Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Last Thursday, the outdoor dining area at Locust Hill was the site of a special event held by Seneca Health Services. As one of six provisional status CCBHCs – Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers – in West Virginia, Seneca is expanding its coverage area to now serve Greenbrier, Nicholas, Pocahontas and Webster counties with offices and online services.
Seneca Health CEO Marcie Vaughan explained that the event was held to highlight the services offered and the collaborations taking place in the communities they serve.
“We decided to take five different topics and present what we call our ‘power partnership,’” she said. “We know that the issues that we face with behavioral health are not going to be addressed by Seneca alone. We are partnering with law enforcement, with school systems, with hospitals, with primary care, because the issues that we face are going to take everyone being a part of the solution.”
The topics included crisis services, case management, care coordination, medical and therapy services and medication assisted treatment.
“We have a very responsible medical-assisted treatment program in which people can get medication to keep them comfortable while they learn to live life without drugs,” Vaughan said. “Our case management program talks about the extent that our employment reaches in the different counties that we serve. We employ a lot of people in all the counties in which we operate.”
In addition to having office hours for individuals to seek help, Seneca Health also has tele-health options in-office or for those who have reliable Internet service at home.
“We actually have erased county lines in our service delivery,” Vaughan explained. “We have individuals who can come into our center on Third Avenue in Marlinton and sit in front of our equipment and connect with a medical provider, a psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, a therapist, a peer coach, in any of our locations.
“For those who have reliable cell service or broadband, you can use your own personal device, eliminating the need for transportation,” she continued. “We have a HIPPA secure network in which they can receive their medication visit, their therapy session, anything, using technology.”
There is also a mobile clinic that comes to Hillsboro once a week where individuals can use one of two tele-health rooms for their sessions.
During the event at Locust Hill, visitors had the chance to talk with Seneca Health employees Jeremy Nicholas, crisis coordinator; Tonya Hargis, crisis peer support specialist; Mital Patel, clinical director; Amanda Deitz, program director; and Kimberly Raleigh, director of nursing.
For more information on Seneca Health Services, visit shsinc.org or call 888-736-3229.
