Canterbury Behavioral Health - Inpatient Mental Health Treatment - Canterbury, New Hampshire

zoë R.

Canterbury Behavioral Health saved my life. I stayed here for four months: 6 weeks in residential, 5 weeks in PHP, and 6 weeks in IOP. I do not regret a single moment of it.

All of the staff here are incredibly supportive and kind, even in the worst of moments. I certainly lost my cool more than a few times, but the staff was always there to pick me back up. They never once abandoned me or made me feel anything less than their number one priority.

Danielle was one of the most supportive staff here, picking me up during my many panic attacks. She was always there for me and put me first even when she was overworked, exhausted, or extra busy. Alongside her was a wonderful team of equally-capable staff including Ava, Lisa, Kyleigh, Jimmy, Bob, Victoria, Emily, and Corinne. The tender care and support of all these people are a primary reason why I can call myself both sober and mentally stable once again. I couldn’t have graduated without such an amazing team. Chelsea, Jen, and Jenn were also wonderful supports, being in no small part responsible for building me up into the incredibly confident person that I graduated as.

It is no exaggeration to say that this place saved my life. Even with the few blemishes and areas it could improve, this place should be the standard for mental health treatment nationwide. I cannot recommend this place enough.

Jade F. V.

I was referred to NFA for their IOP program after completing a PHP with Banyan Philadelphia. I highly recommend for anyone who needs help with their mental health. Living in the sober house in Concord and attending daily groups helped me get back to being human. I enjoyed the staff and group programs. My therapist was excellent and I felt heard and well cared for. The Psych provider might the best provider I’ve seen thus far in all my treatment. After 54 days with NFA I am more confident, stable, and for the first time in a long time- hopeful.

Edward G.

I recommend NFA to anyone suffering from mental illness or substance abuse. The staff is incredibly caring, compassionate and supportive. The residential team was always available to assist in any way possible and genuinely cared about the patients. Extremely grateful

Erin G.

I don’t recommend this program to anyone. I was in this program for 30 days and in those 30 days I learned nothing. I regressed in my mental health here and only one staff member (the psychiatrist) took it seriously. I openly spoke with my therapist and other staff members about the program and how it lacked in educational quality and keeping people as active participants and nobody took it seriously. By the end of my time at the program I was skipping every single group and it was not noticed (feels like a safety issue to me). There is also copious amounts of drama in the off campus housing for IOP and PHP that staff is not prepared to handle. For example, we had a house meeting one day where staff allowed an entire group of people in the house to verbally attack one singular woman to the point she had an anxiety attack and they did not step in other than to quietly say “I don’t think this is productive” (so quiet you couldn’t hear it over the shouting). A lot of the staff members there are not necessarily very well trained on how to handle anyone with any sort of mental illness either. The staff members seem to be more concerned with being a friend than being a supporting member of staff, which is fine at times but not all the time. The educational quality here is terrible. Most of the time the group is given a 3-4 page packet that we then read out loud and never really discuss, and the topics aren’t usually anything helpful. If it’s not packets then you’re reading out loud from the “self love” or “12 step” books and again not really discussing it. The days are so long and so boring it feels like you’re losing your mind. I was also personally sexually harassed by a patient and told a staff member about it and was told the other person was placed on a behavioral plan. This was very concerning to me as I knew he had done this to other people as well and felt he should have been kicked out. There was also another incident when I was there where two patients were intimate with each other and they kicked one out and let the other stay (totally messed up to me, they both should have been kicked out). There was also a third incident where a fight almost happened and they kicked out the aggressor but also kicked out the patient who tried to calm the fight down (they left him at a gas station on the corner and told him to figure it out). I am also hearing from my friend who is still at the program about some very concerning homophobia that is currently going on within the program. I am not pleased with this program whatsoever and would not recommend it to anyone. It is mind-numbing, uneducational, unethical at times, the staff are not properly trained, there’s too much unstopped drama. There are only two staff members (Eren and Jenn) who seem to actually be doing their job and actually care. This place is not meant for people who are struggling with their mental health or just people in general.

Adam S.

My two stays at NFA Canterbury were exactly what I needed. I had been to a few 12 step programs and so what NFA offered with their behavioral health program was just the ticket. So powerful to work on the mind and bring mental health into clarity and focus. NFA sits in remote Canterbury and the isolation and seclusion from the world really helped me to disconnect and focus on the work. It is a beautiful campus. What is even more beautiful is the exceptional staff who all go out of their way to make your stay the growing experience it should be. They will push you and champion you gradually allowing you to find your journey back to autonomy.

The community is top notch, the food is great,and there are a lot of activities for clients to engage in. I cannot say enough good things about NFA!

Kim V.

Our son went there for mental health and substance use. After less then a week they abandoned him at the nearest emergency room with no warning. He went there determined to stop smoking cigarettes but was surrounded by smokers. He’s now a chain smoker. When they packed up his belongings they kept his electric shaver and toiletries. For all this they charged our insurance tens of thousands and even mailed us an extra bill.

M R.

PLEASE SEEK HELP ELSEWHERE!!!

I recently stayed at the Canterbury location and had an awful experience. The facility is dangerously understaffed, which is unacceptable for a mental health facility. There were not enough staff to provide adequate care, making it unsafe for residents. If someone had a medical emergency or became violent, there would be no way to handle it safely. Staff seemed unable to make adequate healthcare decisions, and I know a resident needed hospitalization due to these failings. The program was inconsistent, with activities frequently canceled without notice. One staff member, Danielle, was particularly rude and aggressive.

The facility itself was dirty and unclean, with mildew in the rooms and black growth in the showers. My room smelled of mildew, and my roommate's concerns were dismissed. The humidity levels were extremely high, making the environment unhealthy. For a facility that costs a lot to attend, the conditions were appalling.

The policies were inconsistent and poorly communicated. The paperwork process was rushed, and I wasn’t informed about a $1,000 copay due upon arrival, despite recently losing my job. Communication was poor, causing unnecessary anxiety. Staff violated my patient bill of rights by failing to provide me with the name of the executive director when I asked to address some of the above issues on my 2nd day. I received inadequate medication management and had to leave due to safety concerns. This place is poorly managed and unsafe. Due to all of the above, I left after 4 days, and my PTSD was worse than when I went in. And they tried to withhold all my meds from me. I have made internal reports with NFA, reported them for fraud for withholding my medication when I was discharged, and called the health department.

Kayla D.

Best. Treatment. Facility. Around. I stayed at NFA Canterbury for 3 months and loved every single second. The staff here are beyond amazing. I was so engaged in all groups. My therapist and case manager were nothing short of incredible. NFA holds a very special place in my heart & will forever. I recommend it to absolutely anyone looking for substance use/mental health treatment.