Open Minds Psychiatric Services provides evaluations

Feb. 07--Prescribing the right medication to individuals with mental health issues is "very important," according to Patty Moos, psychiatric clinical nurse specialist.

"If you have the right combination of medications where your symptoms are relieved, then you can live a productive life," Moos said.

Open Minds Psychiatric Services PLLC opened Aug. 25 in Jamestown. The business offers psychiatric evaluations, psychiatric diagnosis, medication management and weekly medication box set up and injections as services for clients.

Moos, who owns the business with her husband, Steven, said she sees clients for mental health issues and does psychiatric evaluations, which lead to psychiatric diagnosis.

"It can be anywhere from depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia. It just depends," she said.

After the psychiatric evaluation, Moos prescribes the proper medication to clients to help with the diagnosis. Moos said she only prescribes psychiatric medications -- antidepressants, antipsychotic medications, anxiety medication or mood stabilizers -- to clients.

Moos said the idea for the business came after she was feeling "burnt out" working full time at South Central Human Service Center and her schedule got a "little bit too busy." After visiting with her husband, a decision was made to open a private medication management service in Jamestown versus her taking a job out of town.

"I am the only private medication management service," she said. "There is therapists in town. There is addiction counselors. But as far as a prescriber for psychiatric medications, this is the only office that does that other than the public facility, which is South Central Human Service Center."

Many clients who see Moos know her from when she worked at South Central Human Service Center, she said. She will also get referrals from the clinics in towns or various hospitals and an appointment with a client is set up for an initial psychiatric evaluation.

"I will see them for that. And then find out what their symptoms are, what medication you may or may not be on, and what symptoms we need to work on with medication," she said. "Say you come in to me. You are referred to me by Sanford Health with depression. And they have tried three antidepressants that didn't work. Then they usually send them my way because I have more specific knowledge to psychiatric medications."

On March 4, Moos will open a satellite office at 202 Central Ave. S in Valley City.

"I actually have a number of clients that travel from Valley City to see me now," she said. "And when I worked at the Human Service Center, I had about 100 clients over there then."

Moos' husband serves as a chief financial officer of the business, Mandy Job is the office assistant, and Dottie Murchie is a licensed practical nurse at Open Minds Psychiatric Services.

"We have some weekly medication boxes that she (Murchie) sets up, and we give psychiatric medication injections, so she does those," Moos said.

To schedule an appointment with Moos, call 952-9600. Open Minds Psychiatric Services is located at 104 1st Ave. S Suite 300. The business is open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Moos will only see people who are 18 and older. Moos said she does serve mental health needs for all insurances including Medicaid and Medicare. Payment options are available for clients with no insurance.

Sun Assistant Editor Masaki Ova can be reached at (701)952-8451 or by email at mova@jamestownsun.com

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