An update on local mental health care initiatives was given to the Pulaski County Commissioners last week.
During her annual report, Four County Counseling Center CEO Dr. Carrie Cadwell said the organization is partnering with Pulaski Memorial Hospital on a number of grant-funded projects.
“We’re providing recovery coaching out of the emergency room for individuals impacted by opioids for Pulaski County,” she said. “In addition, with Pulaski Memorial Hospital, we do a fair amount of partnering with them. You may be familiar with their senior care program. This has been something we’ve continued for a number of years. They have a senior care program. It’s actually Four County employees who are the therapy and psychiatric providers.”
Four County has also gotten funding to provide a doctoral psychology student to work with the hospital’s primary care office. Additionally, Cadwell said the organization launched a clinic for BraunAbility employees in 2018.
At the same time, Four County continues to provide crisis support during emergencies, such as last month’s Eastern Pulaski school bus accident. “We will always provide those services to any employer or school,” Cadwell said. “When that happens, we deploy or clinicians at no cost wherever they’re needed in a community. An entity within a community simply needs to reach out and let us know they need that. That’s something we’ve always done, we’ll continue to provide.”
Going forward, Cadwell said Four County has applied for a grant to help develop a rural health network. The funding would support planning for more coordination among Four County, Pulaski Memorial Hospital, and the Pulaski County Health Department. Four County is also helping the county set up its new veterans court.
Cadwell added that her organization’s Pulaski County office served 490 county residents last year, plus additional patients from other areas.
