Deschutes offers mental health help for youth, families
On Wednesday, Deschutes County Board of Commissioners passed a proclamation declaring Thursday was National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day in Deschutes County.
The month of May is recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) as Mental Health Awareness Month.
SAMHSA’s national public awareness effort aims to create support for a comprehensive system of care to children’s mental health services. Here is what the County’s progressive behavioral health staff offer in behavioral health services to children, their families, and adults.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: Local programs available from Deschutes County or behavioral health providers to young people with mental health conditions currently include 1. Outpatient counseling and medication referral in Bend, La Pine, and Redmond, 2. School-Based Health Center behavioral health services at five local schools, 3. Suicide prevention training and education, 4. KIDS Center therapeutic services, 5. Mediation services, 6. Chemical dependency services, 7. Parent-child interaction therapy, 8. Deschutes County’s Early Assessment Support Alliance program, 9. The County’s intensive in-home and behavioral health community service program.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT:
Deschutes County Behavioral Health is changing the way we deliver care to better the mental health of young County residents, 1. Placing available and responsive mental health counselors in doctor’s offices to coordinate care for patient convenience, 2. Treating patients with severe mental disorders with a doctor present to coordinate mental and physical care at the same time.
INCREASED CARE OPTIONS: Health clinics located in La Pine, Bend, and Redmond.
SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS (SBHC)
-Five School Based Health Center counselors based in La Pine, Bend, Redmond and Sisters.
-Young Adults in Transition program to launch in July and will have a multi-care team (employment, skills, mental health strengthening, and more) working with young adults to develop life skills for their active future.
If you or someone you know need mental health services, for more information about these or additional Deschutes County behavioral health services, please visit www.deschutes.org/mentalhealth, or call (541) 322-7500.
