Behavioral Health
Experiencing anxiety, depression, or other forms of mental illness? You are not alone. Staff at our Health Center can help.
Physical health and behavioral health are strongly linked. For example, depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States and is tied to a shorter lifespan. Depression can lead to complaints of physical pain, substance use and a sedentary lifestyle, and then complications from that behavior including heart disease. Or, take the reverse: primary care patients who experience chronic pain are four times more likely to have depression or anxiety than patients who are pain-free.
At Pillars Community Health, we provide integrated primary medical and behavioral health care, a model developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Staff take a team approach to treating the whole patient—not just their physical needs but also their mental health and social needs. By regularly meeting, sharing information, and having access to patient records, staff from our Medical, Dental, and Behavioral Health teams can coordinate care to improve the overall health of each patient.
Patients of our Health Center can also receive Behavioral Health Services.
Our Services
Patients at our Community Health Center receive:
- Annual screenings for depression, anxiety, domestic violence, and substance use during their first medical visit of the year
- Peri- and post-partum depression screenings (for pregnancy and post-pregnancy)
- An appropriate level of behavioral health care as needed, which may include check-ins during medical visits, brief intervention therapy (focused on helping the patient find solutions), or outpatient therapy services
- Coordinated psychiatry services at our Medical Center and Fillmore Center, for patients who need medication management for psychiatric disorders
- Referral as needed to other programs at Pillars Community Health including (but not limited to) Community Support Team, Substance Use Disorder Services, and Domestic and Sexual Violence Services
Breaking the Stigma
One in five Americans has a diagnosable mental illness. Yet 2/3 of individuals with mental illness go without treatment, due to an inability to access care or stigma about the illness. This program helps to change the perception of mental illness, by making a mental health check part of the medical appointment. Interested in a presentation to your community group, school, or organization about mental health? We are available to provide education to the community and regularly provide outreach through presentations, health fairs, and partnerships.