One in three people will develop a serious mental health problem at some point in their life. One in ten will suffer from substance abuse. Of those, only 25% of people will seek treatment for their mental health problem while an even slimmer 10% will get help with their addiction.
These are frightening statistics for a close knit community where most everyone knows a family member, co-worker or friend that has suffered from mental health or addiction issues. However, Karen Dolan from Four Corners Behavioral Health knows that people are not just statistics, they are friends and family that need treatment that works.
“Treatment works and recovery is possible,” Dolan stated at a recent BEAR meeting. “We need to help people stay stable in the community.”
While family support and personal treatment sometimes work, they are often not enough. For those times, Four Corners is available to assist.
The nonprofit organization was formed in 1975 by Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties. Years later, Four Corners operates with all of the founding counties, excluding San Juan, to make up one of the 13 behavioral health authorities in Utah that functions on Medicaid, various contracts and grants.
Four Corners Community Behavioral Health provides outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services. The variety of services is broad but can be tailored to each patient. Services include assessment and diagnosis, DUI assessment and classes, individual, family and group therapy, evaluation for medication, medication management, skills development, case management, intensive substance use disorder outpatient services, psychosocial rehabilitation services, residential support and crisis services.
Dolan explained that while these services are readily available to the community, a social stigma often keeps people from seeking treatment. Other roadblocks for treatment include the inability to afford the financial side of maintaining mental health.
As a result, many people suffering from these issues end up in jail or prison.
“Prison is so much more expensive than out patient treatment,” Dolan said regarding taxes. Therefore, it is recommended to seek prevention and early treatment. According to Dolan, 85% of people in prison are substance abusers. “The asylums of yesterday are the jails of today.”
However, Dolan is confident about future prevention and treatment for mental health patients and substance abusers. According to her, the Affordable Care Act and prevention programs in schools may help those in need to find treatment as well as raise community awareness and support for those suffering from behavioral health issues.
Four Corners has four locations that are readily accessible for members of the community as well as 24/7 emergency support for crisis situation. Locations are as follows:
Carbon County/Price
575 East 100 South
Price, Utah 84501
(435) 637-2358
Emery County/Castle Dale
45 East 200 South
Castle Dale, Utah 84513
(435) 381-2432
Grand County/Moab
198 East Center Street
Moab, Utah 84532
(435) 259-6131
Green River Outreach Clinic
GR Medical Center
585 West Main Street
Green River, Utah 84525
(435) 564-3434