By Howard Walker, Guest Column

Editor&8217;s note: This is the third in the four-part series.

Since May is Mental Health Month, it seems like an appropriate time to describe the services that Freeborn County provides to people with mental health needs. These are the kinds of services that most of us never think about, unless mental illness impacts us, our family, or our friends.

However, a recent survey of people enrolled in private and public health plans indicated that in 2006 between 11 percent and 20 percent of health plan enrollees had a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. We also know that many people with mental health problems are undiagnosed for a variety of reasons including denial, lack of knowledge about possible symptoms, and concern about the stigma that unfortunately may be associated with the diagnosis of a mental illness.

The Freeborn County Department of Human Services provides a number of services and programs for people with mental illness. At the core of these services is the Freeborn County Mental Health Center. We are one of only a few counties in Minnesota that has an outpatient mental health clinic as part of its Human Services Department. The Mental Health Center serves people of all ages and economic levels. For people without medical insurance, it offers a sliding-fee schedule based on income and family size.

The Mental Health Center employs three licensed independent clinical social workers, who provide individual and group therapy.

It also contracts with a licensed psychologist, who does various types of psychological assessments.

Three contract psychiatrists provide medication management to adult clients.

The psychiatrists are supported by two psychiatric nurses, who work with clients to assist them with their medications and monitor their mental and physical health.

Children&8217;s services are provided by a retired pediatrician, who sees children one day per week to assess and treat behavioral and mental health problems with medication as appropriate.

In addition to direct clinical services, the Department of Human Services has three social workers who provide case management to people with serious and persistent mental illness. These case managers work with consumers with mental illness to help them in getting the services that they need to maintain their residence in the community. The case managers are assisted in this work by two case aides who do various support activities, such as taking consumers to medical appointments and helping them with shopping and other tasks.

Freeborn County also participates in the South Central Community Based Initiative.

SCCBI is one of several adult mental health initiatives that were organized by the Minnesota Department of Human Services to provide community supports to consumers with serious and persistent mental illnesses.

As the state hospitals (such as one in St. Peter) were downsized and eventually closed, some of the money that was freed up by this process was channeled to these adult initiatives to fund community programs. SCCBI receives an annual grant that is used to fund programs in individual counties and multi-county collaborative programs.

In our county, SCCBI provides funding for 4.5 staff positions and supports two days per week of psychiatric services. Funds from SCCBI also support the Next Step Clubhouse, which provides social and recreational activities and support groups for consumers.

In 2007 we obtained a grant from SCCBI to fund a collaborative effort with the Albert Lea Housing Authority and Cedar House to provide support services to mental health consumers that live in the Shady Oaks apartment building. We also recently received funds to set up a transitional apartment at Shady Oaks for mental health consumers who are homeless.

The Children&8217;s Mental Health unit at Human Services provides supportive services to children affected by mental health problems and their families. This unit has three social workers who provide case management to children with serious emotional and behavioral problems. There are four family counselors who provide in-home family-based counseling to families with children who have serious mental health problems.

This unit also has a cooperative program with the Albert Lea schools to provide day treatment services to students with emotional and behavioral disorders who are served by the special education programs at Southwest Middle School and Albert Lea High School.

In addition to services provided by Freeborn County, there are several private sector mental health providers in Albert Lea.

Albert Lea Medical Center has a behavioral health clinic that employs a psychiatrist and two licensed psychologists.

There are six licensed psychologists and licensed clinical social workers who have individual private practices here.

Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities also provide counseling services. Community support services are provided by Cedar House, Community Technologies and Services, and Independent Management Services.

Cedar Valley Services provides supported employment opportunities for people with disabilities, including mental illness.

Howard Walker is the Freeborn County Mental Health Program supervisor. If you have questions about the mental health services provided in our county, feel free to call Howard Walker at 377-5440.