Sioux Falls, South Dakota (KELO) — Accessing mental health care in Sioux Falls isn’t as easy as finding and booking a therapist online.
new Study at Augustana University shows that residents face a range of barriers when seeking mental health care, ranging from costs to waiting lists to access to transportation. Beacom Research Fellows Brianna Pitz and José Cruz Medina worked with local mental health providers and community members to identify community needs.
“They reached out to health care providers, put up leaflets, recruited not only health care providers in the mental health field, but also community members, both predominantly English speakers and predominantly Spanish speakers, to A focus group was held, said Suzanne Smith, Associate Vice President, Enterprise Data Analytics.
In South Dakota, the suicide rate is 21 per 100,000, higher than the national suicide rate of 13.93 per 100,000. In Minnehaha County, the mortality rate is 17.6 per 100,000 of his. Sioux Falls has several mental health resources, including the Link Community Triage Center, Falls Community Health, and the 211 Helpline Center. There are also various non-profit organizations focused on suicide prevention and mental health, but research has shown that community members lack the resources and knowledge they need. access them.
Shortage of providers as demand for services grows
Lost & Found Executive Director Erik Muckey and Smith agree. Crisis management is important when it comes to mental health, but points out that more awareness and access to services are needed to prevent reaching that crisis point.
“Does real prevention, primary prevention, really focus on how to train people to talk?” McKee explained. “If someone comes and talks about what they are facing, how do you make sure they have the tools they need? We train people to build pretty much anything they carry with them in their lives, so they know where to go and the gist of this report is to actually educate people on how to ask for help.”
According to the survey, people are at a loss as to where to start researching mental health resources and rely on search engines to navigate the process. Even if you manage to find a service that meets your needs, you are likely to face another obstacle. It’s a waiting list.
One of the people the researchers interviewed said they heard from someone who contacted five providers but was turned down because of their request. That wait can last for months, which health care providers say doesn’t help patients who are currently seeking help.
“And it’s really disappointing that someone has to wait months to finally get to the point of pursuing[treatment],” said one community member.
Psychiatrist wait times may be even longer, research notes.
Part of the reason the demand is so high is the shortage of counselors. This is because the licensing process is lengthy and complicated, and studies have found that turnover is high as counselors work to complete the required hours. This can affect mental health providers serving low-income patients using a sliding scale that causes counselors to become overworked and unable to take on more clients.
“Being a lawyer was easier than being a counselor,” said one donor, comparing the process of becoming a counselor with her previous experience as a lawyer.
In addition to the general shortage of counselors and psychiatrists, McKee and Smith say there is a growing need for diversity within the profession.
“I think it’s well known that there is a huge shortage of providers, especially psychiatrists, but for people to actually find care knowing they are not represented as mental health professionals. They feel comfortable and confident when they go through these steps of they will find someone who meets their needs.It is probably one of the most powerful messages we have seen. I think it was,” McKee said.
For some people, basic needs are a hurdle to care
Another area the researchers highlighted is the overlap between mental health needs and basic needs.
“So if people don’t have cars and are struggling to access transportation and medical care, that’s a whole other hurdle to get to some of the emergency services in town. “But you have to walk about a mile and a half to actually get to the front door. It’s not realistic to overcome when you’re in a crisis, is it?” Smith said.
People who do not have access to reliable transportation should use public transportation to access medical care. This can be difficult as a driver shortage has forced the Sioux Area Metro (SAM) to reduce departures and reduce the number of lines in the city. SAM isn’t spread out to every corner of Sioux Falls even when it’s full, making it difficult to rely on depending on where you live and what services you need to access. For one stakeholder interviewed, this was a point of frustration.
“I had a client who was in severe emotional distress or had a booking with Avera Behavioral. , I’m asking them to hop on a public transit bus, get off, and walk 1.2 miles on a busy highway to Avera Behavioral. I was.
Community members cited in the survey also said there is no direct bus route to Falls Community Health.
Dealing with stigma
Campaigns like Lost & Found’s 30 days, 30 stories Reduce stigma around mental health and encourage people to speak more openly about their own struggles.Muckey explained that community campaigns like this also help show people how to find resources. .
“Actually, I think the current gap that we’re seeing from this data really shows where we are. We’re getting people’s attention, people have problems, and there’s something that can be done. I know how can I train people as much as possible and get them as educated as possible, this is my resource, this is my experience, this is my actual care. And ultimately, it helps us understand it better when we think about the providers out there,” McKee explained.
Some community members interviewed may want to talk about mental health, but cultural and generational differences can make it difficult. Older adults in South Dakota may have “stubborn individualism” attitudes that make it difficult to seek help when they are struggling.
The study found that stigma is also prevalent in the Hispanic community, where there is an instinct to seek help from family rather than community resources.
“From personal experience in the Hispanic community, mental illness is like a taboo, not talked about much. And often they don’t believe in psychology or even western medicine,” said one community member.
where from here
Once the research is complete, Muckey said the organizations that collaborated on the project can use the findings in their educational campaigns.
“For us as an organization, given our unique focus on youth and young adults and our very data-driven approach, when we think about the tools we offer, the I think it’s kind of like, I think about the mental health guide, it’s a basic way for people to understand and this is what mental health is and what the effects look like,” McKee said. .
There are also opportunities for future collaboration between existing providers and resources to prevent duplication of existing services.
“We now have the tools to say we have the language of what this looks like in Sioux Falls. Validate and give you the words to say,” Mackie continued. What can I do to make it possible?”
The research will focus on outreach to more communities to help manage resources, recruit, train mental health professionals, improve basic needs such as better wages, housing, food security and transportation. is recommended.
“People living with mental illness already face many barriers, and the challenge of finding and obtaining mental health care should not be one,” the study concludes.
