Free Mental Health Screenings

The Behavioral Health Centers of Southern Iowa of Southern Iowa (BHCSI) which is a part of the Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa will offer free mental health screenings for children ages seven to 18 for depression and attention deficit from 9:00 to 4:00 p.m. on May 8 th at its Leon practice (302) NE 14 th Street) and May 9 th in Lamoni (911 E Main) as a highlight for Children's Mental Health Week.

Children's Mental Health Week is an annual observance to increase awareness about children with emotional and behavioral disorders. This observance is sponsored since 1997 by the National Mental Health Association. Green ribbons will be worn to bring awareness to the community of the importance of good mental health in children.

“According to the U.S. Attorney General, studies show at least one in five children has a mental health disorder. At least one in ten, or about 6 million young people have a serious emotional disturbance,” Mark Hensley, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Director of the BHCSI, said.

Mental health disorders in children and adolescents are caused primarily by biological and/or environmental factors. “Examples of biological causes are genetics, hormone imbalances, head injury, and other neurological factors. Environmental factors that put young people at risk include exposure to toxins such as high levels of lead, family violence, sexual abuse, chronic poverty, divorce, or loss of important relationships,” Hensley added.

The Behavioral Health Centers of Southern Iowa’s services include one-on-one, couples, and group therapy, psychiatric evaluation, biofeedback, neuro-feedback, psychosocial evaluation, disability evaluation, psychiatric follow-up, medication monitoring, and emergency response.

“Once behavioral or mental health difficulties are uncovered, there are a great deal of approaches we can utilize to treat them. It is so critical that we discover problems early, diagnose them correctly, and treat them effectively,” Hensley said. “If we do, the outcomes can be positive and rewarding.”