I am very excited to see this facility being built. It will be a great benefit for our soldiers!
Fort Carson – A ground-breaking ceremony was held in January for Fort Carson’s Behavioral Health Clinic signals not only a new facility but also a new, broader approach to dealing with soldiers’ mental health issues.
The 26,298-square-foot clinic is scheduled to open in spring 2012 on Prussman, adjacent to the Forrest Physical Fitness Center. The offices now occupying the 4th floor of Evans Hospital will be relocated to the new clinic to make room for a proposed inpatient behavioral health clinic on post.
Because it is a medical facility, the TRICARE Management Activity is responsible for overseeing the clinic project, according to Roger Meyer, of the USAMEDDAC-FortCarson Public Affairs Office. The clinic is one part of a $32 million construction project that includes a new hospital administration building.
Maj. Chris Ivany, chief of behavioral health, said the clinic is vital for soldiers to receive needed care.
“We think that a major factor in overcoming the stigma or hesitancy of getting help for mental health issues can be through actual personal interactions and making behavioral health into something that involves the soldier where they live and work,” he said. “Having a large behavioral health clinic in the heart of Fort Carson as opposed to up in the hospital makes a strong statement that we want to make the behavioral healthcare something easy to access.
“We also want to make sure there is open communication with the rest of the team here on Fort Carson that tries to help take care of the soldier and family.”
The clinic will be just blocks from the commissary, library, the Foxhole and other services.
“If I’m sad or depressed, I should be able to walk into behavioral health just as easily as I would walk into my primary care physician’s office if I had high blood pressure,” said Evans Hospital’s Col. Jimmie Keenan. “That’s what we are trying to do. We have a commitment to take care of America’s sons and daughters because less than one percent of those Americans who are able volunteer actually do so. We believe it is our honor and commitment to do everything possible to take care of them.”
The clinic will serve as the outpatient behavioral health headquarters. Its services will include initial evaluations and follow-up care for soldiers and their families, marital and family therapy, intensive outpatient therapy, the Warrior in Transition behavioral health team and behavioral health nurse case managers.
The new clinic will include space for psychological testing, neuropsych testing and biofeedback. There will be an observation room, two large group therapy rooms, and 60 provider and other clinical staff offices. It will also have administrative staff support space for case managers, a general treatment room and associated support spaces.
Outside, there will be a healing garden and covered walkway from a drop-off point.
The design emphasizes optimum use of natural light and provides other features to give the facility a relaxed, healing environment.
Major Chris Ivany, Chief of Behavioral Health
Article Posted by: hughdavis on Jan 12, 2011 on this blog: Springs Military Life This is a great blog to visit!!
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