New Program at Valley Baptist Offers Mental Health Services for Senior Adults

HARLINGEN, TEXAS - November 2, 2004 –    Valley Baptist Medical Center–Harlingen will hold a Grand Opening Nov. 10 for a new mental health treatment program which provides individualized treatment to older adults who suffer from psychiatric, emotional, or behavioral disorders.

VBMC–Harlingen’s Heritage Program for Senior Adults is in response to Cameron County’s need for outpatient mental health services for senior adults. The move comes after the U.S. Surgeon General identified mental health as one of our nation’s leading public health issues.

“We know that mental illnesses are as real, common, and treatable as most physical illnesses,” said Shane Spees, CEO of Valley Baptist Medical Center–Harlingen. “Yet most of our senior citizens don’t have access to needed mental health services and treatment.”

The new program provides intensive and comprehensive mental health care to individuals 55 years of age and older. The program is an outpatient department of VBMC, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The program is staffed with a multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals, directed by a psychiatrist, Daniel Villarreal, M.D. As Medical Director, Dr. Villarreal provides a thorough evaluation of the client’s treatment needs, prescribes and monitors medications, and supervises treatment. The medical director works in close collaboration with primary care physicians.

In addition to Dr. Villarreal, the full-time, on-site team includes two master’s level therapists/social workers, a registered nurse, and two mental health technicians. The team carries out the psychiatrist’s plan of care and provides a variety of group, family, and individual therapies individualized to the needs of the client.

As an outpatient program, the Heritage Program for Senior Adults focuses on maintaining and improving the client’s independent living skills and quality of life. By working in a community-based outpatient setting, the program can offer a highly individualized plan for each individual client. Depending on the needs of the client and the severity of symptoms, the plan can vary from a few services to daily program attendance. Attendance and intensity of services change with the improvement of the client’s condition, monitored by regular treatment plan reviews by the doctor and team.

Mental illness impacts up to one in every five Americans. However, few receive treatment because of stigma, misunderstanding, and lack of access to appropriate and affordable healthcare.

“Mental health matters to our entire community, and the impact of untreated mental illness can be significant,” said Dr. Bob Cuyler, National Clinical Director for the Heritage Program for Senior Adults. “The National Mental Health Association estimates that 18 to 25 percent of seniors are in need of mental healthcare for depression, anxiety, psychosomatic disorders, adjustment to aging, and schizophrenia. Yet, few seem to receive proper care and treatment for these mental illnesses.”

The National Institute of Mental Health has estimated that at least two-thirds of elderly nursing home residents have been diagnosed with a mental disorder such as major depression.

“Although people 65 and older represent 13 people of the population, they account for 20 percent of all suicide deaths, according to the National Institute of Mental Health,” Dr. Cuyler added. “Up to half of all visits to primary care physicians are due to conditions caused or exacerbated by mental or emotional problems. Between 40 and 65 percent of patients who suffer coronary heart disease and have experienced a heart attack also experience depression.”

The Grand Opening for the VBMC–Harlingen Heritage Program for Senior Adults will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10 on the third floor of the Valley Baptist Professional Building, 2121 Pease Street, Suite 3E in Harlingen. For more information, please call (956) 389-6578 or go to www.valleybaptist.net  or http://www.heritagehealthservices.com.