Welcome to my first high season (well, my first not affected by COVID to any great extent). It’s busy, and it takes more time to do things – check out at the grocery, get across U.S. 1, etc. The point is, I have been a little busier and am lucky to get an article written right now.
In January, I wrote an article on the suicide rate in Monroe County and gave some national resources that folks can use if they or someone they know needs help. What I didn’t mention was all of the great work our own county health folks do and how accessible they are.
After reading my article, the regional vice president for the Guidance/Care Center reached out and gave me some resources that her group and others in the county have available. The center is a local mental health center, but that really doesn’t come close to what it does; it offers a comprehensive array of services with sites in Key Largo, Marathon and Key West. It offers inpatient and outpatient services, crisis care and support, detox, inmate mental health and addiction services, school support, psychiatric services and preventative services.
Most importantly in regard to suicide prevention and care, there is a Mobile Crisis Response Team (MRT). This team offers 24-hour triage for all Monroe County residents and provides crisis response in order to avoid the need for psychiatric hospitalization, emergency room utilization or jail. It also serves as a link to community-based behavioral health services. The MRT hotline is 305-434-7660, option #8.
People can also walk into any Guidance/Care Center site for help. Locations and more are at www.guidancecarecenter.org.
The Guidance/Care Center does not operate all of this without being part of a team. On a quarterly basis, leaders from a myriad of agencies meet as part of the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Planning Committee, which helps focus community assets where they are most needed as well as help with future planning to ensure services are available as needs change. The agencies include, in no particular order, the Monroe County School District, Department of Corrections, Department of Children and Families Substance Abuse & Mental Health (SAMH) office, Lower Keys Medical Center, Monroe County Coalition, Monroe County Department of Health, Catholic Charities, Key West Police Department, Monroe 16th Circuit Drug Court, Healthy Start, Grieving Families, Anchors Away and the Guidance/Care Center
The point is, there is help out there. We have great local resources available to us, and they want to help you or your loved ones in times of need. We all have our own personal mental health issues, and all of us can use some help at least once in a while.
Have a great week, and be healthier today than you were yesterday!Thanks to Maureen Dunleavy, regional vice president, Guidance/Care Center for providing the information for this column.
