NAMI
Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or background. In fact, suicide is often the result of an untreated mental health condition. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues.
Every year thousands of individuals die by suicide, leaving behind their friends and family members to navigate the tragedy of loss. In many cases, friends and families affected by a suicide loss (often called “suicide loss survivors”) are left in the dark. Too often the feelings of shame and stigma prevent them from talking openly.
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to share resources and stories in an effort to shed light on this highly taboo and stigmatized topic. We use this month to reach out to those affected by suicide, raise awareness, and connect individuals with suicidal ideation to treatment services. It is also important to ensure that individuals, friends, and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention.
Crisis Resources
- If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately.
- If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255)
- If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.
Evolve Behavioral Health and Medication Management offers mental health resources in Arkansas. Our trained therapists and nurses are based at clinics in Little Rock, Hot Springs, Mena, Malvern, Arkadelphia, Mount Ida, and De Queen.
Call 800-409-6250 for appointments with Evolve. Visit www.evolvebhs.com for more information.
When asked to provide free Covid-19 testing to as many people as possible, Healthy Connections went on a tour of pop-up sites around the state. The result has been more than 2,000 free Covid-19 tests given in 10 different Arkansas counties.
The Healthy Connections Free Covid-19 testing popup tour began on May 21 in De Queen. Since then, the testing tour has held 15 events that included Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Little Rock, Benton, Mena, Malvern, Arkadelphia, Nashville, Glenwood, Mount Ida, and Gurdon. The next scheduled event is July 8 at The Centre at Forest Lakes in Hot Springs.
Covid-19 testing is also being done at every Healthy Connections clinic. Copays are being waived for Covid-19 testing done in the clinic. Call 888-710-8220 to schedule appointments. The complete schedule and all testing information can be found at www.GetTestedFree.com.
Healthy Connections is also making Covid-19 testing available to any business that wants their employees tested. This will be done at the company site and will be free for both the company and its employees. Visit www.healthy-connections.org/testus to request testing.
The pop-up testing sites are set up as drive-through events. Patients don’t even get out of their vehicles. Patients report this new Covid-19 test is much easier and less painful than other tests previously given. No insurance information is collected and patients are through the testing area and on their way in just a few minutes. Results from these tests are being received on average in five to seven days.
Healthy Connections clinics are open, safe, healthy, and here for the communities they serve. The Healthy Connections community health network is a federally-qualified health center (FQHC). Healthy Connections and Evolve Behavioral Health both accept Medicaid, ARKids 1st, Medicare, and most private health insurance. There is also a sliding-fee scale for patients without health insurance who qualify. Medicaid patients may be required to switch their primary care provider to Healthy Connections before they can be seen. Learn more about Healthy Connections at www.healthy-connections.org.
Healthy Connections, Inc., is delivering on its promise to mass test the state of Arkansas, testing more than 1,000 people in the first two weeks of free Covid-19 testing.
Healthy Connections scheduled a series of pop-up testing sites and has tested anyone regardless of symptoms for free. Cities tested so far have included De Queen, Malvern, Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Little Rock, Benton, Arkadelphia, and Gurdon. The testing tour continues next week with stops in Mena, De Queen for a second time, and Nashville. See the complete schedule at www.GetTestedFree.com.
“We were asked to increase COVID-19 testing for Arkansans and are proud to have been able to provide this much-needed service to people throughout Arkansas,” said Tony Calandro, CEO of Healthy Connections, Inc. “By taking these tests on the road, we have been able to reach areas where access to testing is not as readily available.”
The testing tour began on May 21 with a stop in De Queen. The most patients tested in a single day was 415 in Hot Springs Village on May 29.
These tests done at pop-up testing sites are in addition to the hundreds of tests performed by Healthy Connections in its clinics throughout west and central Arkansas.
The testing sites are set up as drive-through events. Patients don’t even get out of their vehicles. Patients report this new Covid-19 test is much easier and less painful than other tests previously given. No insurance information is collected and patients are through the testing area and on their way in just a few minutes.
Results from these tests are being received on average in five to seven days.
Do you want to partner with Healthy Connections to bring the testing bus to your business or your hometown? Call us at 888-710-8220.
Healthy Connections clinics are open, safe, healthy, and here for the communities they serve. The Healthy Connections community health network is a federally-qualified health center (FQHC). Healthy Connections and Evolve Behavioral Health both accept Medicaid, ARKids 1st, Medicare, and most private health insurance. There is also a sliding-fee scale for patients without health insurance who qualify. Medicaid patients may be required to switch their primary care provider to Healthy Connections before they can be seen. Learn more about Healthy Connections at www.healthy-connections.org.
The #COVID19 pandemic is stressful for nearly everyone. But no matter what you are going through, you are not really alone. If you need someone to talk to about it, Evolve Behavioral Health and Medication Management can help. We offer both in-clinic and telehealth therapy with LCSWs (for both adults and children), LPCs, addiction specialists, marriage specialists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners.
Call (800) 409-6250 for appointments. Or visit www.evolvebhs.com. #EvolveWithUs #NotAlone #MentalHealthAwareness #MHM
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Thanks to U.S. Rep. French Hill for dropping by the Healthy Connections Little Rock Franklin clinic on Wednesday as part of National Nurse’s Day.
Hill dropped off some sweet treats for our staff and was able to visit with Healthy Connections CEO Tony Calandro, Little Rock Franklin physician Dr. Chris Hopkinson, nurse Sarah Jennings, LPN, and other staff members. Hill is the U.S. Representative for Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District and was first elected in 2014. Congress is responsible for much of the funding for community health centers, including Healthy Connections, Inc.
In health care, gaps are described as disparities in healthcare access, needs, and medical services when comparing different populations that fall along racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines. The mission of Healthy Connections, Inc., is to fill those gaps with high-quality healthcare our communities can be proud of. Healthy Connections is a Mena-based nonprofit organization serving the needs of children and adults throughout West-Central Arkansas. Since its founding in 1998 as a home-visiting program, Healthy Connections has been able to provide much-needed health, dental and social services to families of every lifestyle.
Healthy Connections providers treat thousands of patients each year who either have no insurance or not enough insurance to cover essential health and dental services.
Healthy Connections has become a lot of things to the five communities it currently serves as a primary care provider, dentist, pediatrician, behavioral health therapist, cardiologist, podiatrist, and physical therapist. But mostly it is a place people can go to receive quality care regardless of their ability to pay. Healthy Connections accepts Medicaid, including ArKids First, Medicare, and most forms of health and dental insurance. However, no person will be turned away for lack of insurance. Qualified families will be charged according to their total family income and total persons living in the household. This sliding scale fee allows many to receive treatment who otherwise would not have been able to afford it.
The Little Rock Franklin clinic opened earlier this year on the site of the former Franklin Elementary School in Little Rock. The health clinic is currently set up in the parking lot but will eventually move inside the building once the Community Health Centers of Arkansas Franklin Complex opens to the public. At the Franklin clinic, Healthy Connections provides primary care services for patients, including testing for COVID-19, regardless of symptoms.
Learn more about the Franklin clinic at www.healthy-connections.org/franklin.
The Healthy Connections community health network is open and seeing patients both in the clinic and via telehealth, allowing patients to stay in contact with their providers. These services include evaluation and testing for COVID-19, regardless of symptoms.
This includes primary care, dental (emergency procedures now, full services May 18), behavioral health, and all specialties. This also includes surgical procedures related to gynecology, podiatry, and cardiology.
Call (888) 710-8220 for appointments. Healthy Connections, a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center, has clinic locations in Mena, Hot Springs, Little Rock, Malvern, Arkadelphia, Mount Ida, and De Queen. These clinics see patients for primary care/family medicine, including pediatrics-focused clinics in Hot Springs and De Queen. Find a location at www.healthy-connections.org/locations.
COVID-19 testing is no longer limited to high-risk patients only. If you are sick with respiratory symptoms, we can evaluate and test you for COVID-19. If you want to be tested, we will test you. Note that test results are being returned from the lab in an average of 24 to 72 hours.
Call (888) 710-8220 or make a Healthy Connections TeleHealth appointment at www.healthy-connections.org/telehealth. Many insurances are now covering this testing and waiving copays.
Any person who enters a Healthy Connections clinic will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.
Healthy Connections specialties, including gynecology, podiatry, and cardiology have resumed full services, including surgeries. Patients having surgery will need to be tested for COVID-19 within 48 hours of their scheduled appointment time.
Healthy Connections also offers dental services in Hot Springs and Mena. These clinics are currently doing only emergency procedures (anything not considered routine such as check-ups and cleanings). Full dental services are expected to resume on May 18. Call (888) 710-8220 for info.
Additionally, Evolve Behavioral Health and Medication Management is also seeing patients both in the clinic and via telehealth at Healthy Connections locations in Mena, Hot Springs, Malvern, and Arkadelphia. Learn more about Evolve at www.evolvebhs.com.
Healthy Connections and Evolve accept Medicaid, ARKids 1st, Medicare, and most private health insurance. There is also a sliding-fee scale for patients without health insurance who qualify. Medicaid patients may have to switch their primary care provider to Healthy Connections before you can be seen.
Learn more about Healthy Connections at www.healthy-connections.org.
