COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — During our first Your Voice stop in Cookeville, we heard a common concern regarding a lack of resources for mental health.
So, we reached out to folks at Volunteer Behavioral Health, who told us resources are indeed available, with trained workers and programs ready to help change lives.
I spoke with Nathan Miller, Volunteer's Senior VP of Operations, along with the director of Volunteer Behavioral Health's Cookeville Campus, Shane Farris. Both wanted to make sure everyone in the Upper Cumberland area know about their wide array of services, some of which are available without leaving your home.
"During COVID, the restrictions on telehealth were really relaxed and we were able to really up our game as well as a lot of other agencies in the state through that. So we adopted some of those rules that we got to keep after, " Miller said. "It allows us to serve more people through telehealth than we've ever served before. So people can use their cell phone to do FaceTime with us."
Another key message they shared is that one phone call will lead you to a network of professionals ready to help—without a long wait.
"One of our slogans, if you will, is 'No Wrong Door,' which means a person calls into our access line, our first time appointment line," Farris said. "We can get first time appointments the day they call, which is really unheard of in the health care industry. They're going to call into our first time appointment line and within 24 hours, they're going to have been able to talk to a med provider, a therapist and a care manager."
We asked why that detail is so important.
"Because with mental health and with recovery, striking while the iron is hot, so to speak, people have taken a certain amount of time to get to the point where they're going to reach out for help" Farris responded. "And when they reach out for help, you've got to be ready to serve that individual as quickly as possible, or you may miss the opportunity with that individual and their family."
Farris and Miller credited key partnerships for the network of health providers created.
"It's much more larger than what one organization can handle by themselves. Nathan mentioned the health department partnership and that's been very important that we've been able to go into our areas and have professionals," Farris said. "There at the health department, where people can go to the health department for their physical need. And instead of just being referred out to a mental health agency or a substance use agency, they get a warm handoff and get to speak to one of our staff there that helps them with that intake process."
Among those partners, is Tennessee Tech University.
"Well, as far as Tennessee Tech goes We've always had been a real good community partner with them," Miller said.
"But the grant that we got over the last year supplies a therapist there on-site that we contract with them as a care manager. So, in addition to the regular folks there that work at Tech, then this person that we have is based in the Medical Center in the health clinic instead of in the counseling center, which we find much better sometimes because people new to the stigma don't want to go to that counseling office. With the services that we have, we do want people to know that we have emergency services there, where they can walk in at our Cross's Walk-In Center at Plateau there at the Cookeville campus."
Miller added that the center runs through grant program and operates 24/7 for patients free-of-charge, including those who don't have insurance.
"We pride ourselves on, regardless of what the need is, reach out to us and we have trained professionals on the other side of the phone that can help get you the help you need," Farris said.
"Our mission statement always ends, help today for a better tomorrow," Miller added."
Mental health conditions are common and treatable, and recovery is possible. Find resources and next steps on topics like depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, ADHD, postpartum depression, and more.
Below is a list of mental health resources you can access:
Take a Free & Anonymous Mental Health Screening
Community Based Mental Health Treatment
TN Dept of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services
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