- United States
- Conn.
- Letter
I am a recovering addict living in West Hartford. In 2023 I was a client/patient at Cornell Scott Hill Health Center (CSHHC) in New Haven. My eight-day stay was a nightmare, quite possibly the most traumatic experience in my life. They had us sleep in molded plastic beds with 2-inch-thick foam pads for mattresses. I wouldn't let a dog sleep in such an uncomfortable bed, never mind human beings who are already in pain. They placed me in the observation room, supposedly because of a decade-old suicide attempt, in prison scrubs with no underwear. The lights were always on, and anyone could stare at me through the window. I heard everything that everyone said, all day and all night. They told me while I was there I was in that room because I'm transgender, "for my safety from other clients." The explanation that it was because of the old suicide attempt came afterward. I nearly got in a fight over phone privileges with another client, and they did nothing. When I filed a complaint, they denied everything, or blamed me for the mistreatment. eptable." Or, in the case of the beds, said "we're accredited by CT Dept of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and by CT Dept of Public Health. The beds are acc I could barely walk after a week in that bed. I relapsed shortly after my stay, trying to cope with the PTSD. I've been in recovery for a year thanks to Mountainside. But in the time I was in rehab, my time to file an official grievance passed. I complained anyway, and CSHHC spent nearly a year responding back and forth with me. They denied everything, as I said, and at the END of the process, said "this was never official anyway." I've turned everywhere I can think of for help, and now I'm turning to you. Please make compassionate addiction care in CT a priority. Thank you.
