JOPLIN, Mo. — You may know we have mental health services in the Joplin area, but each facility serves a different need.
“There really isn’t a wrong answer,” said Del Camp, Chief Clinical Officer.
Ozark Center Chief Clinical Officer Del Camp at Freeman Health System says the different local options for service depend on your mental health care needs.
“You think about Tele-Health first. General outpatient therapy second. You think about Urgent Care Solutions third. And then you think about the Emergency Room as being sort of that fourth, last option for you.”
A bit of self-awareness is key in letting you know when it might be time to look into those options.
“If you’ve come to a place where things that are important to you, you can no longer do, it’s time to reach out for help,” he added.
For example, a school-aged child might complain of stomach aches every day, have trouble focusing on the lesson, or simply not go to school at all. The same goes for adults in the working world.
“If you find yourself missing work, because you just can’t seem to get out of bed, or when you are at work, you feel so anxious about it that you really can’t focus. You’ve begun to get some unusual complaints about your performance.”
He explains a helpful, immediate resource is the 24/7 crisis line at 417-347-7720.
“You don’t even need to know what it is you think you need, because, you can call that number if you find yourself in a crisis situation and it can help you know which direction to go,” Del Camp said.
Another option is Urgent Behavioral Solutions – which has some resources not offered elsewhere, like an on-staff psychiatrist, a case manager, or peer support specialists.
“If you need something in-person or you need meds on board relatively quickly, or some case management services, or somebody to kind of help you find resources in the community, because sometimes that’s all we need, then UBS is the right choice for you.”
There’s also Hope Spring — or New Directions — or a plethora of other facilities — because two people experiencing the same diagnosis, like depression, might present in completely different ways.
“We try to operate that there’s no wrong door. So, if you call Crisis, and you should have gone to Hope Spring, there is no ‘shoulda.’ Right? It’s just about, where did you find yourself, because it’s all very confusing outside of those of us who happen to know it. And so, it’s really important that you just know, show up at one of those places if you need some help, and we’ll take it from there,” he said.
If you know anyone struggling with their mental health and they need someone to talk to, we urge you to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK.