This is really just about their intake department. My experience with them so far has been pretty frustrating. (I realize this may not be entirely their fault-- they are likely understaffed.) My provider, whom I've seen for 6 years for ADHD med management, moved to their practice, but is unfortunately moving out of state, and her old practice cannot absorb her patients. I have called their intake line probably 30 times over the past several weeks during their stated business hours at different times of the day, and never once has a human answered. I've left voicemail messages, but because I work nights, they have returned my call when I was sleeping. Finally on Monday 8/11, I filled out their online form, and by Tuesday 8/12, I was able to get appointments for me and my 16yo son by email. However, the intake coordinator scheduled us at two separate offices (Durham and Cary), and both of us were scheduled with providers who do not list ADHD as an area of expertise on the website (they list psychotic disorders, etc, instead). So on Tuesday afternoon, I declined the referrals by email and asked whether our former provider might help us with more appropriate referrals, and requested providers in the same office for convenience. I had not heard back from her as of this morning (Thursday). Today is my day off and I can be reached during the day, so I emailed and called her. She asked whether I was going to make the appointment she had scheduled (for today!) for the referral I had declined two days ago. Naturally at this point I was frustrated with her and I made the unfortunate mistake of referring to her as a "clerical" person. I suppose I should have said "administrative." I was trying to say that it seemed more appropriate to me that my former provider, who I have known for many years, might be more appropriate than she to make my referral. She became very angry with me and said that she was not a clerical person but an intake coordinator, and that she had been doing this job for ten years. She also seemed to willfully refuse to understand my request to schedule us with providers in the same office, insisting over and over again on telling me that they have no med management providers in Chapel Hill, no matter how many times I expressed that I understood this. I politely thanked her for her help and got the hell off the phone. So I guess my point is, I would think that an experienced intake coordinator for a *mental health* practice should be able discuss referrals with patients without reacting in an angry and defensive manner.

I saw 2 different doctors, and both of them made my conditions work because they didn't know much about the medications I was on. Dr. Payne was the worst. I had been taking Xanax for almost twenty years because it worked. Dr. Payne refused to taper me off, making me go cold turkey. I was used to taking 3mg/day. I went into withdrawal - hallucinations, convulsions, nervousness, etc. I started sleepwalking and had a couple of falls, one of which led to a concussion. After looking up "Xanax withdrawal" on Google, I learned that going cold turkey can kill you. I went to my regular doctor and he gave a reduced but effective dose. While I was there, he tried to call Dr. Payne and was put on hold for twenty minutes. He got disconnected and tried to call again but he couldn't get through at all. I, too, have found these practitioners very hard to reach. They have an answering machine that suggests you go to the nearest ER. Oh, thanks a bunch. Also, Dr. Payne only works on Wednesdays and Fridays. When my doctor finally reached her on a Friday, she refused to speak with him about me until I go there and sign yet another kind of release: phonecalls. I suffer from agoraphobia, so going means my husband has to lose work time to take me there. He has been having to watch me as I sleep so I won't fall and hurt myself again in my sleep. This latest action, or disaster, has cost him about a week without sleep or working, to take care of me. He is mentally and physically exhausted, as am I. She is young, inexperienced, incompetent, and dangerous. One time I had to wait over 2 hours to get seen because the girl at the front desk told me she had notified the doctor that I was there, but apparently "forgot." I will never use Carolina Partners in Mental Health Durham again.

I called to make an appointment and stated I wanted to see someone in the Chapel Hill office because that is where I live. I was told there was nothing for three weeks, and so I agreed to take a Saturday appointment almost a month away. When I showed up to the Chapel Hill office for this appointment, no one was there, and no one ever came. I called and left a message on the office machine, but no one returned the call. The following Tuesday I called and left another message. Finally, on Wednesday I called and spoke with the operator, who told me the clinician I was looking for works in the Durham office. However, her name is not listed on their website and she has no extension at the Durham office. So, I called the Durham office to ask to reschedule the appointment. Not surprisingly, no one ever called me back. Apparently, this group does not need new patients. I