TAHLEQUAH — n During tough economic times, more people may be seeking services.

By BETTY RIDGE

Press Special Writer

With many people facing financial and personal problems in tough economic times, sometimes it’s hard to know where to go ask for advice.

That’s especially true when cuts in state spending have limited services at many community mental health and substance abuse centers, and people have lost their insurance, lost their jobs, or are working at jobs that don’t offer services.

But counseling and mental health services remain available in the Tahlequah area, with many offering counseling on a sliding scale, depending on the person’s income. Counseling is available for young children, senior citizens, and everyone in between.

The shortage is especially severe for people with substance abuse problems. The Bill Willis Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Center last year had to shut down its residential program for male alcoholics and addicts. It also formerly operated a program for women.

Counselors in all agencies say that while alcohol and substance abuse counseling is available on an outpatient basis at several of the local agencies, those who want or need to enter inpatient treatment still face a waiting period – sometimes lengthy – and continued temptation while they remain on the outside. They recommend counseling as well as attendance at the numerous local Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

“Essentially, we also lost another program for adults with substantial mental health issues,” said Chris Walker of Bill Willis.

That program brought people to the center at 1400 S. Hensley Drive on a daily basis for therapy, a meal, socialization and interaction. Those activities continue on a limited basis, with clients coming to the center less often.

As far as other mental health activities, “we’re still providing essentially the same services we did before, with fewer people and less money,” Walker said.

That includes individual and group drug and alcohol counseling, mental health and psychiatric services for adults and for youth. For young people the agency offers a special “systems of care” program.

Psychiatric help is available 24 hours a day for people experiencing emergencies.

Those who want non-emergency psychological help can come to the agency and fill out paperwork. Walker said someone will see them for a preliminary evaluation that day, and usually a follow-up appointment will be scheduled within two weeks.

Multi County Counseling Inc., 105 W. Second St., is a full-service outpatient mental health clinic, said Kathy Stafford, clinical director.

“We do individuals, families and groups,” she said. “We see everyone from age 3 to the elderly. We do home-based, school-based, and see people in the office. All of our staff have a master’s degree and a license, or are under supervision to obtain a license.”

As its name indicates, the agency serves numerous counties, so clients can transfer to another Multi County office in Oklahoma if they move, Stafford said. Her office has 14 counselors who serve 12 counties in northeastern Oklahoma.

“Obviously, if you live in Leach, they don’t have a counseling agency there,” Stafford said.

So the therapists drive to those locations to serve people who don’t have transportation – a need cited by many of the other counselors interviewed.

Stafford said the recession, with its cuts to agencies and individuals, has made it difficult for many people to obtain the help they need.

“Even if they have private insurance sometimes the copay puts it out of their range,” she said.

They offer services on a sliding fee scale, as do many of the other local counselors.   

Multi County Counseling works in cooperation with all the schools in Cherokee County, with the Department of Human Services and with local doctors, offering primary family and young people’s counseling. It also can treat people with substance abuse problems, and has state and national accreditation.

Dr. Melinda Shaver has practiced in Tahlequah five years, and established her office this past year at 315 N. College Ave.

“I do individuals and couples counseling, a little family therapy,” she said. “I’m primarily a generalist. My specialty is mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma.”

She counsels young people at the United Methodist Children’s home one day a week.

Shaver said she has received some calls from former clients of Bill Willis and is seeing some of their clients who were unable to receive as many visits as they needed, because of cuts to that agency.

What motivates individuals and couples to seek counseling?

“Sometimes they’ve tried everything else and it seems they’re not getting anywhere. They feel they need a neutral person to talk to,” Shaver said.

Many times, couples are trying to decide whether to continue with their marriage.

“A lot of the time, it’s getting people to realize that marriage takes work, and just because you’re married you can’t just quit,” she said.

Shaver also has expertise in the fields of exercise, fitness and nutrition.

Kimberlee Thomas has a general counseling practice at 133 N. Muskogee Ave.

“Primarily at this time I do employee assistance. I have also done work with alcohol and drugs,” she said. “I do whatever is needed.”

Much of her work has been with the Cherokee Nation Employee Assistance Program.

Thomas said although the economic situation causes people to have problems, many feel they cannot afford to do anything about them.

“Generally, people who are losing jobs are not coming in because they do not have a payer source,” she said. “There are a lot of people left out in the cold right now.”

Thomas also has been able to see people on a sliding scale. She works with Medicaid contracts as well.

Redefine U is a new agency that opened last year at 2511 S. Muskogee Ave.

“We do behavioral health and substance abuse,” said Kimber Cook, director and counselor. The agency is nationally and state certified to treat adults and children.

They offer individual and group counseling on behavioral health and substance abuse issues.

“We are very flexible to meet individual needs, with lots of after-hours and weekends,” Cook said. “We have groups on Sunday to accommodate people who work during the week. You can’t stop your life to access treatment. You have to be able to continue with your life.”

The agency has two licensed therapists and one bachelor’s level person who works under their supervision. They have individual, family and group session for children, adolescents and adults.

Cook said the limitation of services at Bill Willis has increased the need for independent agencies such as hers.

“We have had phone calls from people who were having difficulty getting into state-funded agencies,” she said.

They offer home-based and school-based counseling, as well as in the office, and can do “creative financing” for those in financial difficulties.

Calming Connections, another private agency, specializes in counseling children and families at 1140 Mayberry Drive (across from Go Ye Village). It is open until 8 p.m., four nights weekly, so children don’t have to miss school, or parents miss work, in order to receive counseling.

“Our big specialty is play therapy and autism,” said Dr. Laura Champ, clinical director.

Calming Connections also works with children who are having difficulty in school, with sessions in school and in the office.

Champ said research has shown the earlier that children with autism can begin receiving treatment, the better.

Parenting classes are offered, with parents taking a test upon completion.

But the agency doesn’t stop with children and their parents.

“We even have a program where we go into the home and work with the elderly on anger management and anxiety,” Champ said.

“The name ‘Calming Connections’ comes from our whole philosophy of empowering people. We want to establish a connection between people,” she said.

Counseling also is available at several other local agencies. NEOHealth has two behavioral health specialists who are available to see clients. People Inc. also offers counseling, although it specializes in working with developmentally disabled people.

The city’s two hospitals also have counseling services. Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital has a behavioral health unit, and Tahlequah City Hospital offers Solutions, an inpatient mental health treatment program for seniors.