Area groups offer mental health care

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the seventh in a series of articles about mental health, managing disorders, treatment and local resources available for anyone with mental illness.

Counseling agencies and health care providers are reaching out this month to showcase their services and raise awareness for mental health.

May is observed as Mental Health Awareness Month. A number of local organizations will be on hand today at National Park College for the “Just a Minute: 60-Second Video PSA Showcase” from 1-4 p.m. in the Frederick M. Dierks Center for Nursing and Health Sciences.

The event is free and open to the public. Suicide Prevention Allies and CHI St. Vincent Hot

Springs partnered with the college to highlight public service announcement videos from the community about bullying, suicide prevention and peer building and to provide a venue for organizations to discuss resources and tools available for those struggling with mental health issues. The event is also sponsored by The Bridgeway and Therapeutic Family Services.

Other organizations attending include 61 Degrees, AR Youth Pride, Difference Makers of Hot Springs, Garland County District Court, Heartbridge Foundation, Hot Springs Community School, Levi Hospital, Miss Victorious Pageant, Ouachita Behavioral Health and Wellness, Ouachita Children’s Center and the United Way of the Ouachitas.

The keynote speaker is Josh Rivedal, who travels the country to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention by discussing his own experiences with suicide and mental illness. The presentation is sponsored by the Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit public charity dedicated to raising awareness with the goals of preventing suicide and saving lives.

Speakers will include Garland County District Court Judge Meredith Switzer Rebsamen; Wilda Hughley, Miss Victorious Pageant; Susan Millerd, NPC behavioral intervention specialist; Lenora Erickson, Therapeutic Family Services; and Susie Reece, executive director of SPA.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator is available online at https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ as a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories for substance abuse and addiction, or mental health problems.

Anyone in an emergency situation should call 911 first. Local residents can also visit the emergency departments at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs,

300 Werner St., 501-622-1000, or National Park Medical Center, 1910 Malvern Ave., 501-3211000.

OBHAW

Ouachita Behavioral Health and Wellness was founded in 1967 and now has an annual budget of $13 million to serve Garland, Hot Spring, Clark, Pike and Montgomery counties. The organization is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

About two-thirds of OBHAW’s staff consists of mental health providers, which can be licensed professionals or behavioral interventionists. OBHAW serves about 5,000 individuals every year.

“I think there is a recognition that we have a unique role in the health and well-being of the community,” said OBHAW CEO Robert Gershon. “We serve more than our consumers and their families. I think we have a broader responsibility to partner with other members of the community and improve overall health and well-being.

“Our historical mission has been mental illness and behavioral health issues, which I think is expanding over time, but I think fundamentally that is what our role is.”

OBHAW’s main office in Hot Springs is located at 125 Dons Way and can be reached at 501- 624-7111. The office is open for walk-ins from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Information is also available on its website at http:// www.obhaw.org, as well as pages on Facebook and LinkedIn. Outpatient counseling is available for children and adults and a wellness day program is offered for adults.

The C.L.I.M.B. Child and Adolescent Center at the Dons Way location serves families with children from preschool age through the 12th grade. C.L.I.M.B. stands for Children Learning and Implementing Mindful Behaviors.

The day program is designed to accommodate children who are at-risk for developing behavioral or emotional challenges and therapy is incorporated with the curriculum to provide children with an environment for recovery. The organization has had several locations in its history, but is currently housed in the four area offices.

Walk-in clinics are available in all three outpatient locations in Hot Springs, Malvern and Arkadelphia. Patients at all offices can make therapy appointments during office hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

The Malvern office is located at 1615 Martin Luther King Blvd. and can be reached at 501-332-5236. Walk-in times are Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursday from

8:30-11 a.m.

The Arkadelphia office is located at 201 N. 26th St. and is available at 870-246-4123. Walk-in times are Tuesday from 8:30-11 a.m. and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

OBHAW offers 24-hour mental health crisis services through its Hot Springs office number and toll-free at 800264-2410. Callers are put in contact with a mental health professional to help them through a crisis, assess their needs and determine what steps to take next.

Outpatient services

• Levi Hospital offers inpatient and outpatient services for adults at 300 Prospect Ave. The hospital can be reached at

501-624-1281 during and after standard office hours.

• Dayspring Behavior Health offers outpatient services and adult day treatment at 106 Ridgeway St., Suite H. The 24-hour phone line is available at 501-609-0400.

• The office of Living Hope Hot Springs is located at 216 McAuley Court and can be reached at 501-623-9220.

• The Bridgeway offers inpatient and outpatient services and treatment for dual diagnosis of mental health and substance abuse. The office is located at 21 Bridgeway Road in North Little Rock. A 24-hour phone line is available at 501771-1500.

Children-only

• The Pointe Outpatient Behavioral Health Services,

1249 Lakeside Road, provides a continuum of services, including outpatient, school-based and day treatment, as well as inpatient services through Pinnacle Pointe Hospital in Little Rock. Call 501-262-2766 during the day and 800-880-3322 after office hours.

• Methodist Health in Maumelle provides inpatient, outpatient, school-based services and same-day assessment appointments at 1601 Murphy Drive. The 24-hour Methodist phone line is available at 501803-3388.

Medicaid-only

• Outpatient services and medication management is offered by Therapeutic Family Services at 600 Main St., Suite V. The organization’s 24-hour phone line is available at 501321-8200.

• Arkansas Counseling and Psychodiagnostics in Arkadelphia offers outpatient services at 2607 Caddo St., Suite 6. Call

870-230-8217 during business hours.

National hotlines

• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers free and confidential support for people in distress, best practices for professionals and resources for prevention 24 hours every day at 800-273-8255. An alternate line at 800-799-4889 is available for anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing. A chat option is available online at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.

• SAMHSA’s National Helpline, also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service, is available 24 hours every day at 800-662-4357 for referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups and community-based organizations. All calls are confidential and service is available in both English and Spanish.

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine handles requests for information on mental health conditions, treatment options, local programs, recovery strategies, resource referral and support at

800-950-6264 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. The HelpLine is also available through email at info@nami.org.

• Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours every day with the Crisis Text Line. Text HOME to 741741 for any type of crisis.