mental health clinic provides overdue solutions

Oct. 4—LENOIR — UNC Caldwell Health Care is aiming to fill the gap between the community's rurality and accessible mental health care by opening a new outpatient mental health clinic in Lenoir.

Located beside Caldwell Memorial Hospital on Mulberry Street, the Jonas Hill Hospital and Clinic has been operating as a 27 bed inpatient psychiatric hospital for a little over a year, but on Sept. 7, opened the doors on its outpatient clinic.

"All of us struggle with life issues at any time," said Christyne Grant, licensed clinical social worker with Jonas Hill.

"It doesn't matter if someone is just struggling for a moment or has been for a while," she said. "Anyone is welcome here. We treat depression, multiple anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and even some psychotic disorders...come in and talk to us."

Grant says reaching out for help is something everyone will eventually need to do and, "it should not be something you're embarrassed to do. There is a stigma against getting mental health treatment and we need to end that."

An added benefit of the clinic could be a decline in individuals arrested during a mental health crisis.

Capt. Aaron Barlowe with the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said, "prior to this we did not have anywhere local to refer to someone having a mental health crisis."

"If someone commits a crime, we will press charges, but having a place in the county will make it easier to get help before it leads to a crime," he said.

Employees at the clinic, who have seen firsthand what the effects of a lacking mental health system can do, are also excited about the clinic.

Alicia Stanislaw, service line director of psychiatry at the clinic, said her background has included working with thousands of adolescents in the school system as a nurse.

"During that time I worked with young people in our community, as well as their families, trying to navigate and access mental health services...almost impossible," she said.

Stanislaw said Laura Easton, chief executive officer, of Caldwell UNC Health Care, aims at paving the way to local and accessible psychiatric care.

"Over the last eight years, our administrative team has been working very hard with the state to ensure that happens," Stanislaw said.

The consensus among all employees is a shared vision of growth and excitement for what the Jonas Hill Clinic can add to the community.

Brittany R Cochran, registered medical assistant and office coordinator said, "I am thoroughly excited to be working here at Jonas Hill. It is wonderful to know that our patients no longer have to travel to other counties to get the care they need.

"With the opening of this clinic we have been able to help close a large gap of care that is greatly needed within our community for both pediatric and adult patients," she continued. "Jonas Hill is a much needed asset and I look forward to watching the clinic grow.'

Reporter Candice Simmons can be reached at (828)610-8721

Reporter Candice Simmons can be reached at (828)610-8721

___

(c)2021 the News-Topic (Lenoir, N.C.)

Visit the News-Topic (Lenoir, N.C.) at http://www.newstopic.net/

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.