1. What kind of services do you offer?
We offer an array of community mental health services. These include individual, group and family therapies; medication evaluation and monitoring; testing, evaluation and consultation; day treatment programs; substance abuse and dependence treatment; case management; emergency services. We are the comprehensive mental health service provider for southwest Mississippi.
2. Who is eligible for services?
Residents of the ten counties of southwest Mississippi are our primary clients. Our region includes Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Walthall and Wilkinson Counties. We provide services for children, adults and the elderly. Persons living outside our region may receive services but are not eligible for any discounted rates on fees.
3. Do I have to pay for services?
Yes. Some form of payment is expected for services provided. Fortunately, we accept a wide variety of payments. Medicaid covers the full costs to our eligible clients of any covered services under Medicaid. Medicare and insurance may cover a portion of fees for services. We also accept direct payment of fees from our clients who do not have any other benefits that cover their services. Discounted fees on most services, based on a sliding fee scale, are available to residents of our service region.
4. Doesn’t mental health only serve indigent people?
No. We provide mental health services to people from all walks of life and all socio-economic categories. We attempt to make our fees affordable in order to increase the opportunities for persons with limited resources to access our services.
5. Are you a state agency?
No. We are one of 15 regional community mental health agencies serving the citizens of Mississippi. Each region has its own governing Commission and its own policies and procedures. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health provides the service standards which we follow in providing services, as well as some grant funding for services and technical assistance to facilitate our meeting the necessary service standards.
6. Do you approve people for disability?
No. That is decided through the Disability Determination Service of the Social Security Administration. We provide records and information to assist them in this process. Our agency has no direct role in determining the outcome of these claims.
7. What is the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a therapist?
A psychiatrist is a provider who has a doctoral degree (M.D. or D.O.) in medicine and who has completed specialized residency training in psychiatry. As a physician, the psychiatrist may prescribe medication and order medical tests to facilitate treatment. A psychologist is a provider who has a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in psychology and who has completed a specialized internship and additional postdoctoral training in psychology. Psychologists do not prescribe medication, but utilize psychotherapy, psychological testing, assessment and consultation to facilitate client changes. “Therapist” is a generic term use to refer to someone who provides psychotherapy to a client for treatment purposes. This generally includes providers who have at least a Masters degree in psychology, counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy or related mental health field and who may be licensed or certified to provide this service by a particular board relevant to their graduate training. Both psychiatrists and psychologists can be considered therapists, but not all therapists are psychiatrists or psychologists.
8. Where are you located?
Our regional administrative headquarters is in McComb, MS. We operate program sites in all of the 10 counties we serve. Please see our list of programs by county for more specific information.
9. How much does it cost for your services?
We have a list of standard fees for each service. The cost of services for residents of our service region is determined in one of several ways. Residents of our region without any healthcare benefits may have their fees calculated on a sliding fee scale, based upon family income and number of dependents. Discounts of up to 90% off of our standard fees are available for most services. If a client has Medicaid benefits, this pays 100% of the costs of any service covered by Medicaid. Medicare and other private insurance generally cover a portion of the cost of services. For some people, all or a part of the cost of services may be covered by an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) agreement between the agency and their employer. Finally, those living outside our region may receive mental health service through the agency, but they are not eligible for discounted fees and must pay the standard fees for services.