Hillside

Madrid lanier

2 months ago

My name is Madrid Lanier I was one of the first people to be at hillside back in 2001 the first time when I 7 and again 2010 the second time I can honestly say that I was hell and a bit of wild child diva but I can honestly say hillside really helped me in so many ways I met some wonderful people there I’m now a college grad from nyu school of tisch im living life to the fullest and I just got back from Spain im doing things that I wouldn’t have dreamed of when I was younger

Anna Hyde

3 months ago

Hillside Atlanta has made such a real and lasting difference in my nephew’s life. The support, care, and guidance they provide goes beyond words. They truly see the people they serve and help create meaningful change. I’m so grateful for the impact they’ve had and the positive path they’ve helped him build.

Evan Tedrow

6 months ago

I was in the Kiwanis Cottage at Hillside around 2 years ago. I would definitely say that the things that I learned here were very useful, but some of the staff and other residents were probably some of the most insufferable people ever. Im not allowed to name any of the other residents, but one of the kids there attacked another kid almost daily, if not more than once a day. It was horrible. The staff never did anything about the kid who was attacking. He was never punished or penalized. I get at this because this kid was released from Hillside after making nearly NO progress. He hadn’t reached level 4 and had shown no signs of making the slightest progress at all. The level system is a joke. Now, let me talk about the staff. Most of the staff were amazing. But there were a few that I wanted to talk about. Mr. Charles is the first one on the list. Overall, he does almost nothing for anyone. I’d say that Mr. Charles made the children worse than doing anything to help. He has a sour attitude and is overall just not fit to be dealing with kids, or anyone at all. Im not sure of the other staff member's name or what she did, but she was supposed to show us videos about therapy. Instead, she sat on her phone the whole time, gossiped, and let us watch inappropriate shows. (Of course, I’m not gonna complain too much about watching shows, but I would’ve rather done something more beneficial or something more focused on the reason I was there). On a better note, some staff were really good and had very helpful things to say. One of my favorite staff members was Mr. Tony. When I was there, a lot of people didn’t like him at all, but I had so many 1-on-1 meaningful conversations. He is one of the main reasons that I made it out in such a short time. A couple of other staff members that I really appreciated were Mr..Zo and Mr. Keith. Im not sure if they still work at Hillside, but they were some of the most chill and laid back people. Now on to the food. The food was actually pretty good. There are a couple of things that I would like to say about the food, though. There were some days when there was some spoiled food, like milk or ice cream. Another thing that I think could be good for the food at Hillside is having a bigger “menu.” I feel like meals were constantly repeated, and it was less appetizing the 2nd time. Besides those few issues, the food was relatively good. One of the things that I really enjoyed during my stay was PE. I was only able to participate in PE for a month due to physical reasons, but my favorite activities were dodgeball and basketball. One thing that I suggest is allowing people to go to the gym at least once a day. Don’t force everyone to go, but just take the kids that want to go. I want to talk about restraints. I had to be restrained a couple of times during my stay at Hillside. Im a pretty big guy, but the restraints still left me with bruising and burns. This concerns me for one reason; Could this possibly injure a person smaller or skinnier than me? Im not sure if they have different restraints for different types of people, size-wise, but I think some of the restraints were very extreme. Phone calls. They were VERY short. I had to talk to my mom about my physical state and catch up with her while only having 5-10 minutes to do so. It's very saddening. I want to have one more paragraph about the staff. A lot of the staff “flexed” that they were able to go home and sleep in a real bed and do things that we were not able to. It upset many people, including me. It was like they were trying to tease us. That’s all I really have to say about my time at Hillside. There were a lot of helpful things, but there were equally a lot of traumatizing things as well.

Hawks Baby Bird

8 months ago

Hillside Atlantic Review – My Experience I attended Hillside Atlantic as a teen, and I want to share my experience honestly. My time there was extremely harmful and retraumatizing, and I believe families should be fully informed before considering this facility. Key issues I experienced: Physical and emotional abuse: I was physically restrained if I cried or was considered “dysregulated,” even though I had been self-harm free prior to admission. Bruises from holds were common. Extreme lack of privacy: There were cameras in bedrooms and hallways, and I was watched while showering. Isolation from family: Phone calls were limited to 10 minutes per week, supervised, and discussing any mistreatment could result in punishment. Punitive treatment: Small actions, like talking in line, could result in loss of privileges including talking, comfort items, or meals. Staff bullying and shaming: Staff frequently bullied us about appearance, behavior, or minor mistakes. One staff member called me “tubby.” Misrepresentation of treatment: Hillside claimed to offer DBT, but there was only one DBT group per week; much of the time was rec therapy or PE, even for kids with physical disabilities. Forcing self-blame and forgiveness: Staff required us to blame ourselves for our parents’ abuse and to forgive them, even when the abuse was ongoing. “Washing out” neurodiversity: Staff withheld ADHD medication and told some autistic kids their traits were being “washed out,” rather than providing appropriate support. Trauma invalidation: Staff told me my past sexual assault and experiences were my fault and they would tell people to "just get over it" during flashbacks or major episodes. Psychological manipulation: The program misrepresented its approach and sometimes used religious narratives despite being advertised as non-religious. Favoritism among clients: Staff treated certain clients differently, excusing harmful behavior from some while punishing others. For example, a girl attacked me, but staff punished me instead and gave her preferential treatment. Filthy and unsafe environment: The facility was consistently dirty. I witnessed a girl soil herself during episodes and staff left her sitting in her own waste for hours until she got up to clean it herself. My experience caused ongoing trauma, flashbacks, and hypervigilance that I continue to work through years later. I felt unsafe, unheard, and punished rather than supported. I am sharing this review so families can ask critical questions and advocate for their children’s safety. Please research thoroughly and consider alternatives, especially for teens with a history of trauma.

Jay Garcia

9 months ago

It was ok.. I didn’t like the girls that much and it was pretty horrible in the averill cottage. The things that I liked is that I made friends but I didn’t like the loud noises and how my anxiety got higher and higher in hillside. The staff always took my privileges away for unnecessary things and when I did my bed that had the TINIEST mistake they took my privileges for it. There was Staff that helped me a lot in Averill and understood me, but I wouldn’t go back to that place ever again. (Some kids Called me Slow and I hated that.)