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Grand Lake Mental Health Center understands that this is a stressful time for people and their families, and they want to help you with your mental health and addiction treatment needs.

Chief Operating Officer Josh Cantwell said they began an effort approximately five years ago to increase the access for people looking mental health and substance abuse treatment. He said they started utilizing technology specifically in the form of providing mobile tablets to individuals with an application called "Grand Care" they developed with one of their partners. The application allows people to access their services at any time and from anywhere.

Initially, Grand Lake Mental Health was trying to increase access to people that had transportation, health, or financial barriers that prevented them from coming into a clinic. They also wanted to transcend the barriers for those that may not have been able to receive services during their normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday).

Currently, there are 3,300 iPads out in the community with one going out each day. That allows people to receive services that are regularly scheduled without coming in. That includes counseling appointments and doctors appointments over the "Grand Care" videoconferencing application.

Cantwell said it also allows them to access trained staff 24/7 if they have a crisis issue or if they are experiencing a relapse. He said they want people to understand that there are more people now than ever before that are in need of mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Those that may not have relied on these services in the past are experiencing a high level of stress and uncertainty during our current situation with the coronavirus pandemic. Grand Lake Mental Health has developed an opportunity for you to engage in their services during this crisis.

The GLMHC can get you set up for services without having to see you in person during the coronavirus crisis. They can drop off an iPad at your home to connect your family to face-to-face counseling services whenever you need them.

Cantwell said you will have an instant access to all of their licensed therapists. He said that means access to over a thousand staffers.

Counseling services over the phone during the COVID-19 pandemic are also being provided by Grand Lake Mental Health. They can get you set up with a medication appointment within two weeks of starting services, too.

To start services or for more information, visit glmhc.net or call 918.273.1841. You should call 1.800.722.3611 on weekends and in the evening. All Grand Lake Mental Health Center offices are currently open at this time, so walk-ins are still available.

Grand Lake Mental Health has seen a decrease in their referrals coming in for new patients. Cantwell said they have been able to continue to serve their existing clients at the same frequency they were able to serve in before the virus outbreak. He said there has been no decrease in their services to those that have been with them since the beginning.

There is a conflict between people needing or  wanting to reach out for mental health and substance abuse services versus that fear that they might be exposed to COVID-19. Cantwell said they are taking every precaution to reduce that fear and get people the resources they need at this time.

Through the leadership of CEO Larry Smith and almost 1,000 dedicated employees, Cantwell said Grand Lake Mental Health is doing everything they can do to make sure that the people of Oklahoma have access to the same high quality mental health and substance abuse treatment services that they had prior to the coronavirus outbreak. He said they want to do this in a way to promote their physically health as well, so they will not have to have any physical contact with their staff during the process at this time.

Additionally, GLMHC has furnished an iPad for every law enforcement vehicle that is in the field. That means every officer in the field in the 12 counties they serve is equipped with an iPad with the "Grand Care" application, which allows them to access the same health care professionals 24/7.

If an officer runs into someone that may be experiencing a mental health crisis, they can use the iPad to put the individual in front of a professional that can conduct a mental health assessment on the scene. That prevents an officer from being taken out of the field; it gets them back on the road quicker so they can respond to more calls or incidents.

Emergency rooms and County Health Departments also have access to these iPads locally. Cantwell said GLMHC has been able to decrease patient hospitalization rates by over 99-percent in the four years since they started the program. In 2015, Cantwell said 1,114 individuals in the area they serve went into inpatient care, but they has increased greatly over the years.