As the nation observes Mental Health Awareness Month, a local mental health expert said she is concerned with the lack of accessible, affordable mental health services in the Upper Cumberland.
Counselor Denise Maynard said affordability and accessibility issues are “a huge problem.” Maynard said along with the stigma of seeking mental health treatment, the cost and time it takes to connect with a trustworthy expert can be some of the biggest barriers for people looking someone to talk to.
“I can’t tell you how many people tell me, like, ‘I have called 15 people and you’re like the first one that would take my call or call me back.,’” Maynard said. “And that just blows my mind because I’m in this to help people and I can not imagine not calling somebody back or not answering the phone. Of course, you can’t always answer the phone because, you know, you might be with another client or something and you don’t always have admin helping you. So those of us that are out there trying our best, you know, I’m going to call you back. So I do think there’s a huge, huge gap in that right now. And hopefully I can help fill that.”
Maynard said she often hears from people who have difficulty finding clinics that are accepting new patients. Additionally, Maynard said while they offer reimbursements, many clinics, including her own, do not take accept insurance.
“Insurance companies actually treating it like physical health because I don’t think it’s always treated the same,” Maynard said. “They tend to limit your visits, they tend to be very low-paying, so it makes therapists not want to accept the insurances. So on that side of it, it’s definitely just getting the insurances more on board with it being just as important as your physical health.”
During an age of notifications and digital distractions, Maynard said it is especially important to unplug and decompress. By meditating, or what she calls ‘groundwork’, Maynard said just five minutes mindfulness per day can lead to lasting mental health improvement.
“I will actually hear people say, ‘Oh, I want to get out of here before the waiting room gets full,’” Maynard said. “So I think there’s a stigma to it, and I think that is a thing that people could be using if they would just take that step to think, it’s not always a bad thing to get some help with your mental health. It could just be something as minute as, ‘I’m having a little bit of anxiety and I can’t fall asleep at night. Could you give me some coping skills?’ It doesn’t have to mean that your life is falling apart because you’re going to therapy.”
Maynard said she suggested group therapy, as it tends to be more affordable than individual sessions. Regardless of how it happens, Maynard said any actions taken towards mindfulness and improving your mental health can have a real impact.
“Just take that step and reach out and, you know, be willing to open up and talk to somebody,” Maynard said. “Even if you can’t afford therapy, look into these groups where you might can do it for $20 a person. Or if all else fails, talk to a trusted friend who’s not going to be judgmental if something’s going on with you.”
Under the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), insurance that covers mental health treatment must offer generally the same coverage as the plan’s physical coverage, including co-pays, deductibles, hospital days and maximum benefit limits.