How you can support veterans in Missouri

(KSNF/KODE)— There are roughly 19 million veterans in the United States according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. There are 1,113,787 just within the Four States. That means, a little over 5% of the total U.S. population of veterans is found within Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas.

Do veterans need support?

Understanding the types of challenges veterans can experience is a start to supporting those who served our country. Veterans face all kinds of obstacles after they return from serving. According to the National Academy of Sciences, many veterans suffer from more than one health condition such as service-related physical disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, or mental health conditions. PTSD, sexual trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, substance abuse disorders, suicide, and suicidal thoughts are all very common among veterans. These challenges can often be isolating and receiving support or care isn’t always easily accessible.

Out of the Four States, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported the suicide rate in Missouri was significantly higher than the national veteran suicide rate and higher than the national general population suicide rate. Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas were reported as not significantly higher or different from the national veteran or general population suicide rate.

Health-related issues aren’t the only challenges veterans experience. Many face social and economic challenges when trying to readjust to civilian life. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development press release veterans represented 8% of sheltered adults experiencing homelessness in 2021. That number does not account for the probability of even more veterans currently experiencing homelessness outside of accounted shelters. Not to mention the challenges of employment. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported veteran unemployment rate was at 4.4% of all veterans in the U.S.

Veterans need a full spectrum of services that targets healthcare and transition care into civilian life. Veterans face very specific and unique challenges due to the circumstances they faced during their time serving. However, there are many barriers that can hinder veterans from seeking assistance— stigma being one of them. The American Addiction Center says the military culture values “teamwork, toughness, and self-reliance.” Some veterans may feel ashamed of needing help and embarrassed or fear that they will be seen as weak or blamed for their problems. To combat these stigmas, the U.S Department of Defense has initiated programs to reduce those misconceptions, notably around mental health. You can read additional information about that here.

Do veterans have access to healthcare?

While the Department of Veteran Affairs offers specific healthcare for veterans, some may not know if they are eligible, or know how to apply. VH facilities may not be easily accessible for all veterans— especially for those who are no longer able to drive or rely on others to transport them. Most VHA healthcare facilities in Missouri, are located in central Missouri, as seen here. In fact, this is a common trend in Oklahoma and Arkansas as well. Kansas only has one VA clinic to service the entire state. Traveling 3+ hours for a visit isn’t ideal, especially if a veteran has to take off work to do so, and nearly impossible if the veteran is facing homelessness. Some benefits are no-cost but have a limit on how many years post-service a veteran can receive that no-cost care.

Traveling, cost, work, and other limitations can open the door for many more issues and reasons why veterans don’t seek the care they need. There are other options for healthcare such as Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance but there can be eligibility obstacles to these avenues as well.

You can start to seek healthcare for a veteran in need by following this link HERE or getting in contact with your state-specific Veteran’s Commission for more information on resources available in a specific area. To locate a Veteran’s Service Office/Officer near you just click your highlighted state out of the following: Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas.

How can I support a veteran who is experiencing a mental health crisis?

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or having thoughts of death or suicide it’s important to talk to someone right away. Day or night the Veterans Crisis Line offers free support, is confidential, and available 24/7. Dial 988 and Press 1. To chat online follow this link HERE or text 838255.

According to the CDC, the average rate of death by suicide among veterans is 17 a day. In this joint study report seen here, released in 2022 by America’s Warrior Partnership, Duke University, and The University of Alabama, there were thousands of cases of suspected and confirmed veteran suicides that were not included in the federal calculations. If this trend had continued across all states and was included in the federal calculation, it would put the national average at 44 veterans a day instead of 17.

There are a number of ways you can support someone who may be struggling. You can keep them safe by learning suicide prevention and recognizing the signs here. Learning and securing lethal means such as guns and medications are just as important. You can find more details on what that looks like and how you can implement those practices here.

What else can I do?

Public education and open conversations about the challenges veterans face will help destigmatize the act of seeking help. Reach out to those within your community, and don’t shy from difficult or uncomfortable conversations. These opportunities could help you and others understand the difficulties of civilian life for veterans or open the door for sharing resources they may not know about.

Donating to reputable nonprofit organizations (like this veteran-led-and-operated one here), especially local organizations that help veterans in your area, and spreading awareness of the services they offer is helpful, too.

With a national decline in mental health, it’s more important than ever that veterans know they are supported and cared for by their communities.

Suicide Crisis: Psychiatric Liaison

JOPLIN, Mo. — Imagine someone landing in the ER following a mental health crisis. At Freeman Health System, one of the most important people those patients meet during that time is a psychiatrist to help with the next steps.

“Every day I see suicidal patients,” said Dr. Jeffrey Bradley, Psychiatry Medical Director.

Dr. Jeffrey Bradley is Freeman Health System and Ozark Center’s Medical Director of Psychiatry. He often asks patients about those dark thoughts.

“It comes like that and it often goes pretty quickly, too. But in that moment, it feels as if there’s no options,” he said.

He sees a variety of patients when they’re often at a very low point.

“Patients who are not cognitively functioning well enough to take care of themselves. Patients who are manic or psychotic or aggressive. Those all get referred.”

When they come into the Emergency Room, he assesses what patients need to become safe for themselves and others.

“Do they need to go to the psych hospital? Do they need to go upstairs here because there’s physical health issues? Can they be discharged to various levels of care?”

Part of the philosophy at Freeman Health System — and for Dr. Bradley — is treating the whole person, not just the reason they came to the ER.

“I find very few, if any, patients who experience what we would call ‘mental distress’ who weren’t experiencing physical symptoms,” he said.

Dr. Bradley says his goal is to treat everyone like they’re a family member.

“People, when they feel cared about, all the crisis stuff, that tends to settle down, especially in a couple days,” he added.

He hopes the culture changes around how psychiatric patients are viewed, urging understanding and compassion.

“Being available in a non-judgemental way to provide real, concrete help and active listening, you know, it’s really powerful.”

Because he believes it takes a community effort.

“To educate as many people as possible about how to take care of each other,” he said.

If you know anyone struggling with their mental health and they need someone to talk to, we want to remind you about the 9-8-8 Lifeline. You can call or text and be directly connected with a crisis counselor.

Suicide Crisis: Veterans

JOPLIN, Mo. — You may have heard the term “22 a day,” referring to 22 U.S. Veterans taking their lives every single day. Many organizations are now aimed at curving that number, to help anyone who has served our country and may be struggling.

A local resource, fairly new to our area, is featured in our next installment of The Suicide Crisis: Prevention, Information, and Awareness.

“You’re taught to be tough. You’re taught to not have to think of weakness,” said Roger Koch, Ozark Center Military Liaison.

Roger Koch knows a little about the tough things our veterans face… He served our country for 20 years.

“Most veterans, including myself, would not come straight to an organization if I knew it had to do with mental health. It’s just that stigma, that we as veterans have.”

He now heads the VIP program, or “Veteran Integration Program,” at Freeman Health System’s Ozark Center, which began in the early months of 2019.

“With Freeman, you know, we can work with different issues. You know, the physical health. And then the Ozark Center can work with mental health. Beyond that, we work with the VA, we work with outdoor groups within the community. We work with the community. Just different things. Anything a veteran might need,” he added.

The goal is to teach veterans how to integrate with other veterans and then into the community

“If we once find out, or should I say they find out, or determine they need mental health assistance, then we’re there for them. But if we don’t, then we’ve at least made contact with the veteran,” said Koch.

And, if that veteran makes the decision to get mental health support, Koch boasts about the unique virtual reality program Ozark Center has called “Brave Minds.”

“We at Ozark Center, are one of the few within the nation that actually have this system.”

Users can virtually enter familiar situations or locations to help them cope with their experiences.

“Different things that make that come back and we make it where you deal with the trauma a different way.”

4-500 veterans were in the VIP program before the pandemic, but numbers are starting to build back up and Ozark Center is there to help.

“I encourage, I challenge veterans to remove the stigma, understand that it is not a weakness. This is stuff, we are ordinary people who experience traumatic experiences.”

If you know anyone struggling with their mental health and they need someone to talk to, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now a simple three numbers… 9-8-8. You can call or text and be directly connected with a crisis counselor.

You can find more resources under our Suicide Crisis tab.

Suicide Crisis: Kids' Risk for Suicide

JOPLIN, Mo. — The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory last December to address “the urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis.” It was specifically related to the COIVD-19 pandemic’s effects on kids, citing that the issue was alarming even before the pandemic began.

A local program has been helping for the past several years.

“This program was a huge deal for me,” said Emily Allen, Former Resident.

As Emily walks through an apartment in Ozark Center’s Pre-Adult Transitional Housing, or “PATH” program, she remembers the time she spent there in 2010 when she was 20 years old.

“I didn’t have a super stable home life and I wanted to kind of be able to keep a job and be able to make my appointments,” she said.

She was battling depression and was left with the task of taking care of family members at home, until a caseworker told her about the apartments.

“Learn kind of how to just take care of myself, have the opportunity to only take care of myself, and, if it wasn’t for this program, I wouldn’t have gotten my first job at a bank,” Emily said.

“We have 16 apartments here for children ages 17 up to 25, and they can live here, they can get case management services, therapy, medication management, and they can have their mental health treatment all within Will’s Place,” said April Gordon, Will’s Place Assistant Director.

Gordon says residents in the program also learn independent living skills.

“We do group therapy here on the site. We teach them budgeting skills, job interviewing skills, help them with searching for jobs. They learn social skills. And then they can also still go to school while they’re here. They can go to college, and so they help them with researching what career opportunities they would want to do in the future,” Gordon added.

The residents usually build a sense of community and, in a way, help each other succeed.

“I might have had a little bit more of life skills, cleaning, laundry skills, and so I maybe helped someone else. And, then, other people had skills that I didn’t,” Emily said.

“We have people that have gone onto have fairly successful jobs, reduce substance use to staying clean and sober, going through school, graduating,” added Gordon.

For example, Emily is now thriving, married, has a stable job snd she wants to work with her banking peers, as well as use her experience, to give back to the program that did so much for her.

“Budgeting, balancing, any question and answers that these young adults may have that have never had a bank account before, we want to be there to provide for that assistance,” said Emily.

If you know anyone struggling with their mental health and they need someone to talk to, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now a simple three numbers, 9-8-8.

You can call or text and be directly connected with a crisis counselor.

Suicide Crisis: Recognizing warning signs

JOPLIN, Mo. — Your child’s pediatrician could be a valuable resource for their well-being, for more than just physical health.

The role those doctors play in mental health is the next portion of The Suicide Crisis: Prevention, Information, and Awareness.

“Well, obviously, it’s life and death important, right?” Said Dr. Paul Petry, Pediatrician.

Dr. Petry at Freeman Health System is talking about the importance of recognizing the warning signs of suicide in our children.

“When they hear these clues, where do we go? And that’s when I’m going to say call our office. Talk to your pediatrician,” said Dr. Petry.

Dr. Petry reminds us pediatricians are one of the front lines in your child’s health, which includes mental health.

“Most of the time, when you take the time to talk to teenagers, they’ll tell you what’s going on,” said Dr. Petry.

Doctors use a form called the PHQ9. It’s a pediatric health questionnaire with nine questions.

“Are you sleeping? Do you have a hard time getting to sleep? Do you feel bad about yourself? Do you have a hard time concentrating?” Said Dr. Petry.

And, when those answers become alarming, that’s when someone like Licensed Clinical Social Worker Sarah Willoughby might step in.

“If I can come to the clinic, talk to the patient and the family, I’m happy to do that. I work at three different pediatric clinics,” said Willoughby.

Dr. Petry or any of the other providers can refer to Willoughby for a variety of reasons including PTSD or a general lack of resources.

“I am a behavioral health coach at Freeman Pediatrics, and part of that is supporting children, teenagers, families, in whatever way I can,” said Willoughby.

Whether it’s depression, family problems, or getting bullied at school, Willoughby can help with the resources that a child might need.

“What I have seen is that they need more support. It seems to me that teenagers really need someone to sit down and take the time to listen,” said Willoughby.

The first step, according to Dr. Petry, to understanding your child’s mental well-being is to simply eat a meal with your kids.

“Take time to catch up with your kids and eat dinner. Eat a meal together with your kids and ask them, talk to your children. That’s the most important thing to do,” said Dr. Petry.

If you know anyone struggling with their mental health and they need someone to talk to, we urge you to call the suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-talk.

Later this week, that lifeline across the nation will simply be 9-8-8 on your phone.

We also have more resources for you under the Suicide Crisis tab.

Suicide Crisis: Ozark Center Pharmacy

JOPLIN, Mo. — Refilling your prescription can sometimes be difficult to remember. And, if that medication is used to help mental and behavioral health issues, getting them refilled on-time is crucial. The on-site pharmacy at Freeman Health’s Ozark Center is helping its patients. That’s the next installment of The Suicide Crisis: Prevention, Information, and Awareness.

“We view our pharmacy as an extension of our team,” said Jacob Hefner, Ozark Center Director of Adult Outpatient Services.

Which is why an on-site pharmacy at Freeman Health’s Hope Spring is so important to the Ozark Center Team, to make sure clients who need medication to manage their mental health have appropriate access and support.

“If we notice a client is having a difficult day, it might be that the pharmacy tech recognizes that, and because they know the client, and they know that it’s one of our physician’s clients, they’re able to reach out to the doctor and troubleshoot that,” said Hefner.

It’s a psychiatric specialty pharmacy, and it’s been serving patients on-the-spot for roughly 25 years.

“They’re able to walk right down the hall, and that prescription is received from the pharmacy and they’re able to fill that medication. And they’re able to walk out of the building having completed both stops at the same time,” added Hefner.

The pharmacy recently added a presciption monitoring specialist, who follows up with more than 400 patients, making sure their prescriptions get filled on time.

“If they’re not, then I reach out to the patient, and troubleshoot, and ask why has it been a couple weeks,” said Erica Nielson, Prescription Monitoring Specialist.

Several steps are in place to make sure medication is taken properly. It can even help prevent overdoses.

“We have bubble packs, which help with compliance and knowing that you took your medicine that day, or when you get down to maybe seven tablets left, you are able to call in that medication to get a refill,” said Nielson.

And it’s working — staff are noticing better refill rates, where patients are following through with getting their proper medication.

“Really what that tells us, sometimes when you leave your doctor’s office there’s a challenge between leaving the doctor’s office and getting that medication filled or finding time to accomplish that,” said Hefner.

That’s just one of the hurdles the on-site pharmacy helps solve… But there are other hurdles too.

“Cost, availability. A lot of times insurances don’t want to cover something that maybe they want you to try some cheaper medicine,” said Nielson.

Ozark Center’s Pharmacy offers patient assistance programs to help with the cost and it’s able to have certain medication readily available, where it may have to be ordered at other pharmacies.

“Having a specialty pharmacy allows us to offer specific treatment modalities, like Sprevato, where we would need the pharmacy to be on site to be able to administer,” added Hefner.

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.

We also have more resources for you on four states home page dot com — just search for our suicide crisis tab.

Suicide Crisis: Increase in suicidal SWMO teens survey shows

MISSOURI — Some eye opening statistics about what southwest Missouri teens are thinking, feeling, and doing… Even how thoughts of suicide affect their lives.

That is Suicide Crisis: Prevention, Information, and Awareness.

“It is a little scary that our numbers were slightly elevated in some areas than other parts of the state,” said Debbie Fitzgerald, Freeman Director of Crisis Services.

The State of Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Eduation, known as “DESE”, administers a student survey for public school students in 6th through 12th grade every even year. Students answer anonymously, but the stats provide insight on how they’re feeling emotionally.

“It asks questions about safety and risk. For example, it will ask about alcohol use, skipping school, feeling sad, contemplating suicide.”

In 2020 – the last survey on record – a little more than 2,300 students in Missouri participated in the survey.

“What are our youth doing that we as educators and mental health providers, or parents may not be aware of? Because when students answer this anonymously, they’re more likely to be honest,” said Fitzgerald.

Our local data from students in Barton, Jasper, and Newton counties who took the survey show a higher percentage of local students than the state average feeling “very sad,” “hopeless about the future,” and using unprescribed prescription medications.

“You’re feeling very sad, very down, you’re feeling very hopeless about your future, you don’t see light at the end of the tunnel. Then it can turn to the other things, and so, it’s very worrisome.”

For example, 13.2% of students who answered in our three local counties seriously considered suicide… That’s 2% higher than the state average,

11.4% answered that they planned suicide…3% higher than the state average.

And, 6.6% attempted suicide locally, compared to the state average of 4.9%.

“Those are all dangerous behaviors,” added Fitzgerald.

The purpose of the DESE survey is to help address the issues so that mental health professionals and schools can come up with solutions and preventative measures for the young members of our community.

“You can plan school curriculum. You can offer education to the schools to go in. We partner with school districts.”

Local mental health professionals are hopeful the steps they’ve taken recently will show a change in the statistics when the survey is given this year.

“I think we’ve made good strides with different initiatives and prevention plans we have. I think we’ve made good strides working with school districts and offering trainings and education.”

Even with the added stressor of a global pandemic.

“Although 2020 was worrisome, I’m hopeful that 2022 comes out that our teens and youth are struggling less,” she 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.

We also have more resources for you under our Suicide Crisis tab.

Joplin eating disorder clinic working to end the "second deadliest mental illness"

JOPLIN, Mo. (KSNF) – The eating disorder clinic in Joplin through Freeman Health’s Ozark Center has seen some positive results since its opening in 2015.

People in other states are interested in the program and how it serves our mostly rural community, and, since there is sometimes a direct tie between eating disorders and suicidal thoughts, the clinic has become another tool to help anyone struggling to take care of their mental health.

“They’re the second deadliest mental illness. Second only to opiate use disorders, so we take it really seriously,” says Dr. Jenny Copeland, Ozark Center Licensed Psychologist.

For the past seven years, a specialized approach to treating eating disorders has developed in Joplin to serve the area.

“There aren’t other eating disorders services that were really available for clients in our communities. They’ve had to travel hours away from us in order to get the life-saving care that they need,” says Dr. Copeland.

She is a licensed psychologist on the Reconnect Eating Disorders Team. She says the need for treating the illness in our community is bigger than they could have ever imagined.

“Most people with an eating disorder are not visibly underweight. And they’re not mostly teenagers. There’s a wide variety of folks and a whole variety of body sizes and body types that struggle with these potentially life-threatening illnesses,” says Dr. Copeland.

Life-threatening because studies show a higher rate of suicide for people with eating disorders.

Dr. Copeland explains, “For people who have never talked to someone with an eating disorder have never worked with it. It just doesn’t make sense to other people, and that’s really isolating and lonely. And sometimes people don’t even believe you, especially if you don’t look like a stereotype, they may not believe that you have an eating disorder.”

Ozark center’s program is thought to be the first of its kind in our area, and even some people from other states, hundreds of miles away want to learn more about the programs offered.

“We’re the first of our kind to really be able to provide such strong evidence-based treatment for eating disorders in a setting for people who have Medicaid, or Medicare, or even no insurance at all,” says Dr. Copeland.

She says it’s not just therapy or talking about your eating disorder the whole time.

“You’re working with a dietician who helps you find compassion and consistency in how you eat. We have reconnect coaches that help them with practicing skills, doing homework, going to the grocery store, adding an additional layer of support,” says Dr. Copeland.

That connection with an entire team of professionals, as well other clients seeking the same treatment, is part of the secret to the clinic’s success: community.

Dr. Copeland says, “Bringing into community with other people who are struggling, who are really going to understand, and they develop these really neat relationships with each other and support each other, even as we do as their providers, through difficult times and standing by each other’s side. It can be really powerful.”

The Stephens Unit: A closer look inside a Joplin behavior health unit

JOPLIN, Mo. (KSNF) – A multi-day stay in the mental health unit of the hospital doesn’t have to be embarrassing or intimidating.

“People are walking around, nobody’s in straight jackets,” says Steven Dillard, Freeman Health System Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

A visit to the Stephens Behavioral Unit at Freeman Health System has a certain “stigma” attached to it.

“The biggest thing I run into is individuals that are fearful of how they’ll be perceived from being hospitalized or I think even in how they may judge themselves differently as feeling weak or vulnerable,” says Dillard.

Instead, the Stephens Unit is known as an “acute psychiatric hospital.”

“It offers that higher level of care. It is a hospital setting so there’s going to be nursing staff on hand as well as psychiatrists,” says Dillard.

While that explanation sounds so official and maybe even intimidating, staff point out it’s simply a place to plant the seed for mental health care when it’s needed the most.

“Individuals that are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or perhaps even self harming behaviors. Really that as a place to keep people safe, healthy, and alive when it comes to it,” says Dillard.

Some people go voluntarily to get the help they know they need. Others are referred by other medical professionals, because it sometimes can sound daunting to be admitted to an inpatient behavioral or mental health care unit.

“Yeah, and that’s often a big question of, ‘What’s going to happen to me if I go?'” says Dillard.

The first step is to get medically cleared to address any physical health concerns.

“Once they get cleared medically, they’ll be transported to the Stephens Unit. The first steps from there will be to meet with psychiatry staff. That will be to start the treatment plan process,” says Dillard.

After that, begins a holistic approach to treating the patient with a team of nursing staff, social workers, and a psychology team for individual therapy services.

“Addressing any of the acute factors, discussing safety plans, coping skills while they’re in the hospital and then from there, resourcing. How to connect them with outpatient providers and options that way,” says Dillard.

The length of stay varies, but a patient is usually released after 3 to 5 days. The Stephens Unit is a way to get the ball rolling to help someone get to a healthy state of mind.

“If they have outpatient providers already, they’ll reach out to set up follow-up appointments or confirm any appointments. And if they don’t have providers they’ll reach out to area resources. They’ll have options when they discharge,” says Dillard.

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.

Behavioral health ER visits drop 11% at one Joplin hospital, crediting new mental health urgent care

JOPLIN, Mo. (KSNF) – The availability for mental healthcare services in and around Joplin changed on October 1st, 2020.

A new “urgent care” for mental health called Urgent Behavioral Solutions opened in Joplin under Freeman Health System’s Ozark Center.

“It is for anybody who is having any sort of mental wellness struggle,” says Amy McFadden, UBS patient.
Amy McFadden sought care at Joplin’s new Urgent Behavioral Solutions facility after a doctor’s office referral.

“The first time I ever went to Urgent Behavioral services was because I was out of medication, and my doctor was out of town, so it was kind of ‘What do I do?’ situations,” says McFadden.

Because of that first experience, McFadden remembered the UBS services when she was going through another tougher season of life earlier this year.

“Another occasion I went because I had really bad anxiety and they offer counseling on the spot,” says McFadden.

She walked in right off the street.

She’s one of roughly 2,000 people in our very own community who have either been referred by a doctor, first responder, or simply walked in.

“No appointment needed. We’re open for walk-in 11am to 9 pm, Monday through Friday and 1pm to 9pm Saturdays and Sundays,” says Stephen McCullough, Crisis Services Assistant Director.

With licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, case managers, nurses, and nurse practitioners on-site, it’s helping reduce the need for behavioral health emergency room visits, as well.

“We’ve seen in Freeman that there has been an 11% decrease during the hours of operation of UBS for just their emergency room,” says McCullough.

McFadden explains, “Somebody had described it once as a place to bridge the gap between, if you’re having some mental wellness issues, instead of going to the ER, you can come here instead, and you don’t have to go through the stress of the ER.”

You may be provided with something to eat to help ease your nerves. Triage rooms look like medical rooms, but you can sit in a more comfortable chair to help stay calm.

“They’re very thorough. They’re making sure that you get the care that you need when you go there. So if you need the counseling, if you need the medicine, then they don’t let you leave without feeling like you’re better,” says McFadden.

That link between providing mental health care with medical care is something the staff members are proud of, because sometimes the two can be related.

McCullough says, “Medical causes that could cause the same symptoms as somebody presenting for anxiety or depression. That way we can make sure that we’re treating them as the whole person and not just their mental health or just medical. And they can come to one place and receive all of their care that they need up front.”

“I had a little bit of nudging from my husband, but I just realized I can’t go on with my day, I can’t go on with my week if I don’t do something. And, going there put me in the right direction,” says McFadden.

URGENT BEHAVIORAL SOLUTIONS

3230 Wisconsin Avenue, Unit A

Joplin, MO

Mon – Fri: 11am to 9 pm

Sat/Sun: 1pm to 9pm

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.