When your life spins out of control, asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness, according to Nakeya Gore, LCSW, CAADC, the admissions manager at Willowbrooke at Tanner, an 82-bed inpatient and outpatient behavioral health facility in Villa Rica that provides care for adults, adolescents and children age 5 and up.
When to Seek Mental Health Care
Gore recommends that you seek the help of a trained mental health professional if: you constantly worry; you feel trapped; you aren't getting any better with self-help; you feel as if you can't handle things alone; you’ve begun using alcohol or drugs; your feelings are affecting your job, relationships or sleep or eating habits; or someone who knows you well has suggested that you need counseling.
“These are only some of the symptoms that may warrant seeking help. You may have others that concern you,” said Gore, who is one of 23 master’s-level clinicians at Willowbrooke at Tanner who work in shifts around the clock, seven days a week, to admit or refer patients for mental, behavioral or substance abuse issues. “Our lives have become more and more demanding and stressful. And we place more and more expectations on ourselves and our loved ones.”
According to Gore, many people don’t seek help — not just because they see it as a sign of weakness — but because they see it as a stigma. “I chose my profession because I was passionate about reducing the stigma of having a mental, behavioral or substance abuse issue. I want people to know: you’re not alone. We perform more than a thousand assessments per month at Willowbrooke at Tanner,” said Gore. “Not everything can be managed in your home with your family and the limited resources you have. The first and best thing that you need to do is seek professional advice.”
Before establishing a relationship with any mental health professional, Gore advises you to make certain the person or facility is licensed and/or accredited and has training and experience in your area of concern.
4 Ways to Get Mental Health Assistance
According to Gore, getting the help you need is as simple as a making a quick phone call:
1. Consult your primary care provider. Your primary care physician often can help you determine if your symptoms could be caused by medical conditions. Your physician may then refer you to Willowbrooke at Tanner, another mental health facility, a free clinic or even a private practice.
2. Consult your employer's employee assistance program (EAP). Whether you want advice for relationship problems, financial difficulties or even drug addiction, an EAP can connect you with services you need.
3. Call your health insurance carrier. Your health plan may have a special phone number you can call to find out if you have mental health or substance abuse treatment coverage, as well as what services are covered and any limit on the amount the plan will pay. There may be restrictions on where you get services.
4. Call Willowbrooke at Tanner at 770.812.3995 or 770.812.3266 for a free, confidential assessment. According to Gore, you can make an appointment for a free assessment on a day and at a time that’s convenient to you in Villa Rica, Carrollton or Cartersville — even right away in a crisis situation. An in-office assessment involves meeting with a master’s-level therapist.
“Georgia has made it easier to access mental health services, but people are having more distress and issues that cause them to seek counseling and treatment,” said Gore. “There is a great need for the kind of services and continuum of care that Willowbrooke at Tanner provides.”
In addition to its separate inpatient units for adults, adolescents and children, Willowbrooke at Tanner has a 10,000-square-foot outpatient services building, which provides a range of outpatient behavioral health services, including state-approved Core services for children and adolescents, partial hospitalization programs, group therapy and expressive therapy programs and more. Willowbrooke at Tanner also has office locations that provide outpatient services in Carrollton and Cartersville.
“My team’s goal is to connect clients with the resources they need as soon as possible. We try our best to get people the services and help they need — whatever that facility or program might be,” said Gore. “A couple of things really set Willowbrooke at Tanner apart. One is that we offer a lower level of care at the Tanner Center for Behavioral Health (CBH), which is a combination of the outpatient resources of Willowbrooke at Tanner and therapists who can see patients whether they have commercial insurance or Medicaid, Medicare, etc. Additionally, we pride ourselves on treating children. We just opened a 30-bed inpatient unit specifically for children earlier this year, but we also try to get families involved in home services, where a therapist goes into the home to work with the family and children so that we can help solve issues before situations become a crisis.”
Whatever may be causing your distress or the distress of a family member, the first step is just to make a phone call. For a free, confidential assessment at Willowbrooke at Tanner call 770.812.3995. To learn more, visit www.WillowbrookeAtTanner.org.