Call for mental health services unanswered
Feb. 11—GRANGEVILLE — Nearly two years after a group of Idaho and Lewis county officials met to brainstorm ways to bring a mental health crisis, recovery or outreach center to the local area, the goal remains out of reach.
"Nobody is picking it up," said Jim Rehder, of Cottonwood, chairperson of the Region 2 Behavioral Health Board. "Officials haven't picked it up and run with it. People are supportive — they say they are. But there's nobody taking any kind of action. We're stuck in a rut and not going anywhere at all."
When the group met in April 2022, people talked about the urgency of having a mental health services center as close to home as possible. Although there is a crisis center in Lewiston, a recovery center in Moscow and an outreach center in Orofino, there are no such resources in Idaho or Lewis counties.
At the time, Rehder said not having nearby services, "could be a life-changing experience and you need support to help when you have the tendency to relapse. Driving long distances is not a successful way to keep people out of hospitals, jails and prisons."
Micah Weber, of Cottonwood, is a former elementary school teacher who recently reached out to the Behavioral Health Board asking for guidance in how to get mental health services especially aimed toward school-age children established in Idaho County.
Weber has taught for 25 years — most recently at Grangeville and Cottonwood. She said she has seen extreme behavior such as property destruction, violence and threats of violence or suicide, and running away among several of her former students. As an educator she was neither trained nor prepared on how best to handle those situations.
"I would have kids come through my classroom that weren't ready for what I was giving them," Weber said. "They weren't ready to be educated. They needed counseling; they needed therapy; maybe their parents needed support. So I feel like we need to be giving our community something that they need. Whether it's a temporary something that they're going through or if their child has been diagnosed with something that they will struggle with their entire life. We need options for them."
Joyce Lyons, Rural Crisis Response Project Manage for Public Health — District 2, said groups have been working on this problem for about seven years and are no closer to resolving it.
"It's hard up there; we need a champion," Lyons said. "It's just a horrific problem for that area."
One of the main obstacles is finding a physical local where a mental health services center can be located. Lyons said the existing Camas Professional Counseling has been mentioned as a potential partner to provide services. But the building in which the business is located is on a month-to-month lease and the owner has indicated the building might be demolished. Lyons said putting a mental health center there would not be a good investment of taxpayer dollars.
She suggested community members in Idaho and Lewis counties continue to identify what services are already available and what sort of services are most needed. Because of the sparse population of the area, she added, state dollars are generally aimed toward places with more residents.
"Not being able to find resources is very frustrating," Lyons said.
Rehder agreed that the area is at a disadvantage because of the small population.
"We just do not have, in the rural areas, the capacity to get it done, and it's frustrating," Rehder said. "I have a large group of contacts ... and nobody has said, 'We have a facility you can use.' It's not happening at all."
For Weber, the issue is a matter of justice.
"When your house is on fire, you make a phone call and people come," she said. "If you have a car accident or break a leg, you go to the doctor. We need someplace where these people can call and have help when they need it. Teletherapy is lovely but for a 4-, 5- or 6-year-old child, teletherapy is not what we need.
"We need a place where they can go where they can be safe, and especially if they're in a place where there's violence. What can we do and how do we bring more attention to mental health care on the prairie?
"I just know the need is there," Weber added. "We've got such a stigma on mental health care in this country, which is sad. But we need to invest in our kids. Our kids are counting on us and they deserve to have help while they're little, when they need it."
Hedberg may be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com.
