Complaint Review: Hollywood Pavilion - WIIT - Hollywood Florida

The Women's Institute for Incorporation Therapy (WITT) was founded by Dr. Bill Tollefson some years back. I understood it to be an effective program that was singular in its ability to help women recover from dissociation as a result of trauma. I believe that Dr. Tollefson was still involved in leading the program through early Spring, 2011, although I am not sure. There was a parting of ways, and my understanding was that Hollywood Pavilion bought the license for WIIT and Dr. Tollefson left. Though as a potential client, I tried to get information about what happened so that I could be an informed consumer, no information was provided.

The program was then left in the capable hands of two skilled Master's level therapists, who were on-site 7 days a week, more than 8 hours a day. They had worked with Dr. Tollefson and were quite good. I entered the program in November and had a good experience, although I heard from another patient who had been there with Dr. Tollefson that it was not as strong as it had been. Nevertheless, I found it helpful. What was not helpful was at least one Master's intern there at the time who, to put it bluntly, had the interpersonal qualities, insight, and therapeutic talent of a pea.

Following my stay, Hollywood Pavilion elected to further dismantle the program, eliminating the key features of it - a special track, women in the program separate from women in the general psych treatment - and other things that were the final vestiges of a good, healing, affordable program in a world where so few exist. I learned this from a patient I had stayed in contact with who had returned for further treatment. At least one of the main Master's therapists left, and the intern, who just finished her degree and with no independent professional experience, was hired full time.

I confess to not knowing the current staffing, and you won't find it on the website, which is a point of caution for consumers: treatment centers will publicize a strong clinical team. If that information is not easily available, buyer be VERY WARY.

The program still continues to advertise itself as always, but the information about who runs it and what happens is conspicuously absent. It also appears on many lists of recommended treatment centers for trauma and dissociation, including Dr. David Baldwin's list and, I believe, the Sidran Institute list. It is important to note that those lists are rarely updated, and the treatment centers listed have not been recently reviewed. It should also be pointed out that it has been the stated Non-Function of the list providers to know anything about the organizations they include. Not their responsibility, but another 'buyer beware' note.

The changes in our healthcare system have made finding affordable mental health treatment tremendously difficult. There are a significant number of private pay centers, which limit themselves to the care of the wealthy. There are a number of very good hospital programs, but you have to research them very carefully to understand their service goals and populations. And there are a number of treatment centers who have made such drastic cuts as to be rendered ineffective at best and downright dangerous at worst (see the recent fall of Sierra Tucson).

If you are seeking treatment, you are already vulnerable. Get a trusted therapist on your side and make sure that you or your therapist makes direct contact with the clinical staff at the place you are investigating before you ever make any commitment to go. Do this ahead of time - while you are well enough to not need the care. Then, if the time comes that you do need it, you and your family will be prepared.