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Rockbridge Area Community Services Receives $200,000 Grant

A collaborative grant between Rockbridge Area Community Services (RACS), Alleghany Highlands Community Services, the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic, and the Alleghany Highlands Free Clinic was one of only nine grants in Virginia that was recently awarded under a new initiative to provide uninsured Virginians with treatment for basic mental health services. RACS will serve as the lead agency for the local collaborative in partnership.

The initiative known as A New Lease on Life: Health for Virginians with Mental Illness is a collaborative effort of the Virginia Health Care Foundation, the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards, the Virginia Association of Free Clinics, the Virginia Community Healthcare Association, and the Office of then Attorney General McDonnell.

In announcing the grants at a press conference in Richmond, Governor McDonnell explained that half the funding ($1 million) came from settlements he made with national pharmacy benefits companies in 2008 as Attorney General. McDonnell had then challenged the Virginia Health Care Foundation to raise an additional $1 million to match it. The Governor added, “I am delighted to see the collaboration that led to this innovative initiative…for developing such a creative approach that addresses a huge need, and paves the way for delivering greatly needed mental health services to uninsured Virginians.” 

According to Wendy Morgan, RACS’ grant writer and Manager of Prevention Services, “Uninsured and low income residents of our area who are dealing with anxiety, stress, depression, and other basic mental health issues currently have limited treatment options. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop new resources to provide individual and group services for these issues at the free clinics in Rockbridge and Alleghany.”

John Young, RACS’ Director of Clinical Services explained, “The service areas for these four agencies who are partnering in this initiative overlap, with RACS providing services in Rockbridge and Bath counties and Alleghany Highlands Community Services providing services in Alleghany County. However, the service areas of the two free clinics are a little different with Bath County residents going to Alleghany’s free clinic. So combining forces, with all four agencies participating, was a natural solution to service delivery in our area.”                                              

According to 2008 data, depression and anxiety were among the top three diagnoses for patients in Virginia’s free clinics, after diabetes and hypertension. Suzanne Sheridan, Executive Director of the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic said, “We are pleased to be able to offer basic mental health services to people suffering from depression and anxiety.  We anticipate that these services will have a positive impact, not only on the person's mental health but also on their physical well-being.”

Grant funds have allowed RACS to hire a counselor who is dividing her time between the two free clinics. The grant is also providing funding for psychiatric consultations to ensure appropriate medication management for free clinic patients.

Luanne Osborne, AHFC’s Executive Director stated, “Patients at the Alleghany Highlands Free Clinic will receive great benefit from having a counselor and psychiatrist on site.  Partnering with Alleghany Highlands Community Services, Rockbridge Area Community Services and Rockbridge Area Free Clinic has led to more accessible mental health services.”

Quo Vadis, Director of Clinical Services at Alleghany Highlands Community Services also had high praise for the new initiative. “This new initiative will assist so many in the Alleghany Highlands Community to receive a much needed service. Access to behavioral healthcare without barriers is extremely important.  This grant will provide a tremendous opportunity.”

MaryAnn Bergeron, Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards (VACSB), commenting on the new initiative stated that the project is “a cutting-edge program that brings the expertise of mental health professionals to the state’s health care safety net, and reduces the stigma of mental health treatment by providing it in a medical setting.”

Area residents desiring additional information should contact their local free clinic.

"A New Lease on Life" - Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

May is Mental Health Month, a tradition begun in 1949. This year’s theme "Live Your Life Well," challenges us to promote health and wellness in our homes, our schools and our communities.

As we consider ways that we as a community can work together to ensure the mental health of all of our citizens, it is important to also reflect on some of the tragedies that have impacted us as a community and as a nation. It is only through reflection and remembrance that we will move forward and take the necessary steps to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.

This past month was the anniversary of several significant tragedies that have impacted our own community in many ways. Close to the hearts of many in our area, is the shooting that occurred at Virginia Tech three years ago on April 16th, when a mentally disturbed young man killed 32 people and wounded many others before committing suicide. I believe that massacre is considered to be the deadliest peacetime shooting incident by a single gunman in United States history, on or off a school campus.

April 20th marked the 10th anniversary of the Columbine massacre in which 13 were killed and many more injured on the grounds of Columbine High School in Colorado. As a result of that terrible tragedy, a world acclaimed program called Rachel’s Challenge was developed which helps students, families and the community work together to address bullying and violence. The Rachel’s Challenge program has been incorporated into the schools in our area to help empower students to develop compassion and start a chain reaction of kindness in their schools and communities.

At the heart of both of these mass tragedies was evidence of mental illness that was either undetected or untreated. It is sad that our society speaks openly about so many topics that were once unspeakable, yet remains silent when it comes to mental illness. By allowing an illness that we don’t understand to frighten and embarrass us, we end up marginalizing the very people who most need our help. As a community we must work to erase the stigma of mental illness so that people can seek professional help before a potential tragedy occurs.

One of the ways we are doing that at Rockbridge Area Community Services is to develop collaborative networks with other providers to make mental health resources available to all of our citizens regardless of income. A new initiative called “A New Lease on Life” has been started with grant funding from the Virginia Health Care Foundation. This project will put mental health professionals in place at the Rockbridge and Alleghany Free Clinics to help provide treatment for basic mental health services to uninsured residents. We sincerely hope this initiative will grow and be sustained by caring members of our local communities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by the year 2020 mental illness will be the second leading cause of death and disability. Then every society will have to confront the issue. The lessons of Columbine, Virginia Tech and so many smaller scale tragedies teach us that we can’t wait.

Sincerely,

Wendy Morgan, Manager of Prevention Services

Donna Mauck, Manager of Emergency Services
John Young, Director of Clinical Services

ROCKBRIDGE AREA COMMUNITY SERVICES

 RACS Board of Directors Meeting Minutes are available.

March 24, 2010 Minutes

February 24, 2010 Minutes

January 27, 2010 Minutes

RACS Prevention Newsletters available below:

April 2010 Prevention Newsletter

May 2010 Prevention Newsletter

June 2010 Prevention Newsletter