By Eric Smith
Broken bones are wrapped in a cast to mend. When the stomach flu strikes, we take cough medicine, get some antibiotics, pound some orange juice and lay low for a few days or so.
But for years, when the mind becomes sick and in need of treatment, instead of going to the doctor – silence.
The stigma of depression, schizophrenia and other mental health conditions forced those afflicted to hide, or worse, become outcast from society. Checked into sanitariums and asylums and left.
Having worked in the mental health field for more than two decades, Swope Health Executive Vice President of Behavioral Health Josette Mitchell knows this story all too well
“I’m, by credential, a licensed clinical social worker and I think it’s my charge, and many other professions in the field, to help destigmatize mental illness,” Mitchell said. “It’s just a daily kind of work that we’re all doing to shed light on something that has been kind of hiding in the shadows.”
Swope Health is going beyond just dispensing medication.
On March 3, Swope Health opened 87th Street Place, an eight-bed, inpatient treatment facility, located at 6412 E. 87th St., specifically for those struggling with the combination of mental health and intellectual and developmental disorders (IDDs) such as cerebral palsy, autism or Down syndrome.
Patients are admitted to 87th Street Place on a referral basis. It is always staffed by Swope’s mental health technicians who assist patients with each step along their treatment journey.
“That’s giving you your medication, that is providing meals. That is transporting to appointments and maybe some other outings in the community,” Mitchell said describing the daily duties of the technicians. “We would not let you stay in bed all day and do nothing…You’re going to get up and you’re going to be productive and we’re going to…allow for opportunities for learning and growth and community integration and meals and all of those things.”
Mitchell said they are taking their time in filling 87th Street Place and its beds after a nearly year-long renovation. It would have been easy to fill it right away, but she said that it wouldn’t be fair to either the staff or those in their care to move so quickly.
Because the facility is still in its infancy, there is yet a target time period for how long an average stay at 87th Street Place might be. One thing is very clear, though: there isn’t a definitive time limit on getting better.
“There’s not a point where we would ever say ‘Your time is up; it’s time to go’.” Mitchell said. “You’re not ready to go until you’re ready to go.”
One thing that could motivate someone to want to leave, or be hesitant to seek help, is the cost, especially for those who don’t have much financial resources at their disposal.
Swope Health, a federally qualified health center, treats those in need, whether they can afford it at the time or not.
In such cases, Swope Health utilizes a sliding-fee scale.
Mitchell did clarify that, in severe cases of adults coping with the combination of IDDs and behavioral health diagnoses, Medicaid alleviates some, if not much of the financial burden.
As 87th Street Place and similar care centers continue to become more commonplace, and barriers to care removed, mental health care is becoming something that, instead of suffering silently in the shadows, can be treated openly like any other condition.
“I’m excited to see it continue to evolve into something that’s normalized and that there is some parity between chronic health issues and chronic mental health issues.” Mitchell said. “If you can show up to the doctor and get medicine for diabetes and all these other things, then you can certainly show up and get medication or support for your depression and anxiety.”
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