Staff – Staff are qualified, professional, caring individuals. The medical staff includes psychiatrists; Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and nursing staff.
Four County has outpatient therapists serving all five counties who conduct individual, group, family, and couple counseling.
Services – Services are provided to assist individuals and families throughout their lifespan. Clinical services including therapy, crisis intervention and medication management serve all populations from the young child to the senior adult.
Outpatient services consist of clinical services for mental health and substance abuse, crisis intervention, consultations, psychological evaluations, divorce mediation, along with educational groups.
Community services serve the the seriously mentally ill adult or the severely emotionally disturbed child. These services are divided into two entities: Community Based Services for Children and Community Support Services for Adults. Case managers are employed by both departments. The case manager’s job is to provide support and guidance to the client and family, to work with them to find services available in the community and be a support to the client so he/she will need a minimum of hospitalization and live in the least restrictive environment.
Prevention – Four County also focuses on prevention programs. Parent Education services provide information to assist parents in all facets of the challenges of raising children. Community education programs, workshops, and health fairs help the public become more knowledgeable and aware of Four County and the services available.
Partners – As with all members of our community, Four County strives to be a partner to other agencies, organizations, professionals, and citizens in helping all people to live a healthy and normal life. Our particular role in this endeavor is to assist in the emotional well being of all people and their families.
History – In years past, many people tended to associate mental health services with persons who suffered from major psychiatric problems. Today this misconception is disappearing as people come to realize that good mental health is every bit as important as good physical health. In fact, the two go hand-in-hand. It is now commonplace for physicians, teachers, employers and even advice columnists to recommend therapy or counseling services for a multitude of life’s every day problems. Almost everyone has occasions when they could benefit from outside assistance with a problem they are facing. Problems range from parenting, marriage, coping with loss, depression, anxiety, or just handling a stressful situation at work. Just about any circumstance which causes distress in an individual’s life may be a reason for making an appointment for mental health services.
Mental Health Reform has been in place since 1990, providing community based services for adult consumers with severe and persistent mental illness and severely emotionally disturbed children in order to maintain them in their home and community. Specialized services to these populations have been developed since that time. These services include case management, attendant care, psychosocial programs, respite care, parent support, home-based family therapy, after-school and summer programs, supported employment and education, clubhouse, and others.
Topeka State Hospital closed in June 1997 with 231 beds being removed, leaving fewer than 400 beds in the state hospital system. As hospital beds have diminished, the state has transferred funds to community mental health centers to assist in paying for services provided in the community. Mental health centers contract with county government and are the local authority for public mental health care. Counties, through their mental health centers, have accepted more responsibility for caring for those with mental illness, as the federal and state governments delegate this responsibility to local government.
Seriously mentally ill persons are treated in the community because it is the natural thing to do and because technology is available to treat such persons successfully. All members of our community (businesses, schools, landlords, employers, etc.) are dealing with persons with serious mental illness as part of their daily lives. Community mental health programs consequently deal more and more with issues of safety and security for clients and communities, in addition to the traditional treatment that has always been provided.