'Mental health crisis': Resources, help exist, but wait lists long to see providers

Jun. 4—During the pandemic, society began taking a more earnest look at how it approached mental illness. A number of celebrities from the sports and entertainment worlds began admitting that they suffered from depression or other forms of the disease, in an effort to alleviate the pernicious stigma that had settled around it.

There's still a stigma, certainly, but mental illness is becoming a more acceptable condition as Americans are growing in the empathy they feel for those who suffer from it. But as much as the pandemic managed to lift the stigma somewhat, it caused more Americans to suffer from it and made it much more difficult to receive help for it.

"Behavioral health is a nationwide challenge," said James Turner, president of the Vigo CountyBoard of Health. "I'm a family physician, and it's extremely difficult for me to find a psychiatrist to refer a patient to. There are not many, particularly in the rural areas. You can go through many counties before you're gonna find a psychiatrist."

Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett agrees that the wheels turn far too slowly when it comes to obtaining mental health care.

"It's tough, and we've got to fix that, because if somebody's willing to ask for help, you've got to find a way to help them quickly, because that can change tomorrow," said Bennett, who once served as a counselor at Hamilton Center. "That's the key — get them seen quickly, get them on [medication], get them in programs that will get them off their addiction, whatever that might be. There's a lot of moving parts."

"Getting that face-to-face interaction in this area right now, it isn't happening," said Vigo County Commissioner Brendan Kearns. "The standard answer of 'we can see you in 60 to 90 days' will not work for a person in crisis. I went through a personal situation where I was looking for a mental health care provider just to bounce some situation off of and it's very hard." Kearns received assistance via Telehealth.

"People are realizing what their situation is and are trying to get help, which is very admirable," said Leah Myers, director of education for Mental Health America, who herself has experienced suicidal ideation. "But we need people to know that there are [other] resources out there."

For those suffering from a more severe depression, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255, and come July 16, can be accessed by simply dialing 988. Texting "HELP" to 741741 will also put the distraught in contact with assistance.

"Right now, it is pretty difficult, because we are in a mental health crisis nationwide," agreed Christina Crist, executive director of Team of Mercy, who lost a loved one and knows others who struggle with suicide ideation. "So we have a lot of mental health providers, but there's such a need right now that the wait list is from 10-12 weeks for new patients. So if someone is in fact struggling, the chances of them getting right in are slim."

Karen Allen, treasurer for Team of Mercy, added that mental health problems aren't like other medical issues for which treatment can be delayed or dismissed: "It's something that's not going to go away by itself without counseling and help."

Crist recommended that those in need should "reach out for help, they need to talk to any counselor that they might know. Just don't think they're alone — be around people, be around people who love them."

The crisis is exacerbated, Turner said, because "young people are not going into psychiatry. Indiana University is the largest medical school in the country and last year when they did what they call their 'match,' they only had five students going into psychiatry. We're really struggling for psychiatrists in the future. We need more behavioral health people."

Given that, Turner added, "Those career opportunities are wide open for young people. We have those programs here in Terre Haute — you can start at Ivy Tech, work your way through Indiana State. We have those counseling programs here locally. They're not easy — you have to study hard — but you have a guaranteed job when you graduate. It's a hard job, but it's an important job. It's a nationwide struggle for behavioral health people."

Hamilton Center is the largest provider of mental health care in the area, serving 13,000 consumers in more than 10 counties in Indiana. In 2019, before the pandemic, it provided 958 patients with Crisis Services, for those experiencing suicidal ideation or in need of immediate care. That number rose to 1,129 in 2020, to 1,211 in 2021 and is projected to reach 1,465 in 2022.

Hamilton Center currently has 57 therapists, eight nurse practitioners, four psychiatrists and 141 care managers. Its number is 800-742-0787.

Melvin L. Burks, president and CEO of Hamilton Center, wants to boost those numbers — he wants to add seven more nurse practitioners, two more psychiatrists and nine or 10 more therapists. To that end, Hamilton Center is offering $5,000 signing bonuses and substantial raises and bonuses for nurse practitioners.

"There's a shortage of nurse-practitioners and psychiatrists throughout the country, and we are finding our way through to make sure that the ideal is that patients do not have to wait more than three weeks," Burks said. "We're not there yet, but we're hiring more."

Hamilton Center weathered the pandemic well, Burks added. "We didn't lose any staff members; in fact, we hired staff members during those two years," he said.

Two years ago, Hamilton Center was rewarded a $3.75 million grant from the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic program (CCBHC). "It has been a life changer for our consumers," Burks said.

Art Fuller, chief of human services at Hamilton Center, said CCBHC allows the center to be "serving consumers in a new and different way, with a focus on 24/7." Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams assess patients and determine the appropriate treatment and prescriptions. They also analyze patients' track records of hospitalization and work to lower that rate.

"In one case, one consumer was hospitalized over 200 days the previous year — we reduced that to 20-some days," Fuller said. "When they are in crisis, it's not, 'Oh, I can go to the hospital and get diagnosed,' it's 'I can reach out to my ACT Team.' They have more than just one person helping them."

ACT Teams "help reduce long extended wait times for getting basic support for those in crisis," Fuller said. "Here's the beauty of it. If you're in crisis, you're gonna get served. You don't worry about having an appointment."

And even those not in crisis without appointments can come to the center on Thursdays, when walk-ins are seen.

"We turn no one away," said Burks. "We see everyone."

Though meeting the mental health needs of the community in this era can be daunting, Burks said, "I've been working here 45 years and I've seen it all. The thing I like most about it is people come in and they leave better than they were before."

David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.

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