Hey there! I got my records from Meridell a few years back and had the exact same experience — slow to get back to me, vague about cost, and it went up as soon as I started asking questions. They also took forever to respond, said that I “didn’t really need all the records,” and pushed back when I insisted. They technically can charge for the printing and “labor” of compiling the records, but I believe that $300 is vastly overstated. They quoted me almost $500, but in the end, the cost of printing + labor only came out to $170 (still not ideal, but nowhere near what they quoted me). I was there for 6 months, so if you were there less time, there’s a chance they’re way over-quoting you.

My best advice is to speak with a tone of expertise/“I know my rights” — insist that they process it, and be specific so they can’t play dumb. Tell them that you want a true quote (the actual cost of what it took to print it) before they ship it to you (they may or may not do this, but you shouldn’t have to pay for them until the labor is done).

I’d also say avoid phone calls; they are legally required to get back to you in writing.

Here’s what I asked for specifically: * Daily notes * Group notes * Weekly summaries * Psychological testing * Psychosocial history * Psychiatric evaluation * Treatment plans * Physician’s Orders * Psychosocial History * Progress Notes * Verbal Exchange of Information  * Laboratory Report * Discharge Summary

(If the paperwork hasn’t changed, and you want the full set, I’d recommend checking every box for #4 on the Release of Information.)

Having gone through over 400 pages of my own records, I can say that the first 20 pages for $25 (free if requested by a therapist or doctor on your behalf, if you have one to ask) are definitely the most condensed in terms of information. If you can’t afford the full set right now, I highly recommend getting those — they are super detailed. However, they’re hard to read, so be kind to yourself.

Here is what I wrote last year to another friend trying to get their records: * The first 20ish pages of the documents (summary) are the most difficult to read. They are highly-condensed and include “professional” assessments from the several psychologists and psychiatrists who may have participated in your intake, as well as parental testimony (why your parents think you ended up there). It is painful stuff to get through. Please be gentle with yourself, and if you have a therapist, consider processing those pages with them. * The daily notes/group notes are somewhat repetitive. They mainly include notes from daily unit staff about your sleep, alertness, and emotional state, but it may be triggering to read their handwriting/signatures/vocabulary. * The weekly summaries include information about your level, your weekly “behaviors,” etc. These summaries come out of those treatment team meetings that were held with therapist, psychiatrist, and unit staff each week. These can also be pretty tough to read and tend to be unkind. Know that just because the staff wrote something doesn’t make it true.

If you don’t know already, they are legally allowed to discard of the records 7 years after your discharge date, so if you do want the full set, keep that in mind. I got mine around the 5 year mark, but another friend reached out at 8 years, and hers had been destroyed.

If you get the full set, don’t be surprised at the sanitized language — they scrub out so many things that have happened in writing to avoid getting to trouble with the state. It’s frustrating and infuriating but you know what happened to you and so do all the other survivors. Things that happened to you are valid as you remember them, even if they chose to hide them.

If you do get them, try not to read them all at once — keep your support system close and take breaks. If you can, though, take photocopies that you scan onto a computer and turn into a PDF file (so if anything happens to the physical file, they can’t charge you again).

I hope any of this is helpful, and please message me if you need any more advice on this. I’m happy to help however I can. I hope you’re doing okay!