Mental Health

Objective 1: Better access to local mental health services and providers including referral for outpatient services

Jersey Community Hospital employs a full-time psychiatrist in the JCH Psychiatry Clinic located in the McDow building on the campus of the hospital. She is available for consultations 5 days a week.

Jersey Community Hospital has a relationship with Locust Street Resource Center to provide counseling services at the hospital three days a week. Locust Street is also available to respond to crisis calls through the Emergency Department.

A relationship with Chestnut Health Systems is being developed through several grants, both state and federally funded. The relationship with Chestnut will be another resource for mental health services, including substance and opioid abuse. Chestnut Health Systems also sees adolescents, which is very beneficial.

Jersey Community Hospital was awarded a three-year HRSA Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Grant which started August 1, 2019. With this grant, a full time licensed clinical social worker, LCSW, was hired to provide outpatient behavioral health assessments as well as counseling sessions.

Objective 2: Community education to provide mental health awareness and reduce the stigma of seeking mental healthcare

Jersey Community Hospital was notified in August 2019 that we have received a three-year HRSA MAT Expansion grant. The MAT (Medication Assistance Treatment) grant will allow for an additional LCSW to be hired to assist with counseling services, specific to mental health and substance abuse, as well as additional allied health professional. The MAT clinic will focus on improving the health and well-being of patients that have an addiction to opioids. Several current Jersey Community Hospital Medical Group providers already have the certification required to provide this service and others are in the process of getting it. Throughout this program, the providers and LCSW will help educate the patients in the community about how important mental health awareness is, as well as helping reduce the stigma associated with it.

Objective 3: Education for seniors about available local mental health services

Objective 4: Basic mental health training and resources for schools and others involved with youth in the community

Through a Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, grant, Jersey Community Hospital will be partnering with Chestnut Health Systems to assist with mental health training for educators as well as physicians. The HRSA Rural Communities Response to Opioid Program – Planning Grant has provided the funding and additional resources to help with this training, as well as identify other areas of need in the community related to mental health services.

Objective 5: Address the issue of middle school and high school youth self-medicating with illegal drugs

Jersey County Against Drugs (JCAD), is a program that is geared towards youths between the ages of 11 and 18. The goal of this organization, which is made up of students, school personnel and community members, is to prevent and reduce the use of underage drug use, including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription medications and illegal drugs. In 2019, JCAD sponsored Tony Hoffman coming to speak at the schools. Tony is a recovering addict who has had success in the BMX world, as well as helping bring awareness about the strength of the addiction and what opportunities exist post addiction. JCAD is also very involved in activities geared towards keeping the youth off the streets, including after-prom activities, dodge ball night out and many more. The students who have provided feedback on the work that JCAD is doing is very positive.

Objective 6: Education for parenting skills for young parents including coping, responsibility and ‘breaking the cycle’ of dysfunctionality and absence of wellness.

Implementation Strategy – Education and Single Source of Information

Objective 1: Education and creation of a single information source concerning Meals on Wheels and other local services, including availability and cost explanations for all counties in the services area.

Improving Local Access to Specialty Services

Objective 1: Improve local access to specialist services including dermatology, endocrinology, neurology, orthopedics, rheumatology, and dental services.

Jersey Community Hospital offers several specialty services. Some of the recent additions include a second orthopedic provider, Beth Dalrymple-Woods, AHP a second general surgeon, Dr. Timothy Ruff, with a broad scope of services. Dr. Lauren McCarthy, podiatry and Dr. William Thom, interventional pain are also new specialty providers. Information on these providers, along with our other providers, can be found here.

Jersey Community Hospital continues to collaborate with Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield to provide an Outpatient Telehealth program. Through this collaboration, residents of Jersey, Greene and Calhoun Counties have the ability to schedule appointments with SIU physicians and not have to travel to Springfield. Some of the specialties available via telehealth are dermatology, rheumatology, endocrinology, neurology, and several pediatric specialties. The telehealth visits are done in the McDow Clinic, on the campus of Jersey Community Hospital. In order to request a specialty visit via telehealth, the patient needs to work with their Primary Care Physician who will make a referral. Some of the specialties may require an in-person visit in Springfield prior to doing follow up visits via telehealth.

Jersey Community Hospital continues to actively recruit specialty providers, primary care providers and expand our telehealth offerings.