Where can you go to find help?
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Talking with friends and family can improve mental health. You can share your struggles, receive practical and emotional support and feel encouraged about your life.
But you likely will need help from a professional mental health provider at some point in your life.
Whether an acute or ongoing issue, connecting with a provider can make a big difference in improving your mental health. Finding a provider can seem daunting.
“Despite the need, there remains a disparity between the need for behavioral health services and the availability of providers,” said Monique Winnett, clinical psychologist at St. Joseph’s Health. “Initiating a dialogue with your primary care provider or other healthcare provider can always be a good starting point.”
Healthcare providers have referral lists of mental healthcare providers in the area and also likely have an idea of someone that would make a good fit for your needs.
Winnett said that it’s also important to call your insurance company to see which therapists are within your network. Out-of-network providers will cost more or could even be entirely out of pocket and those expenses will add up quickly as these issues tend to take time to resolve.
“There is a lot of variability among behavioral health providers training and areas of proficiency,” Winnett added. “It is always recommended that you find someone with experience in treating your specific conditions and that you work to engage with a therapist who uses evidence -based treatments to increase your likelihood of having a remission in your symptoms.”
John Ringhisen, board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at Upstate Medical University, also said that it’s important to figure out the kind of provider and services that are needed.
“Do you want medication? You need a psychiatric provider, such as a nurse practitioner specifically licensed in psychiatry, a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. If you only want talk therapy, do you want someone qualified to do testing? You need a clinical psychologist. If testing isn’t important, then someone to work through issues and skills like a licensed clinical social worker may be a better fit.”
Ringhisen directs the psychiatric nurse practitioner fellowship at Upstate and the ADHD Clinic, as well as serving as an adjunct professor at the Norton School of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Any previous diagnoses should also be noted, such as autism, ADHD, borderline personality or substance use.
“These may require more specialized and comprehensive care or multiple providers,” Ringhisen added. “Be persistent and patient. Finding a mental health provider is more personal and may require a few sessions before you can really determine whether it’s a good fit for both you and the provider.”
National Alliance of Mental Illness maintains a site with helpful articles about mental illness, along with a list of crisis lines and providers who can provide scheduled sessions for mental health. The local chapter is NAMI Syracuse (www.namisyracuse.org).
Other resources for finding help include www.betterhelp.com, and the department of health (Onondaga County, http://www.ongov.net/health; Oswego County, https://health.oswegocounty.com; Cayuga County, https://www.cayugacounty.us/1850/Health-Department).
Therapists understand that you need time to determine if you’re a good fit with that therapist. It’s OK to speak with a few different therapists until you find one that feels right.