The team at Crossroads Health provides behavioral and mental health support to the residents of Lake County
By Patricia Nugent
This month, a merger that has been years in the making becomes official: Crossroads Health of Lake County and Beacon Health have united to provide a full spectrum of behavioral and mental health care to the residents of Lake County.
“The merger will allow us to provide a continuum of recovery care and mental health programs for the entire family unit in a more streamlined manner,” says Crossroads Health CEO Mike Matoney. “We serve people in need at all ages and stages of life—from young children to adolescents, young adults, adults and families. One of our core values is commitment to clients and this merger will help us be more effective in meeting the community’s needs.”
Spread over five locations, schools, detention centers, community centers and in people’s homes, the multidisciplinary staff at Crossroads encompasses psychiatrists, social workers, mental health specialists, counselors and educators to offer the broadest range of care fit to the needs of each individual.
The comprehensive slate of services includes:
• Early childhood services
• School-based and consultation training and education
• Psychiatric and medication management
• Intensive services
• Substance use disorders and dual diagnosis services
• Outpatient services
• Specialized services
• Criminal justice services
Ensuring Safety in the Home
Shayna Jackson, who is chief clinical officer of adult services, explains that one of the functions of Crossroads Health’s client-centric care is that they have a team of social workers that can go into a person’s home in a supportive and preventive capacity when a mental health crisis happens.
“Within hours of a hotline call, we will be at the home, offering everything from assessment to safety planning, crisis planning and whatever is needed to keep the patient in their home, as we find they generally do better in their own homes than in an in-patient hospital setting,” says Shayna. “Whether a crisis or ongoing care, our case managers go to people’s homes and meet with them in an environment in which they feel most comfortable.”
They also treat substance abuse.
“Studies have shown a direct correlation between childhood trauma and the mental health issues that can lead to addiction, so we address the root cause to help people on their path to healing,” she adds. “The earlier we can treat someone, the better. We hope people don’t wait until they’ve hit the proverbial ‘rock bottom.’”
Mike also explains that they actively treat the population in jails, working with the Mentor Municipal Court to offer treatment to inmates with mental health issues.
Decreasing the Stigma
“Over the past several years, we find that the stigma surrounding mental health issues has dropped,” says Mike. “Several celebrities have gone public with their struggles, and we’ve seen that families seem more open to reaching out for help. It takes real courage for a person to reach out and make that phone call. The people we serve have unique needs, and I’m proud of how we tailor our services to develop a plan that fits their needs and journey to recovery.”
As a broad-based organization, Mike reports that they also offer support services to family members of those they serve.
“We do lots of family coaching to help people learn how to talk to a loved one who has mental health challenges,” he says. “We also offer a caregiver support group that meets the first and third Tuesday of every month.”
Look for monthly stories in Mimi Magazine covering the many branches of Crossroads Health.
Crossroads Health is a community-based 501(C)(3) nonprofit with five main locations in Lake County: 8445 Munson Road in Mentor, 9220 Mentor Avenue in Mentor, 1083 Mentor Avenue in Painesville, 35104 Euclid Avenue, Suite 300 in Willoughby, and 2 Success Boulevard at Perry High School in Perry. Crossroads is a long-time recipient of funding and support from the Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board. Call 440-255-1700 or visit Crossroadshealth.org for more information. The main crisis hotline is 440-953-8255.