Riverbend Center - Florence, Alabama

Melissa K.

This place is the absolute worst. There are limited places in Florence so it was over a decade of "its better than nothing" service for me. And I know Im not alone inthat. The nurses are very nice but they cant keep psychiatrists. I only saw nurse practioners for two years post Covid.
Ive heard and witnessed such sad treatment just sharing stories with other patients in the waiting room. But again, there are limited places. So, if you ned to go, go. But trust your instincts. Dont let anyone treat you poorly or disregard the help you need. Take care of yourself and good luck. We deserve better.

Brynn C.

Disappointing Facility, Exceptional Therapist

As someone who has sought support and assistance for mental health issues, my experience at Riverbend left much to be desired. From the moment I stepped through the doors, I couldn't shake the feeling of dissatisfaction.

Firstly, the facility itself felt outdated and neglected. The ambiance was sterile and unwelcoming, contributing to an atmosphere of discomfort rather than healing. The waiting area lacked comfort and privacy, making it challenging to relax before appointments.

Moreover, the administrative staff seemed disorganized and indifferent. Scheduling appointments was a nightmare, with long wait times both on the phone and in person. It was frustrating to navigate the bureaucracy just to get the help I needed.

However, amidst this sea of disappointment, there was one shining beacon of hope: my therapist, Julie James. She was the saving grace of my experience at Riverbend.

Julie James was empathetic, understanding, and truly dedicated to helping me navigate my mental health struggles. She listened attentively, offering insightful perspectives and practical coping strategies. Her professionalism and genuine concern for my well-being were evident in every session.

Despite the shortcomings of the facility itself, Julie James made every effort to create a safe and supportive environment for our sessions. Her expertise and compassionate approach were invaluable to my journey towards healing.

While I cannot recommend Riverbend as a whole, I wholeheartedly endorse Julie Ellis James. Although Julie James has transitioned from her practice at Riverbend, I highly recommend reaching out to her if you're seeking a therapist. I can assure you that you'll be in the compassionate and capable care of someone like her.

Kalxpsoa K.

This place claims they don't have a list local aa meetings. What kind of mental health place doesn't have a list of aa meetings available to their community?

Miller A.

I was gaslit for many years. Very very badly. And can’t even begin to tell you about the mistreatment and hostility I experienced. I was never a bad patient. Dr Scott and Dr Radford treated me horribly. I know it’s been over a decade since I was last a patient there but I will never forget. Bryan Libell was a joke too. I complained to him a couple times and to a social worker there too and nothing ever got done it just made things worse for me. The only people that were kind there were Manning Blair, Donna Grace, the lady who rescheduled my appointments and I think her last name may of been Sullivan, and the lady who set me up for my meds for a cheaper price at the pharmacy. They were the only reasons I was under treatment there for 6 years. Finally I’d had enough. I’d go into further detail but I’d be here typing for days. Also the lady who took my vitals was extremely hostile to me like I swear I thought she was gonna hit me or something every time. I was never a threat to any of them.

Max V.

How many negative reviews before something is done about this place? They’re extremely rude, unprofessional, and straight up mean. While waiting for my appointment, I could hear my NP bragging to another worker about how she threatened to call police on a patient. Calling him a motherf***. I have left this place with tears in my eyes because they do not attempt to understand or care about how you’re doing. I’m certain this place exists only to help facilitate the local school to prison pipeline, as they see a lot of young people with mental health challenges and their nurses themselves act like big and bad correctional officers. They will take your money and make your mental health WORSE. They do not care about you. They care about making themselves feel better, higher and mightier than people like us who have a hard time coping with the current state of society. They will put you on medications that do not work and treat you like you’re a degenerate pill-seeker when you complain. They will never hold themselves accountable. The NP I’m referring to will probably read this and laugh to herself about how crazy her patients are. That’s what we call cognitive dissonance. And going into a profession that serves a vulnerable population, just so you can exploit them and make them feel worse, is psychotic behavior. Find another profession.

Samantha E.

Dr. Adams is super helpful and nice. The staff (from the nurses to the switchboard) is rude, unprofessional, never on time and the list could go on forever. You can only leave a voicemail and they might call you back within a week but good luck with that. They have no patience with children. 0/10 absolutely would not recommend for my worst enemy.

Brandon M.

Well today was my first time ever going to Riverbend. I was skeptical at first by the extremely low rating and bad reviews but I thought I would give them a chance to prove me wrong. I was in for a major disappointment. The therapist that does the initial evaluation seemed absolutely emotionless & lacked any genuine compassion or empathy. it made me very uncomfortable by her awkward rapid eye-movement from my hands and back up to my eyes back and fourth. At the end of the conversation I was seeking some type of validation or encouragement from her, which she completely failed to give. Not saying she’s a bad person, I just felt extremely uncomfortable the entire evaluation. This will be my last time seeking treatment from this facility👎🏼👎🏼

Hodges H.

Riverbend needs more counselors!!! I think its time the world realized counselors are very necessary and need to offer incentives and higher pay for such a career as this. Riverbend needs more variety in the doctors to include Holistic. Also Riverbend needs repair to their building. I don't know whom is in charge of hiring and fund allocating but it has to improve.

They need to start the Talent Show back up. So much better could happen but the right ideas need to be in place and it's obvious everyone doesn't have the gift of creativity and pizazz to even make Riverbend better. New fresh ideas also need to be happening. More community outreach should happen.

Hire qualified people and train better and also do some continuing education for those there now.

Something has got to shake cause the bend don't need to break.