The Southern Nevada Community Health Center on Tuesday debuted an expansion of the clinic to serve residents seeking behavioral health services.
The Southern Nevada Community Health Center Behavioral Health Clinic is located inside the Southern Nevada Health District's main office at 280 South Decatur Blvd. It houses three therapy offices and a large room for group therapy sessions.
"This has been a very important project for us. We have been thinking of this for many years and today, it has become a reality," said Dr. Fermin Leguen, district health officer at SNHD. "The commitment of the health center today is to be able to deliver that integrated care where, if we identify a patient who comes to the center for any other conditions, that patient also has the opportunity to be seen and followed by a behavioral health provider, and be able to help that way."
Of the roughly 11,000 patients who used the health center last year, more than 500 were provided mental health services. That's the most patients needing mental health aid in a single year, said Randy Smith, CEO of the Southern Nevada Community Health Center.
"This expansion is rooted in our federally qualified Health Center model, which emphasizes integrated care, meeting both primary care and behavioral health needs in one accessible, supportive environment," Smith said.
Tabitha Johnson, behavioral health manager at the health center, said programs offered in the clinic will include: individual, family and couples therapy in person or via telehealth; substance abuse counseling; psychiatric evaluations; and medication management.
They also want to create support groups for people in their Ryan White Program for HIV care and others with chronic diseases -- like diabetes -- who may need assistance with their care.
Nobody is turned away, even if they're unable to pay for services, Johnson said. The health center accepts various insurances and self-payment on a sliding fee schedule, which offers "significant discounts" to people or families who qualify based on limited income and family size.
"Our program is designed to support the whole person," Johnson said. "We're eager to continue serving Southern Nevada with compassion and care."
In 2019, the health district opened its Federally Qualified Health Center, which qualifies for enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid to support underserved areas or populations and provide a sliding fee scale for their comprehensive services, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Services provided included primary care, family planning, behavioral health, sexual health, pharmaceuticals and telehealth services.