Dr. David Susman has a great post on his blog listing 8 Reasons Why People Don’t Get Treatment for Mental Illness that is worth reading. But Family Counseling Services has things to offer that can help cut down that list.
Dr. Susman’s list:
- Fear and shame
- Lack of insight
- Limited awareness
- Feelings of inadequacy
- Distrust
- Hopelessness
- Unavailability
- Practical barriers
How FCS is addressing some of those barriers:
The Family Counseling Services staff are not here to judge you….we’re here to help. There is no shame in having a mental health issue. National statistics indicate that 1 in 5 adults experiences a mental illness but sadly 60% of the adults and 50% of the youth didn’t receive mental health services they needed.
If you have a day when you can overcome your fears and concerns about seeking treatment you should know that we have same day access so you can start the treatment process in the moment you are ready to make positive change. Same day access allows us to meet a person where he or she is at, which research has shown to be most effective in supporting someone to make positive change. Our counselors are ready to support your path to recovery, including medication assisted treatment if that is recommended.
And be assured….our services are confidential.
Our professional staff includes mental health and chemical dependency counselors, psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychiatrists. If we don’t offer the services you need, we will help you find other resources to address that need.
Family Counseling Services offers both day and evening appointments to accommodate your scheduling needs. And we offer Medicaid transportation services for qualified individuals who would otherwise be unable to get to their appointments. Free supervised childcare is available in our children’s waiting room in the Cortland office to help out families who are receiving services.
Adequate funding should never be a barrier to access mental health services. Family Counseling Services accepts most insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid. We offer a sliding fee scale for those individuals with financial need. Families who are under insured with high co-pays and deductibles can benefit from the sliding fee scale that is much lower than the actual cost of services; we never turn people away based on inability to pay.
As a community, we all can help change the stigma surrounding mental health issues and promote mental wellness, so people are more comfortable seeking help when needed. Mental wellness also means a person can have a mental health disorder and a productive happy life. One may need ongoing counseling and medication, another may just need short term counseling or others may benefit from various community services. We all need supportive relationships and a community that accepts us to be healthy and successful.
If you or someone you know needs help you can contact our Cortland office at (607) 753-0234 or our Oneida office at (315) 280-0400.