By Charlotte Smith
Jeanette Jordan-Huffman, Chief of Quality Management with Eastpointe and Vickie Smith, Director of Bladen County Department of Social Services along with other community leaders helped celebrate National Mental Health Month at the local social services department. Jordan-Huffman announced on Tuesday the unveiling of something new, something innovative, something incredibly exciting.
Mr. William Sellers with Eastpointe, Bladen County East Pointe Board members, Mr. Pait and Mr. Thompson along with Bladen County Commissioner Dr. Ophelia Munn-Goins attended the special event. The group joined together to introduce the Eastpointe Connect freestanding kiosk.
Eastpointe Connect offers a convenient, quick and anonymous way for individuals to answer a series of online questions designed to indicate whether symptoms of mental health condition suggest referral to a local resource for further information and/or treatment, according to Eastpointe representatives. One in five adults in the United States experience mental illness in any given year. The aim for the Eastpointe Connect is to reduce the stigma by making screening for treatable conditions like depression or anxiety as commonplace as blood pressure screening.
The screenings consist of a series of questions designed to indicate whether symptoms of mental health disorder are present. After completing the screening, participants will receive immediate confidential feedback and referral information if need from to local resources.
Jordan-Huffman stated, “This shows Bladen County Department of Social Services and Eastpointe puts this community on the cutting edge of providing mental health and wellness of the community.”
“The Bladen County community is truly fortunate to have a Social Services Department that values and supports the concept of total care for citizens,” Jordan-Huffman said.
Smith stated she was pleased to be able to offer mental health assistance to Bladen County residents at the social services department. She added some of her staff have already received training on the kiosk and she is eager to receive more training from Eastpointe.
Sellers with Eastpointe did say if someone can not make it into the department, but would still like a screening or feels they need assistance they may call, 1-800-913-6109 or visit: http://screening.mentalhealthscreening.org/bladencounty
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