Mental health services readily available locally

Feb. 04--CUMBERLAND -- Things might not be quite as bad locally for those seeking a psychiatrist as they are in the rest of the state, said Kathy Rogers of the Western Maryland Health System.

"We currently have two full-time psychiatrists and one part-time psychiatrist, along with two full-time psychiatric nurse practitioners. All of them see patients on an outpatient basis. The two full-time psychiatrists and one of the psychiatric nurse practitioners also cover our inpatient behavioral health unit, which can accommodate a maximum of 17 patients," Rogers said.

Appointments remain available, she said.

"We are accepting new patients at this time and appointments for our outpatient services normally can be scheduled within two to four weeks. However, if a person has an urgent need to see a psychiatric provider, we can make arrangements for them to be seen sooner," Rogers said.

Access to psychiatrists and other services are also available through the Allegany County Health Department.

"Currently, there are five licensed outpatient mental health centers in Allegany County, including the Behavioral Health Unit of the Allegany County Health Department, which provide a combination of psychiatric and other treatment services to individuals eligible for public mental health services. Evaluation and medication management services are provided by psychiatrists and nurse practitioners while other licensed mental health professionals provide additional treatment services," said Lesa A. Diehl, the director of the Mental Health Systems Office of the Allegany County Health Department.

Many of the professionals accept a variety of payment methods.

"All of these providers accept medical assistance while some also accept a variety of private insurances. During a recent survey, providers did not indicate a lengthy waiting list for initial or ongoing psychiatric appointments. Additionally, there are a number of group and private practices including psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and therapists who accept medical assistance and/or private insurance," said Diehl.

That being said, there are some problems with access. "If there is an issue with accessing psychiatric treatment, it would be on the privately insured side. This is not necessarily the result of a lack of providers within the community but the result of a multitude of other factors such as reimbursement rates established by insurance companies as well as their willingness to panel and credential providers, how easy or cumbersome it is for providers to participate and bill," said Diehl.

Diehl said the Mental Health Systems Office provides assistance to local residents with medical assistance who are seeking outpatient mental health services. They can be reached at 301-759-5070.

Matthew Bieniek can be contacted at mbieniek@times-news.com.

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