Mental Health Services
Our number one goal is to help people in north central West Virginia live their best lives. Valley HealthCare System offers complete mental health services for people in Marion, Monongalia, Preston and Taylor counties. Below is an overview of our services.
Counseling Services
Life is full of challenges. For those times when you don’t feel quite right, our counseling services are here for you. Our number one goal is to help people in north central West Virginia live their best lives. Our trained professionals have a wide scope of experience treating adults experiencing difficulties related to:
· Abuse
· Anxiety or stress
· Chronic pain or medical conditions
· Depression
· Eating disorders
· Grief
· Mood disorders
· PTSD
· Relationships
· Sleep disorders
· Substance use disorders
· Weight management
You may be surprised to learn that many clients begin to feel significant improvements after just a few visits. The reason is that our therapists help to untangle the stressors and confront them one at a time. By doing so, it becomes more clear which factors are the real barriers to happiness. Our approach to counseling is holistic. We look at the various aspects of your life – your work, family, relationships, and other areas of influence.
Our most common therapeutic methods include:
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One reason CBT is popular with therapists and clients is its success rate. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven through both research and clinical practice that it does work. Essentially, CBT treatment involves helping people identify their unwanted behaviors, and then — through practice — change their thinking patterns. It’s a form of therapy that focuses on practical solutions rather than a deep examination of a person’s history.
The principles of CBT are based on evidence that people have deep rooted ways of thinking that affect their behavior. By examining their responses to situations, clients can begin to reshape how they react to everyday challenges. Clients work collaboratively with their therapists to develop a plan that addresses their specific needs. As they incorporate these new strategies, clients find they can manage their problems more effectively.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can be especially helpful with:
• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Alcohol and drug use
• Marital problems
• Eating disorders
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In contrast to cognitive behavioral therapy, person-centered therapy focuses on a client’s own abilities to sort through the maze of challenges and make their own assessments. As clients are guided through a process to help them recognize their triggers, they begin to shape and refine their own appropriate methods for overcoming their unwanted behaviors. Therapists encourage clients to lead the conversation, which, in turn, assists in the clients’ own thought processing. Rather than shift the focus, our therapists listen and support clients as they explore appropriate solutions. By withholding judgement and encouraging freely expressed ideas, our therapists provide a place where clients can not only openly discuss their obstacles, but also brainstorm ideas for improving their lives.
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Much as its name implies, motivational interviewing is designed to motivate clients to make positive changes to enhance their lives. The therapist’s role is to ask questions that will help the client solidify their resolve to make the changes they have identified. Rather than attempt to “correct” a client’s way of thinking, the therapist seeks to understand the client’s goals and what strategies motivate them. By discussing the factors that motivate the client, the therapist strengthens the client’s own motivation to move toward their goals. The key is to understand what motivates the client and to reinforce that thinking. The therapist encourages the client to realize the most important motivating factors for implementing change, and then reinforces those strategies. The MI approach is often used to help clients with substance use disorders to determine what factors may motivate them to gain sobriety, and how to keep those motivating factors at the forefront of their daily lives.
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Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is similar to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in that both work with the notion that behavior is often based on long-held beliefs and attitudes rather than events. Unlike CBT, REBT addresses cognitive distortions by looking at the reasons behind the beliefs. The therapist helps the client to see how their deeply rooted convictions affect how they deal with everyday circumstances. REBT reaches beyond behavior modification and helps the client work toward personal unconditional acceptance. This approach allows the client to see that accepting flaws – of themselves and others – reduces anxiety as they work through this new practice. While REBT sometimes brings about emotional discomfort, it ultimately assists in the client’s realization and acceptance that life has its share of discomfort and unfairness, but these outside events don’t have to impair their daily lives. This more realistic view helps the client to find satisfaction in the small pleasures of life rather than attach anxiety or anger to unpredictable events.
Clinical Assessments
Our goal is to help people in north central West Virginia get the professional mental health care they need so they can live their best lives. Our services start with a clinical assessment, which is the first step in getting the right treatment. Assessments include psychological testing, interviews, or a physical exam. Our Service Coordinators and licensed therapists usually conduct the assessments, and a physician completes a follow-up assessment when medication is called for. The insight gained from the assessment allows our team to have a better understanding of the underlying causes of a person’s mental health difficulties. From there, therapists and clients work together to develop a holistic treatment plan tailored to the client’s needs.
Psychiatric Services
Every person is unique. For that reason, every treatment plan is unique. Mental health challenges vary so greatly that it’s important to have a team that works together to address the challenges. Our psychiatric services include psychotherapy, support groups, and community engagement. If a treatment plan includes medication, then our doctors and nurse practitioners provide full medication management. Our specialized care ensures that each person receives the psychiatric services they need.
Case Management and Community Engagement
Case Management
Service Coordination includes assessment of client’s needs and strengths, planning and setting treatment goals and objectives with the client, evaluation of progress toward these goals, advocating on behalf of the client, supportive counseling when appropriate, and crisis assistance/intervention. The Service Coordinator convenes the treatment team and acts as primary contact person for the client with the agency. The Service Coordinator serves as an information source and interfaces with external services ensuring quality of availability, continuity, flexibility, and integration of necessary resources and services. Targeted Case Management assists eligible clients in accessing needed community resources, such as SNAP benefits, SSDI/SSI applications, HUD applications, Medicaid applications, assistance in securing employment, food pantries, etc. Eligible clients are 3 years old or older, have Medicaid or ValleyCare fund source (or are eligible), have a qualifying Mental Health or Substance Use diagnosis. If interested, complete intake assessment and clinician will make a referral, if appropriate.
Community Engagement
The Community Engagement Program is a grant-funded program designed to identify, connect and/or provide personal and community supports to individuals with a diagnosis of mental illness, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders, and who are committed, have a history of commitment, or are in danger of commitment to a state psychiatric, private diversion facility, or correctional facility. Community Engagement is designed to obtain, connect, and provide personal and community supports to eligible individuals. Eligible clients have either recently been hospitalized, at least once, for psychiatric symptoms or are at-risk for hospitalization due to psychiatric symptoms.
Residential Services
Valley HealthCare System provides residential care for people who are being treated for mental illnesses. It’s a safe place for clients to receive supervised care from a compassionate team. Residential services include complete psychological assessments, group counseling, individual therapy, and full medication management. Residents receive 24/7 care. While in residential care, clients learn strategies and skills for managing their mental health. All of Valley’s residential services are provided with the kind of sensitivity that is so important for clients who are struggling with mental health issues.
Mental Hygiene Petitions and Commitment
A mental hygiene petition is a last-resort option for people who are in imminent danger to themselves or others and will not voluntarily accept help.
Virtual Care and Telemedicine
More people are able to access mental health care than ever before due to the advancements of virtual care and telemedicine. Many of those advancements came as a result of Covid-19. According to Forbes, the use of telehealth and telemedicine increased by more than 900 percent since early 2020. At the onset of the pandemic, many clients had just begun using telehealth as a more convenient way to stay in contact with their therapists. We began to see that clients are less likely to miss an appointment if they don’t have to leave their home or workplace. With virtual care, the wait time is drastically reduced so clients are able to meet with their therapist when they need them. Virtual care also helps clients reduce the amount of money they spend on gas to drive to appointments.
Mental Health Peer Support Services
The Mental Health Peer Support Services at Valley is a beacon of hope and healing for individuals on their journey of mental health. This program fosters a sense of community, where others with lived experience of mental health challenges come together to offer support, understanding, and encouragement to their peers. Through group therapy sessions, one-on-one interactions, and various activities, the program empowers individuals to share their stories and coping strategies in a safe, non-judgmental environment. The peer support network provides a unique perspective that professionals may not always offer, promoting a sense of solidarity and reducing the isolation often associated with mental health issues. It not only complements the clinical treatment but also creates a space where individuals can draw strength and inspiration from each other.