This article is part of a partnership between the Montgomery Advertiser and Auburn University’s Living Democracy program, now in its 13th year, in which students spread out across rural Alabama and spend 10 weeks learning about the inner workings of their communities and writing down their observations.
CHATOM – From the jail to schools to community awareness events, staff at Alta Pointe in Washington County are staying busy with their focus on mental health in rural areas.
Alta Point, one of Alabama’s largest behavioral centers, operates an outpatient mental health center serving the entire county from its Chatom base. Staff members including front desk manager Tiffany Chancellor, outpatient nurse practitioner Janice Long and coordinator Ashley Brandt said working in a rural area is challenging but rewarding.
In sparsely populated areas, it’s easy to feel isolated during times of mental distress, and people “feel like they have nowhere to go,” Brandt said. In times like these, it’s important to reach out to others. “We’re not born to live in isolation. We’re born to live in community,” Brandt said.
He said Alta Pointe enriches its community with year-round counseling services and medical management for children and adults. Alta Pointe provides care on-site and in the community, and services are provided in Washington County schools and the Washington County Jail.
School-based therapy began in seven schools in 2014. Every school in the county is served except the career center. All seven schools have two therapists who work one-on-one with students.
This program is designed for families who have scheduling conflicts or transportation issues to and from the Mental Health Center. The service is designed to assist students with behavioral or emotional issues that affect their academic performance and personal growth.
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In addition to the therapy at the school, Brandt visits the Washington County Jail to screen inmates who may be suffering from mental illness. The jail offers both mental health and substance abuse testing.
After screening is complete, the best plan of action is developed and the inmate is connected with support services. If needed, inmates can receive telehealth care from the prison or facility. Telehealth is used to connect doctors and patients on certain days of the week.
Alta Point works with local partners in probate offices and courts to provide care and raise awareness. Probate Commissioner Nick Williams said, “Without the help of Ashley Brandt and her staff in our local office, it would be virtually impossible to address mental health issues.”
Another mission is raising awareness in the community: Throughout the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, staff will be distributing gift bags containing water bottles, stress balls and information packets.
The theme of this year’s annual event was “Go Green.” Businesses and schools across the county were encouraged to decorate and dress in green, the color that symbolizes mental health awareness. To coincide with “Go Green” day, Washington County’s Alta Pointe and community partners from the Stepping Up Initiative hosted a drive-thru mental health education event in front of the Chatom Post Office.
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Janice Long, a Washington County outpatient nurse practitioner at Alta Pointe, said she enjoyed “being able to interact with a variety of people in the community.” “Some people don’t know about the mental health services that are available in our county,” she added.
Long said mental health is often overlooked, especially in rural areas, and noted that the Go Green event provides information to people who might not otherwise know about these resources.
Lack of transportation is a barrier to receiving mental health support, so we are currently exploring solutions to ensure patients have transportation to and from the Alta Pointe facility.
Brandt said the plans for next year are all designed to help more people become their “best selves.”
“People are the experts of their own lives,” she says, “and the key is to partner with them on their journey of self-discovery.”
Haley Pratt,Living Democracy The Auburn University student is living and learning this summer in her hometown of Chatom, Alabama, as a Jean O’Connor Snyder Intern at the David Matthews Center for Civic Life. The nonprofit program, coordinated by the College of Liberal Arts’ Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, prepares college students for civic life through a summer living-learning experience..
