ROGERS — The recently opened Samaritan Counseling Clinic provides free mental health services to any qualifying patient.

The clinic offers individual, group, family and play therapy, and is open to clients of all ages, said Kayla Tedder, clinic manager.

“Our goal is to provide quality, compassionate, dignifying mental health care to our community in the same capacity they would access at a private clinic,” Tedder said. “They just happen to walk out without a payment here.”

The nonprofit Samaritan Community Center opened the clinic at its Rogers location July 1 and is expanding its offerings to serve regional mental health needs.

The center offers free mental health services to those who make 250% or less of the federal poverty level, according to its website. The federal poverty for a family of four is $31,200 according to healthcare.gov. The clinic accepts Medicaid and equivalent benefits as well.

UNMET NEEDS

In 2022, 24.7% of adults in the U.S. with mental illness report an unmet need for treatment, according to Mental Health America, a national nonprofit researching mental health since 1909. That number has not changed since 2011, according to the 2022 State of Mental Health In America survey by Mental Health America. The survey compares national and statewide mental health care outcomes and access.

Ross DeVol, president and chief executive officer of Heartland Forward, said there is a mental health crisis throughout the country, but especially in Arkansas, where accessing providers is difficult. Heartland Forward is an organization that studies economic trends and provides resources to state and local groups. Heartland advocates for a variety of issues including accessible and affordable health care.

“Medicaid doesn’t cover all the conditions people would be looking for help with, so it’s a huge issue,” DeVol said. “It’s very costly to get access even if you can find a mental health provider.”

The average therapy session can cost anywhere between $65 and $250, according to GoodTherapy.org, a website dedicated to connecting therapists with potential clients.

Addressing mental health needs early can greatly benefit patients and their families, DeVol said.

“They do advance; the conditions worsen,” DeVol said about untreated mental illnesses. “Then, the cost and consequences are even more severe. The studies show if you can treat mental disorders early on, they can circumvent more serious consequences later on. “

These consequences include decreased economic production and work absenteeism, which can result in lost wages and family strain. DeVol said untreated mental illness can also result in substance abuse as a form of self-medication.

ACCESS TO CARE

Over 20% of Arkansas adults experience mental illness, according to a 2022 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The national average is 19.86%.

Tedder said barriers to mental health care include access, stigma and cost. She first worked at the nonprofit as a social worker in the care advocacy side. She said she noticed an intense need for accessible mental health care services.

Working with clients who admitted they needed mental health care but couldn’t access it was disheartening, but it inspired her to receive her master’s degree in social work and become a counselor, she said.

Now, as the clinic’s manager, she oversees care and will eventually work with clients one-on-one, she said.

Tedder said interested clients do not have to use other Samaritan programs, such as their food pantry market or free meal program, in order to access counseling services.

Mental health issues are easier to address when basic needs are met, she said, and she can connect clients with Samaritan programs if needed.

SLIDING-SCALE

Ozark Guidance is another facility providing cost-reduced mental health care in Northwest Arkansas.

Brian Davis, chief clinical officer of Ozark Guidance’s parent company, Arisa Health, said 26% of clients used its sliding-scale program during between July 1, 2023, and June 30 2024.

The company operates clinics in 41 Arkansas counties and served 52,466 patients in fiscal year 2023, he said.

Northwest Arkansas-based patients accounted for over 42% of the 13,643 patients who used sliding-scale services in state fiscal year 2023, Davis said. The sliding-scale rate begins at $25 per session, he said, and increases based on income and the federal poverty level. Free sessions are rare, he said, but they are sometimes used during crisis care.

Davis said Ozark Guidance works with clients and their families on payment plans as well if $25 per session is too much.

“When it comes to mental health care, things are better,” Davis said. “But they are nowhere near where they need to be.”

    Kayla Tedder, manager of Samaritan Care, visits a client counseling room Friday at the Samaritan Community Center in Rogers. The Samaritan Community Center opened a reduced-cost or free mental health clinic at its Rogers Center. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today’s photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)