The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center

7710 NW 71st CT, Tamarac, Florida, 33321
Our experiences confirm that the appropriate combination of medical, therapeutic, spiritual, and physical approaches varies from person to person. We firmly believe mental health treatment is not a one-size-fits-all approach. While a medication adjustment through consultation with our medical team may address one patient’s needs, another patient may benefit more from a therapeutic and spiritual approach to shift their perspective so that they can see the world differently. We will ‘throw the kitchen sink’ at the patient to start, before tailoring the treatment to the individual based on their response to these approaches.

We are laser focused on the family dynamic and are adamant that family members must be heavily involved in treatment. Ben Brafman’s in depth experience with family therapy solidifies our belief that while the entire family gets sick from mental illness, the family can also recover with the right support and be better than ever before.

When patients come to treatment, they are broken and sometimes they don’t quite realize how broken they are. At their core, they yearn to be part of something bigger, feel connected to the people in their lives, have a purpose and feel optimistic about their future. Our goal is to restore a patient’s mental condition so as to give them the appropriate balance to move forward in life and position them to succeed personally and professionally.

With respect to addiction, it is our position that addicts are in a place of great suffering and that they contend with a mental illness which must be treated accordingly. This illness is uniquely intertwined in mental, physical and spiritual factors that are both genetic and the result of a self-centered worldview often impacted by trauma. Clinically speaking, the foundation of addiction is grounded in obsessive compulsive thinking. Therefore, we believe in treating the mental illness and supplementing it with the 12-steps, versus dividing up addicts and non-addicts into two distinct categories.

Actively listening to the individual and challenging his or her belief system is at the core of our clinical philosophy. Patients often cannot differentiate the true from the false, and our approach is to confront the flawed patterns of thinking in an empathetic and caring manner. Simultaneously, we identify and address any chemical imbalances that can be best addressed through medication therapy.

We believe it is critical to be able to measure the success of treatment. This provides a benchmark for recovery and holds us accountable. We measure success not so much by how the patient does in treatment, but how the family and patient recover progressively throughout and post-treatment. Some of the factors we emphasize include whether the family is operating as a unit (Is the marriage better? Are the siblings talking?), the patient is sticking to the post-treatment plan, the internal “chatter” starts to become more muted, there is a renewed hope and vision of a path forward in life and the patient starts to give off a different energy to those around him or her.

Facility Highlights

  • Mental Health Focus
  • Insiders & Thought-Leaders
  • World-Class Medical Team

Specialization

  • Anxiety Disorders

    Generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias, agoraphobia, separation anxiety
  • Depressive Disorders

    Mild, Moderate and Severe Depression, Bipolar Disorder (I & II), Dysthymia, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Mixed Depression with Anxiety

Facility Settings

  • Beach Community

Meet the Staff

  • Ben Brafman
    Ben BrafmanChief Clinical Officer & Co-Founder
    Mr. Ben Brafman, MS, LMHC, CAP is Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of SBMHC. He has founded a multitude of programs focusing on addiction, men’s issues, eating disorders and personality disorders. Ben was Founder, President and CEO of Destination Hope, a treatment center specializing in substance abuse and mental health disorders, established in 2007. Ben is also the founder, President and CEO of The Academy for Addiction Professionals. The Academy is a school geared toward preparing professionals for the field of addiction by assisting students in getting their CBHT, CAS, CAC, and CAP. Additionally, Ben is also Founder, President and CEO of Rx Angels, a non-profit organization. Its main purpose is to help families that cannot afford medication and treatment for their mentally ill loved ones. Ben has been in the field of behavioral health for 25 years. He has developed several programs in the South Florida area and has been instrumental in teaching other professionals how to effectively manage their clinical programs. Ben is recognized as a leading authority in behavioral health and a pioneer in clinical services. He is also actively involved in several community services programs. He has helped families all over the country from Atlanta, Georgia to Santa Barbara, California. He is a published author in the area of dual diagnosis and behavioral health. Additionally, Ben is a leading expert in family issues related to addiction and its impact on the system of family, having positively influenced thousands of families in his career. Ben has a dual Masters from Barry University in Counseling and Family Therapy. Mr. Brafman is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. He is also a Certified Addiction Professional and trains supervisors in the state of Florida to supervise others effectively. He resides in Parkland, Florida with his wife, Suzanne, and his 3 children Abigail, Jacob and Elijah. He has completed several marathons and is currently working on publishing books in the area of addiction, mental illness and behavioral health.
  • Jaime Blaustein
    Jaime BlausteinCEO & Co-Founder
    Mr. Jaime Blaustein is Co-Founder and CEO of SBMHC. Prior to this role, he was an investment banker at Credit Suisse in its Global Industrials coverage group in New York City. Here he was responsible for advising clients in the basic materials sector on strategic matters, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, restructurings and various debt and equity financings. Prior to this role, he worked in institutional sales at Lord Abbett, a mutual fund manager overseeing ~$150 billion in assets under management. He previously worked in wealth management at Morgan Stanley and later Wells Fargo, advising a wide array of clients on investment strategies. Jaime received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his M.B.A. from Duke University. He is an unapologetic NY Giants, Duke Blue Devils and Michigan Wolverine fan. His interests include fitness, steakhouses, international travel, meditation retreats, and quality time with friends. Jaime is a newly minted resident of Miami. He is actively involved in sponsoring dozens of men in recovery and is beyond excited to marry his business expertise with his passion for helping others make a comeback from the depths of mental illness and addiction.

Financial Details

  • Accepts out-of-network insurance policies only
  • Reduced private-pay rates available

Treatment Center Links

Patient reviews

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Alexander
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The Sylvia Brafman center has been instrumental in helping me overcome my mental health issues. All of the staff are very supportive and care is tailor made to the individual client. My experience here has been unlike any other of the facilities I have been to - not only will they look for ways to make you better in the most efficient way possible , they will also work to identify where you struggle and help the clients understand the purpose behind the treatment. Thank you to Jamie and Ben for establishing such a bona fide successful place of healing- I hope that other mental health and addiction facilities can learn from what you have accomplished .
Ben
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Very effective program with compassionate and talented staff. Grateful to this team for the work they’ve done and continue to do!
Jessica
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My experience at The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center can only be summed up in one word. MIRACLE. I went in bratty, narcissistic, addicted, and full of self-hate. After my 90 days, I am a completely transformed new person. I've found meaning in life for the first time. Sylvia Brafman taught me how to use coping skills and break unhealthy habits emotionally and physically. With a fully rounded curriculum, Sylvia Breman educates you all day long. With both mental health and addiction groups, and personalized one-on-one times with a therapist, you create a program that perfectly fits your needs. Michael runs informative biopsychosocial board groups all day long along with process groups each day. Which is easily explained as a peer group to share how you feel and what you’re going through. Alex, Tyrone, and Vinny come in for specialized, personalized therapy, in both a group setting and one-on-one. Behind the scenes Jessica, Lucia, and Valeska run the day-to-day operations and keep everything going smoothly. Ben and Jamie are magic in their specialties and help create this atmosphere that you want to have. I am forever grateful for what I’ve learned and who I have become thanks to Sylvia Brafman.
Michael
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The program offered at SBMH simply works!
Evelyn
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The staff and management are exceptionally dedicated! Excellent family program and a phenomenal experience. Can’t recommend enough!