Samaritan opens clinic to increase access to mental health care | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

ROGERS — The recently opened Samaritan Counseling Clinic offers free mental health care to any eligible patient.

The clinic offers individual, group, family and play therapy and is open to clients of all ages, said Kayla Tedder, clinic manager.

“Our goal is to provide quality, compassionate, dignified mental health care to our community in the same way they would in a private clinic,” Tedder said. “They just walk out of here without paying.”

is expanding its offering to meet regional mental health needs.

The nonprofit Samaritan Community Center opened the clinic at its Rogers location on July 1.

The center offers free mental health services to people earning 250 percent or less of the federal poverty level, according to its website. The federal poverty level for a family of four is $31,200, according to healthcare.gov. The clinic accepts Medicaid and similar benefits.

UNFILLED NEEDS

In 2022, 24.7% of U.S. adults with a mental illness reported an unmet need for treatment, according to Mental Health America, a national nonprofit that has been conducting research on mental health since 1909. That number has not changed since 2011, according to Mental Health America’s 2022 State of Mental Health In America survey. The survey compares national and statewide mental health outcomes and access.

Ross DeVol, president and CEO of Heartland Forward, said there is a mental health crisis across the country, but especially in Arkansas, where access to providers is difficult. Heartland Forward is an organization that studies economic trends and provides resources to state and local groups. Heartland advocates for a variety of issues, including accessible and affordable health care.

“Medicaid doesn’t cover all the conditions that people seek help for, so it’s a huge problem,” DeVol said. “It’s very expensive to get access, even if you can find a mental health provider.”

According to GoodTherapy.org, a website that connects therapists with potential clients, an average therapy session costs between $65 and $250.

According to DeVol, addressing mental health issues early can have great benefits for patients and their families.

“They progress; the conditions get worse,” DeVol said of untreated mental illness. “Then the costs and consequences are even more serious. The studies show that if you can treat mental illness early, you can avoid more serious consequences later.”

These consequences include reduced economic output and absenteeism, which can result in lost wages and family strain. DeVol said untreated mental illness can also lead to substance abuse as a form of self-medication.

ACCESS TO CARE

More than 20% of adults in Arkansas struggle with mental illness, according to a 2022 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The national average is 19.86%.

Tedder said barriers to mental health care include access, stigma and cost. She first worked at the nonprofit as a social worker in health advocacy. She said she saw an intense need for accessible mental health care.

She said working with clients who indicated they needed mental health services but couldn’t access them was discouraging, but it inspired her to pursue her master’s degree in social work and become a counselor.

Now, as the clinic manager, she oversees care and will eventually work one-on-one with clients, she says.

Tedder said interested clients do not need to use other Samaritan programs, such as their food bank or free meal program, to access counseling services.

She said mental health issues can be more easily addressed if basic needs are met, and she can connect clients with Samaritan programs if needed.

SLIDE BOWL

Ozark Guidance is another facility that provides low-cost mental health care in Northwest Arkansas.

Brian Davis, chief clinical officer of Arisa Health, the parent company of Ozark Guidance, said 26% of clients used the sliding scale program between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

The company has clinics in 41 counties in Arkansas and served 52,466 patients in fiscal 2023, he said.

Northwest Arkansas patients accounted for more than 42% of the 13,643 patients who used sliding scale services in fiscal year 2023, Davis said. The sliding scale fee starts at $25 per session, he said, and increases based on income and the federal poverty level. Free sessions are rare, he said, but they are sometimes used during crisis care.

Davis said Ozark Guidance also works with clients and their families on payment plans, if $25 per session is too much.

“When it comes to mental health, things are improving,” Davis said. “But they’re still far from where they need to be.”

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