Tri-County Mental Health: Good News in Mental Health Treatment
More people are seeking mental health care today than ever before. Issues such as anxiety, depression, addiction, digital fatigue, postpartum depression, trauma and eating disorders are being treated more often because of a reduced stigma and a younger generation that is open about their mental health care struggles and treatment.
At Tri-County Mental Health in the Northland, continuing to reduce the stigma and encourage treatment has been the goal for many years. Tri-County is a 45-year-old health care center serving the Kansas City-area counties of Clay, Platte and Ray. The nonprofit center has been nationally recognized for its comprehensive programming, including psychiatry and clinical therapy services, children and youth programs, crisis and suicide prevention, substance use treatment and prevention, law enforcement crisis team training and much more.
“One of our primary goals is to raise awareness about mental health issues in our community,” said Tom Petrizzo, president and CEO of Tri-County Mental Health. To do this, Petrizzo works with other local leaders of KC-metro behavioral health centers to raise awareness, reduce stigma and share best practices in providing great care for Kansas Citians in need.
“We are able to provide therapy, care, comfort and compassion to adults, children and youth every day thanks to our skilled therapists, clinicians and psychiatrists. In addition, we have built positive working partnerships with schools, health departments and area hospitals. These are the relationships that truly help encourage access and treatment as we’re able to help one person at a time and change lives.” Petrizzo said.
More people seeking treatment means more successful outcomes. Up to one in four Americans from early adolescence through adulthood are suffering with a mental health condition and most of these are affected by anxiety. “As we continue to be more comfortable talking about mental health challenges and effective treatment, it will only improve our mental health systems and processes,” Petrizzo affirmed.
Professional athletes, Hollywood actors, famous business executives and other celebrities have helped to reduce the stigma by speaking publicly and posting on social media about their mental illnesses and success with treatment. Tri-County has been working to capitalize on this normalization of mental illness health care. Whether the treatment is self-care, mindfulness, healthy living, boundaries, relaxation or drug therapy, patients are discussing their mental health and have become much more transparent about seeking treatment for their mental illness today than ever before.
Unfortunately, women are more likely to develop mental health issues than men. Anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline are most common. Women are also more likely to experience greater levels of chronic stress and trauma throughout their lifetimes.
At Tri-County Mental Health, the community health care approach is working. “It’s exciting to be a part of the mental health industry today. We are able to respond to a variety of mental health issues using proven best practice methods for people with mental health and addiction disorders,” said Petrizzo. For more information about Tri-County Mental Health, please visit tri-countymhs.org. ■
Tri-County Mental Health Annual Fundraiser
Date: Monday, August 26
Location: Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa, 777 Northwest Argosy Casino Parkway, Riverside, Missouri
Tickets: tri-countymhs.org
Keynote Speaker: Former NFL player and author Tony Mandarich reveals the reasons he never achieved what the nation expected of him and what he expected of himself. His story is an inspiration for alcoholics and drug abusers and offers hope for those trying to find a way out of the nightmare of addiction.
