Help and healing
Resources for mental health
OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, our culture has come a long way in understanding the importance of focusing on mental health. More people today—including experts in the medical field—understand the direct connection between mental health and physical health. Here are some resources right here in Kentucky to help you or a loved one.
Rapid response
Think of Question, Persuade, Refer training like CPR—a quick-acting response that anyone can learn and deploy when someone needs help. QPR training recognizes that anyone, not just medical professionals, can intervene in a mental health crisis. The training teaches people how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, how to talk to someone who may be at risk and how to guide someone to appropriate resources. Offered through UK HealthCare’s Health Kentucky Initiative, QPR training can be accessed at ukhealthcare.com/qpr. Training is available 24/7 and is free and open to anyone.
Emergency options
Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing, or EmPATH, units are carefully designed physical environments that help patients who are experiencing an acute mental health issue receive immediate support. While traditional emergency departments can provide critical care for acute injuries, illnesses, and traumas, they often do not have the resources or staffing to effectively treat individuals in a mental health crisis. At EmPATH units, patients are triaged and assessed quickly, evaluated for up to 23 hours, treated and then immediately connected to services that can help them access the ongoing care they need.
UK HealthCare’s EmPATH Psychiatric Unit is open to adults 18 and over experiencing a behavioral health crisis, which has a broad definition: any mental health problem that impairs people’s ability to perform normal daily functions, take care of themselves, and keep themselves safe. That could include those seeking help for a substance use disorder, those experiencing depression and anxiety, someone who is thinking about self-harm or suicide and more. Patients can be brought in through emergency medical services or can self-refer and bring themselves there.
Online tools
An online service, FindMentalHealthNowKY.org is part of the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center’s collection of online tools to help Kentuckians access resources, particularly for substance use disorder. As an extension of FindHelpNowKY.org—a website that offers real-time information on facilities and providers who have immediate openings for substance use treatment—FindMentalHealthNowKY.org is a dedicated online tool to find immediate openings for mental health care. In addition to its search capabilities, the site provides comprehensive learning materials and resources to support mental health education and awareness. The site allows users to search by location, treatment type and insurance type.
The 988 Lifeline
If you or someone you know is in acute distress, or if you are worried about a friend or loved one or need emotional support, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. You can call, text or chat 988. Learn more here at 988lifeline.org/get-help. KL
LINDSEY JASINSKI, Ph.D., is chief administrative officer at Eastern State Hospital.
