Archive of Past Guest Column

The Kim Foundation provides an opportunity for those in the behavioral health community to share their views on current issues concerning this field.

Guest Voices contains columns written by a variety of individuals - consumers, family members, authorities on behavioral health, practitioners and service providers, legislators, and others.

The Kim Foundation offers Guest Voices as an opportunity for consumers, family members and providers to express their ideas and share information relating to the transformation of mental health care. The opinions expressed will not necessarily reflect the position of the Kim Foundation.

We welcome input from our readers on these issues. If you have a response to a Guest Voice, or would like to submit your own column, click here.

Douglas County Community Mental Health Center

The Douglas County Community Mental Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska provides needed mental health services to adults in Douglas County and the Region 6 area. The Community Mental Health Center was created to meet the needs of individuals who are underserved in the community and thus primarily serves individuals who are uninsured.

The Community Mental Health Center is designed to provide inpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization mental health care to adults. Programs available include:

Inpatient Services

Two secure psychiatric inpatient nursing units are available for care at Douglas County. One of the secure inpatient units is a 22-bed unit, providing patients with 24-hour observation and therapeutic management by a psychiatric nursing staff in a structured environment.

The Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is an 8-bed secure unit, providing a higher level of observation and treatment for patients experiencing a more serious mental health crisis.

Each of the units utilize the expertise of social workers and recreational therapist.

• Social Work – Licensed Inpatient Social Workers complete pretreatment assessments, assist with referrals to community providers, coordinate family contact, assist with discharge planning and initiating the entitlement process.
• Recreational Therapy – Licensed Recreational Therapists provide treatment, resources and recreational opportunities to individuals in the Inpatient and Partial Hospitalization programs. The selected activities modalities by the Recreational Therapists are utilized to treat and maintain the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the individuals served. The programs offer opportunities to improve functioning, independence, health, and reduce the effects of the illness and/or disabilities.

Psychiatric Outpatient

The Psychiatric Outpatient Program is designed to provide psychiatric care to adults with severe and persistent mental illness. The Outpatient Services treatment team consists of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, licensed mental health practitioners, and case managers.

Partial Hospitalization and Day Treatment

The Partial Hospital/Day Treatment Program provides short-term treatment for persons in an acute phase of their mental illness. This program provides a structured environment for persons discharged from an Inpatient Unit and also for individuals in outpatient care who require stabilization and management. The focus of this program is to serve patients in the least restrictive level of care.

Mental Health Diversion Program

The Mental Health Diversion Program diverts some individuals with mental illness from the traditional criminal justice system into intensive case management services designed to help them establish independent living skills, manage their mental illness and reduce their contacts with the criminal justice system.

For additional information on Douglas County Community Mental Health Center and the services they provide please call (402) 444-7449 or visit their website at www.co.douglas.ne.us/county/cmhc.