Community Bands Together, Oxford Gets New Mental Health Center

By Carleigh Turner
Miami Journalism Student

After a year of planning and searching for a location, Oxford will again have a mental health facility for underinsured individuals and is expected to open in January.

The Oxford Counseling Center, 5223 College Corner Pike, will be a comprehensive provider of outpatient therapy, group therapy, addiction treatment and psychopharmacological interventions to Oxford residents, replacing The Community Counseling and Crisis Center of St. Aloysius which closed in Oct. 2015.

The center, once opened, will have three full-time therapy providers and one prescribing provider, as well as a case-management staff. The center will act as a “safety net” for Oxford residents using medicaid benefits, or those who qualify to use a sliding scale fee, said CEO of Butler Behavioral Health Services Randy Allman.

It is not a residential facility or an inpatient provider, meaning those who are a danger to themselves, to others or those who have severe psychiatric needs will be referred to other facilities.

The center was funded through start-up money, enhanced rates from the Butler County Mental Health and Addiction Services Board, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, the Oxford United Way and also through a local anonymous donor who worked through the Oxford Community Foundation.

Although Miami students may use this facility, they are not its target population, in part because they have access to on-campus counseling.

Filling the gap

In 2013, McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital and Tri-Health completed a community health needs assessment, a requirement that must be filled every three years to maintain non-profit status. The assessment found obesity, drug and alcohol abuse and mental health were problematic for the Oxford.

As a result three workgroups formed through the Coalition for a Healthy Community to address the issues.

During one of those meetings, members were told the Community Counseling and Crisis Center of St. Aloysius would no longer offer services in Oxford. This meant residents had to travel to Middletown or Hamilton if they did not have insurance.

“We didn’t sit and cry and lament,” said Amy Macechko, health and wellness coordinator for the Talawanda School District, who served as the chair of the mental health work group.

“We said what are we going to do about this team? How are we going to advocate for this community to bring resources back?,'' she said. "And there was no stopping us after we made that conscious decision."

The mental health workgroup later partnered up with Butler Behavioral Health Services to set up a site in Oxford to replace the former Community Counseling and Crisis Center of St. Aloysius.

Butler Behavioral Health Services agreed.

“I appreciate the collaborative spirit of Butler Behavioral Health Services from the very beginning,” Macechko said. “I think that’s why we have such a unique partnership that we have."

Although, the work group and Butler Behavioral Health services are thrilled to open up the new counseling center, there is concern about how long the process has taken, Allman said.

“Unfortunately, I think there are a lot of people who have not sought care who really need care,” Allman said. “I think it would be safe to say that the community does not feel that there are mental health services available…

"People won’t seek [services] out if they can’t get to Hamilton, if they can’t get to Middletown, so they go without them and unfortunate things can happen,” he added.

Countless setbacks

The center was to open in April 2016, but hit a snag when it came to finding a site, Allman said.

Finding an affordable space with enough parking in a tight real estate market complicated the search, he said.

But with help from the community, the Oxford Counseling Center was eventually found its new home.

“We said, ‘We are struggling, we can’t find a location: Help us,’” Allman said. “We chose to be collaborative and partner with people and that’s how you make things happen.”

Allman said he believes the center should not run into any more setbacks that would delay the opening, which is targeted to be Jan. 3.

“There are still going to be challenges, but we will open, period,” Allman said.

Commitment to Community

Keeping with the community aspect of the center, there was a Volunteer Work Day Celebration Dec. 1, where the advisory committee and the school board officials saw the facility and helped prepare for its opening.

Volunteers washed windows, planted bushes and took tours.

Oxford Mayor Kate Rousmaniere attended and expressed the importance of getting a mental health center back in the community.

“It’s incredible for the community," said Rousmaniere, as she washed the windows of the future counseling center. “It’s also an example of how when community members get together they can make change.”

The center is staffed, but will not be accepting referrals or patients until the building is ready.

“We are so excited that we can hardly stand ourselves,” said Marianne Marconi, a school counselor in the Talawanda School District, who was also involved in the mental health work group. “The way it all came together, the whole journey has been a real experience and an adventure. The commitment that the mental health work group had, there was no misstep.”