i went to the public clinic for years because i couldnt afford treatment otherwise. it was my only option. the pdoc treatment sucked. i had fifty million of them, they were rude and obnoxious. my favorite one abandoned me and did not show up for appts. they misdiagnosed me. the nurses who checked me in were nice though so i tried to deal with them and call them when i had problems rather than trying to deal with the pdocs. what i learned was you really have to be your own advocate and push for your own care. they are not going to do it for you. they have to many people to take care of to follow up on anybody, suicidal or not. if you want appts, you have to push for them. you have to put up with assholes if you want treatment. if you dont want assholes you have to request someone else, sometimes contacting the higherups with your request for a change to happen. after your appt, make your next appt if you want continued care. as for a t, it takes a while to find a good fit. i went thru four before i found one that really helped me and even he wasnt the best one for me. he helped stabilize me which was great but after three years i wondered why i kept seeing him because i found i wasnt getting anywhere. he never addressed my trauma. he was at a total loss as to what to do for my anxiety. i had outgrown him. so when i got insurance i switched to someone who specialized in trauma and she and i work excellent together. so if you have options, by all means, go somewhere where you have better choices, but if you dont, you have to stay on top of caring for yourself at the clinic. it sucks, but that is the mental health system in america.