Staff reaches across county to address mental health needs
From jails to schools to community awareness events, Washington County’s AltaPointe staff stays more than busy focusing on mental health in rural areas.
AltaPointe, one of the biggest behavioral centers in Alabama, operates an outpatient mental health center out of Chatom that serves the entirety of the county.
Staff members, front desk manager Tiffanie Chancellor, outpatient nurse Janice Long, and coordinator Ashley Blount, said working in rural areas can be challenging and rewarding.
Less populated areas make it easier for people to become isolated in times of mental distress, causing people to “feel like they have nowhere to go,” Blount said. During these times, it is important to reach out to others. Blount said, “We are not meant to live life alone. We are meant to live in community.”
That community is enriched by the year-round child and adult counseling services as well as medical management offered by AltaPointe, she said. They provide care at the facility and in the community with services being offered in Washington County Schools and the Washington County Jail.
School-based therapy began in 2014 with seven schools served. All schools in the county are serviced except the career center. Two therapists work one-on-one with students in all seven schools.
This program is tailored to families who have difficulty with schedule conflicts or issues with transportation to and from a mental health center. The services are designed to help students with behavioral and/or emotional issues that affect their ability to achieve academic success and personal growth.
Along with school-based therapy, Blount visits the Washington County jail to conduct screenings for inmates who may be suffering from mental illness. Both mental health screenings and substance abuse screenings are offered at the jail.
After the screening is concluded, the best plan of action is constructed, and inmates are connected with services to help. If needed, inmates are given the option to do telehealth, from the jail or at the facility. Telehealth is used to connect doctors to patients on selected days throughout the week.
AltaPointe works alongside community partners in the probate office and courthouse to provide care and raise awareness. Probate Officer Nick Williams said it would be “virtually impossible to handle mental health issues without the help of Ashley Blount and her staff at the local office.”
Another mission is building community awareness. Throughout May, mental health awareness month, staff hands out goodie bags containing water bottles, stress balls, and informational packets.
This year’s annual event was “Go Green”. Businesses and schools in the county were encouraged to dress and decorate the town in green, the color that symbolizes mental health awareness.
Along with “Go Green” Day, Washington County’s AltaPointe and the Stepping Up Initiative community partners hosted a drive-up mental-health education event in front of the Chatom Post Office.
Janice Long, AltaPointe’s Washington County Outpatient Nurse, said she enjoyed “getting to interact with different people in our community”. She added, “Some don’t even know about the mental health services that are available right here in our county.”
Mental health tends to be overlooked, specifically in rural areas, Long said, noting that Go Green events get information to those who might not otherwise know about these resources.
They are currently looking for solutions to allow patients to obtain transportation to and from the AltaPointe facility as this lack of transportation serves as a barrier to getting mental health assistance.
All the plans for the coming year, Blount said, are designed to help more people be “the best version of themselves.”
She added, “People are the experts of their own lives. It's about partnering in the journey of self-discovery.”
Tags: Chatom
