Dawne Burchett and Megan Hageman of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center gave Kiwanis Club members an overview of services at their weekly meeting Tuesday plus highlighted a couple of new offerings created to promote mental and emotional health.
Hageman, manager of prevention and promotion, said SEKMHC serves seven cities and 15 school districts in its six-county region — Allen, Woodson, Neosho, Linn, Bourbon and Anderson. Jayhawk-Linn schools are the only ones not served in the area, and SEKMHC is working to rectify that.
In addition to school-based therapy, regular services are outpatient, substance use/addictions, crisis intervention, psychiatric and medication management, and community support. Treatment is available for depression, anxiety, anger, marital conflict, mood disorders, trauma care, substance use, impulse control, personality and psychotic disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and more.
Hageman noted the mental health center’s recent partnership with Ashley Clinic of Chanute and its satellite clinics, including Humboldt, provides mental health services in a doctor’s office environment.
“We want mental health and emotional care to be the same as how we tend to our physical care,” she said. “It should be. There shouldn’t be any barriers to getting our mental health care needs, just like we get our physical care.”
Burchett, human resources manager for SEKMHC, added the agency serves all ages regardless of ability to pay.
She highlighted the 988 Lifeline telephone and texting service for mental health and emotional needs, including suicide prevention and crisis management, and said all calls are handled locally.
The QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) class offered by SEKMHC is a one-hour tutorial on dealing with suicide prevention. Burchett said training is available to workplaces, schools, churches, clubs and any interested organization, and students learn signs and symptoms of suicidal tendencies, myths and facts, and how to communicate with those experiencing thoughts of self-harm.
SEKMHC in Iola can be reached at (620) 365-5717 and at (620) 473-2241 in Humboldt.
The Iola Kiwanis Club meets weekly, noon Tuesdays, at Allen Community College and welcomes interest in membership. Email [email protected] for more information.
