Joshua Peck
What should you do when a relative or friend is in serious psychological distress?
Northeast Georgia residents may have thought about it once or twice, particularly at those moments when violence erupts at the hands of a mentally ill person, as occurred in Atlanta on May 3. A man, apparently with a history of mental illness, opened fire in a hospital waiting room, killing one woman and wounding four other people.
Often, after a violent incident, the media report that people around a suspected shooter knew she or he was having psychological issues, but almost as often, we learn that people close to the shooter didn’t know what to do, even as they witnessed the person in mental decline.
Habersham County mental health professionals offered some advice recently to good citizens who want to help their relatives, friends, or neighbors get help when they are feeling emotional or psychological pain.
You’re on their side
Dr. Whitney Kleinert, a psychologist based in Clarkesville, says the area is plagued by a significant shortage of trained mental health professionals locally, but plentiful help is still available online and by phone. “One thing they did is make the National Suicide Hotline number easier to remember,” she says. “It used to be a confusing long number; now you just dial 988, and you’ll be talking to a trained counselor.”
Kleinert, who grew up in Cornelia and earned her Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts, said the important thing when a relative or friend is in distress is to make sure they know you’re on their side.
The psychologist said it is fine to call the national suicide hotline, even if you are not the person in distress. “They can walk you through the steps,” she said, “and help you figure out how to cope with a bad situation.”
“Some of what they will tell you is pretty basic,” she continued. “Remove all weapons, cleaning chemicals, and laundry detergent from the home – those are the things a person in distress is likeliest to use to hurt herself or possibly others.”
And then, Kleinert adds: “Don’t insist they take themselves to the hospital; offer to go with them, so you make clear it’s your mutual issue and you want to support them...Rather than saying ‘I think YOU have a problem,’ ask them a question – ‘Do you think it might be a good idea for US to go to the hospital?’” You’re much more likely to get a positive response, she said.
Avita’s range of services
Cindy Levi is the CEO of Avita Partners, which offers behavioral health services to 13 counties across northeast Georgia. The agency works closely with area hospitals – including Habersham Medical Center – local governments, schools, law enforcement, and other community partners, she said.
Like other therapists contacted for this article, Levi said that “988” is the number of first resort when experiencing a mental health emergency, but acknowledged that many people will be reluctant to call that number or “911” if no immediate threat seems to be looming.
Levi described the comprehensive range of services that Avita offers, from crisis counseling to addiction treatment – many of them free, or priced on a sliding scale according to an individual’s income – offered at its outpatient clinic in Demorest, and overnight services in Gainesville where people can get help for themselves or loved ones.
If a neighbor is in distress, Levi said, “you can call The Georgia Crisis and Access Line or chat or text with their helpline. They can easily be reached using the “myGCAL” app on any smartphone. If necessary, a trained professional will come to the door and check in on the person you’re concerned about and will offer a variety of services to help ease the situation.
“If they need help, we have mental health services where people can just walk in 24 hours a day, like an emergency department for mental health issues,” she said. In Gainesville, Avita has a center where people can obtain a free assessment from professionals. There is room at the inn, she says: “It has capacity for 15 in the Temporary Observation Unit and 30 beds for Crisis Stabilization and substance detoxification.”
Dr. Kleinert’s office can be reached at : 802-404-APBS (802-404-2727). Avita’s Demorest office is at (706) 894-3700, and the general number in Gainesville is (678) 513-5700.
The national suicide/crisis hotline is 988. That’s 24 hours, seven days a week. And the mobile crisis center for Georgia is at (800) 715-4225. That number also works any day, at any hour.
Joshua M. Peck is a freelance journalist and media relations specialist based in Clarkesville. This article is the first in a two-part series.