Forums March 31 to gather input on mental health services in county

The 2011 Jefferson County Mental Hygiene Plan needs your input.

At 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. March 31 at the Northern Regional Center for Independent Living, 210 Court St., Suite 107, the center and the Jefferson County Community Services Board will host forums to gather information from residents about the availability and quality of mental health services here.

"We usually don't get a lot of input other than when something doesn't go well for consumers," said Roger J. Ambrose, director of Jefferson County Community Services.

People can use the forums to offer any ideas they have to improve the system for 2011. The plan will address mental health, substance abuse and mental retardation/developmental disability services throughout Jefferson County.

People who cannot attend the forums can write letters to the Northern Regional Center for Independent Living or the Community Services office at 175 Arsenal St. Mr. Ambrose said the 2011 plan will be prepared in June, so feedback should be sent in as soon as possible.

He said the 2009 plan will be reviewed during the forums.

"We're looking at the 2009 plan because we're only two and a half months into 2010," Mr. Ambrose said. "We will look at priority areas to talk about what's already working, and hopefully that'll set the stage for what we'll be trying to prioritize for 2011."

The county's mental hygiene plan is reviewed frequently to develop new ideas and track progress in any given area. If a goal is not met one year, it may become a key point for the mental hygiene plan the following year, Mr. Ambrose said.

Brenda S. Campany, executive director of the center, said she's thrilled the agency was asked to be involved in the plan.

"We try to be very active in the community, and help people overcome barriers," she said. "People experience them all of the time. By the time people get to NRCIL, they've pretty much exhausted every avenue they were looking for."

One of the more common barriers, Mr. Ambrose said, is access to mental health residential programs for adolescents. He said another struggle for the north country is recruitment and retention of mental health providers, especially psychiatrists.

Each month, the Community Services office also reviews the wait time for people seeking an office visit with a mental health provider.

Although the wait is averaging a few weeks, Mr. Ambrose said, that has decreased significantly from last year, when the wait period at times was several months.