CARE FOR THEIR WELL-BEING DO NOT SEND THEM TO THIS PLACE. I was a resident here for almost a year back when I was still in the custody of CPS, they placed me here with the promise of being taken care of and getting the help that I needed while I did make many good friends here that doesn’t excuse the treatment that I had to go through and now I permanently have trauma from this horrible place and even the friends who I still am in contact with also suffer the same issues as I do. Where should I even begin? The staff are clearly not qualified for the job they are given and nor do they have the empathy either as there was so many times where I and other residents would be harassed and mistreated. They had no problem with taking our things away like our clothes and shoes which was extremely humiliating for me. Not only that but on multiple occasions they would refuse to let me make any phone calls with my family and especially my CASEWORKER which I had every right to do so please don’t go here I cannot express it enough the stories I have about this place are insane and I’ll never forget please take my review and other reviews seriously this place needs to be closed down.

I was there for 4years I was only 10 years old they drugged me up and slammed me on the floor I would say don’t take your kids there the staff are not but do stuff when there’s no cameras and the staff have a group of kids that will hurt you kid and the kids don’t get in trouble you do. The kids are bad just like the staff and when u go to make a complaint the staff doesn’t get in trouble you do so the staff can hurt you and you have to go to the hospital and the staff won’t be fired or in trouble he will keep working there I was minding my own business and this staff punch me in the face and then said I fell when I didn’t so please don’t take your kids there

I was there for a year in 1980-81 when I was 15. The only good thing was that they took us on some trips from time to time, and I met several friends while there. But I read several of the other reviews, and I do have to agree with them. Looking back on it, they did mishandle the kids and often drugged them up. Luckily, I never got on meds, but many others did. The education there was absolutely awful which put me a grade behind. Most of the staff had very little if any compassion on the kids including me, nor did they really help people there in any positive way. Oh, do they still lock people up in isolation this current day like they did back then? Now, at age 53 and from a Christian point of view, kids and even adults who have mental disorders need loving and understanding as well as encouragement. Looking back, it really was an awful place.

I was at Devereux Victory from the ages of 17-22 so that would from 2003 to 2008. I don't know anything about the youth side of Devereux. I can only speak for the adult side. The first couple months I was there everything seems to be going great but of course that was just a honeymoon stage. As time went on I started to feel more and more uncomfortable. Not being able to tell my parents to come and get me was hard because they were all the way in California where I had came from. I do remember a numerous occasions clients getting raped and beaten a given injections to calm them down for no reason. When I was there three girls got raped and one night it was the only time I felt being a plus size woman was at my advantage. I had gotten several black eyes from a girl who was supposed to be watched 24 hours a day. At this facility giving injections in the butt was a normal day-to-day occurrence. One girl got restrained for no reason and had both of her arms broken. Girls and guys will get prayed upon and and gotten trouble for no reason. I remember there was one day where I was in my room cleaning it folding my laundry and watching TV when a staff came in and violently threw all my clean piles of all the clothes that I had on my bed onto the floor and push me down to restrain me. I was so confused as I know that I didn't do anything wrong I was simply doing what I was told by cleaning and folding my laundry. I struggled and try to break free and I just simply called for a butt injection to call me down there we called it booty juice. I was so confused and asked what did I do wrong and he couldn't tell me. I filed a complaint with the superintendent of Devereux and he got fired. Him getting fired was not enough for me I was missed treated and violated for following the rules and not doing anything wrong. I recommend parents of mentally handicapped children and adults please do your research as my family failed to do ours learn from my mistake and you not take your love ones to this god awful prison because that's what it felt like.

Went there as a child and it was the dirtiest place I even had to be placed in. I was pit on so any medications and the schooling was below grade level. The food constantly made me sick. They allowed children to fight and I had bite marks all over my arms from a girl in my room. She even tried to stab me with a pen. The Staff would beat the kids. And the counselor was more than willing to tell e information from my case file that was supposed to disclosed only upon my 18th birthday. I was 9 at that time. Do not I repeat do not send your children here.