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Rally to focus on support, awareness for mental health services

New Castle News (PA) - 9/22/2015

Sept. 19--Awareness about the future of mental health services in Lawrence County is the focus of an upcoming rally.

With the inpatient mental health unit at Jameson Health System's South Campus scheduled to close at the end of the year, Vicki Surgenavic, charge nurse of the health system's partial hospitalization program said the community needs to be informed and provide support.

The rally, planned for 5 to 7 p.m. Friday on the patio of The Commonwealth at the Riverplex Complex in downtown New Castle, is being organized by Dr. Mark Matta and Surgenavic. State Rep. Jaret Gibbons is scheduled to speak, and updates will be provided along with addressing questions, she explained.

"It's very important that we get the word out that we need these services," Surgenavic said. "To send patients out of the county for services would be very difficult. This is another event to call attention to this situation and garner support."

The rally is the second event held to gain support for local behavioral health services. In June, a walk was held after Jameson announced the unit would cease operations in August, citing uncertainty around the proposed merger of Jameson with UPMC.

However, a task force formed with the hospital, local agencies and Lawrence County Mental Health Developmental Services enabled the hospital to get a better rate per day per bed through Value Behavioral Health. That will allow the facility to remain open until Dec. 31.

The biggest issues facing the behavioral health unit are the cost of a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day operation, plus the condition of the south campus, according to Joseph Venasco, director of mental health/developmental services.

Staff in the unit, agencies, and patients and their families remain concerned, Surgenavic said.

"I'm not sure people understand the magnitude of the potential closing," she said. "I get phone calls from some people who think the unit is already closed."

Victoria Gatto, the community education manager for Ellwood City Hospital's Behavioral Health Unit, said they get calls daily from people asking whether they or family members can be admitted to their 10-bed unit that's been in operation for 16 years.

"We get calls all the time from people in the 18 to 55 age range looking for services because Jameson is closing," Gatto said. "They ask, 'Can I come?' and we hate to tell them no."

Gatto explained that Ellwood's unit, managed by Horizon Health, serves only people age 65 or older, with some exceptions for people 55 and older.

Jameson's "closure isn't a make or break situation for us," Gatto continued. "We might get one or two more patients from this area, but it won't be a boom for us. We're just trying to coordinate services for those people who are calling, so we can direct them to Heritage Valley (Health System) in Beaver or to Sharon (Regional Health System).

Venasco previously said that there is a clear need for behavioral health services in the community.

There were a lot of negatives, looking at the impacts it would have on Lawrence County in general, Venasco had said, should the unit be closed. Primarily, there would be a much longer wait for patients to go to neighboring community hospitals to receive those services, he said.

Surgenavic said she hopes the rally will provide more information.

"We're still here doing our work and hoping to continue to work with people with mental illness and their families in this community," she said.

September has been designated National Recovery Month, which is applicable for both drug and alcohol dependency and mental health awareness, and Sept. 13-19 was Suicide Prevention Week, she added.

(Reporter Jessica Shelenberger contributed to this report.)

(Email: lpezzuto@ncnewsonline.com)

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