The Walker County Commission presented $200,000 from the county’s opioid settlement funds on March 16 to the Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center (NWAMHC) for a Walker County mobile crisis team so that it could be operational by next month.
The commission agreed on July 21 last year to present the funds. The move came after months of discussions on what could be done with the county’s funds from court settlements the state has made with opioid manufacturers who were sued for creating addictions to their products.
Another $200,000 in funding for the team came from Commissioner Kimberly G. Boswell of the Alabama Department of Mental Health, said April Knight, executive director of the NWAMHC. That made for a total budget of $400,000 in Walker County.
The Walker County Commission presented $200,000 from the county’s opioid settlement funds on March 16 to the Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center (NWAMHC) for a Walker County mobile crisis team so that it could be operational by next month. Shown are, from left, Commissioners John Dunagan and Jeff Burrough; April Knight, executive director of the Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center; and Commissioners Steven Aderholt and Jim Borden.
Daily Mountain Eagle – Ed Howell
Knight noted that overall, the state actually gave the NWAMHC a total of $500,000, as the balance also went to teams in Fayette and Lamar counties.
County commissioners presented a check for $200,000 to Knight during their meeting.
“We’re certainly glad April and her organization is here to serve the county,” said District 2 Commissioner Jeff Burrough, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Chairman Steve Miller. He said he understands legislators will continue to help fund the expense in the future.
After the meeting, Knight said the crisis team is now staffed and waiting for training within the next couple of weeks from the Alabama Department of Mental Health. At that point, “we’re ready to go start responding to crisis calls.” She feels that the post-training work will start by April.
“We have a master’s level therapist team leader who is very experienced,” she said, as well as another master’s level therapist.
“We have a bachelor’s degree case manager, and then we are still looking for a peer. We like to have peers who either have experience in recovery with substance abuse or mental illness,” she said, although she noted services can start being provided without the peer.
Knight noted that an existing team is already in Marion County, and the Walker County team is currently “learning the ropes” from them.
The Walker County team will work out the NWAMHC offices, she said. Joseph Thompson will lead the local team, noting he is an experienced therapist and has been with the NWAMHC through its crisis residential unit for several years.
“He is very well versed in dealing with crisis issues when people have a mental illness or a substance use flare up, basically. We’re very eager to see what he can do with this team,” she said. “He is a veteran, both with the military and also with us at mental health. We have a lot of confidence in him.”
Knight said in terms of how the team is used, a family member might realize their loved one is having a mental health or substance abuse crisis. They call a number for the NWAMHC, and it would be referred to Thompson.
“He may make a call to that loved one and see what is going on, or they might load up the team and go out and respond in person to kind of see what services they might need. Sometimes, it is just as simple as talking with them on the phone and realizing they just need to talk to someone over the phone,” Knight said. “Sometimes, it is more intensive. On location, you realize they might need some case management services. Maybe they need help with life stressors, like they can’t pay the power bill, or they are going through a divorce or a death in the family.”
Asked if the team could have gone out in a situation like the late inmate Anthony “Tony” Mitchell, where law enforcement was called out to make a check at a home after he was acting irregular, Knight said it would be possible for the new team to go out in such a case to check on an individual such as that.
“In a situation where there might be some danger, we go out with law enforcement. But absolutely, we can go and talk to people, even talk to their family,” she said. “Sometimes, the call goes straight to 9-1-1, and they would route on to us, or the paramedics might get there and realize this is not a heart attack or a primary care health emergency. It might be a mental illness emergency or an acute crisis type of situation.”
As a result, public safety officials such as police or fire could bring in the team, she said.
A number will be released for the public to use in reaching the center for the team’s help, she said.
Commission gives $50,000 in opioid funds to Hope for Women
Hope for Women Executive Director Deidre Wilson speaks to the Walker County Commission on March 16 to request $50,000 in opioid settlement funds for housing and recovery services. The commission granted the request.
Daily Mountain Eagle – Ed Howell
During the meeting, the commission also voted to give more of its opioid funds. Hope for Women Executive Director Deidre Wilson requested $50,000 from the opioid settlement funds for housing and recovery services, such as transportation, for the Jasper-based organization. The funds will be used to assist women affected by opioid addiction.
Hope for Women is a residential recovery program serving Walker County women to help rebuild their lives after addiction.
Wilson noted she has been in recovery since 2014 and has spent time since then fighting the opioid epidemic, “both personally and professionally.” She said the organization provides safe, structured residence focusing not just on recovery but long-term stability where the women can become productive citizens. In the program, women can “rebuild their lives through recovery support, counseling partnerships, life skills training, employment and strong faith-based community support.”