The Pine Behavioral Health Foundation was developed during the summer of 2020 for the purpose of facilitating access to behavioral health treatment services in the Richland County area. While there are mental health and substance abuse programs across the six-county area the Foundation serves, it has become increasingly more difficult to access these services. In the past six months, the COVID-19 pandemic has made access to treatment services even harder. Not only has the economy been impacted, but widespread business closures have left many individuals without insurance or sufficient income to care for their families, let alone pay for treatment services. This has further impacted an already dire situation in which individuals effected by poor mental health or a substance abuse or addiction issue are not seeking services because of financial issues.

Seeking needed behavioral health services should not depend upon a person’s ability to pay. Even those able to obtain Medicaid or Medicare benefits are many times unable to find adequate services because of the lower provider payment rates, especially in rural areas. Even with adequate means to pay for treatment services, rural areas like ours are prone to provider and facility shortages. For example, the highest level of care available in the Richland County area is day treatment, also referred to as intensive outpatient. This means that even with a means to pay for treatment, issues with distance and travel decrease the likelihood of obtaining more intensive services for more severe behavioral health problems. The Foundation’s mission statement is this:

Pine Behavioral Health Foundation ensures the delivery of behavioral health services to those impacted by economic hardship and provides financial support to advance education and advocacy on behalf of the citizens of Richland, Vernon, Crawford, Grant, Iowa, and Monroe Counties with mental health or addiction challenges. The Foundation provides the following initiatives.

a. Advocates on behalf of children, teens, and adults seeking behavioral health care.

b. Increases accessibility to community treatment programs through patient access grants.

c. Breaks through the stigma of behavioral health challenges and encourages those in need of help to seek treatment.

d. Provides for the personal needs of citizens to make the treatment process easier and more comfortable.

e. Supports the development and growth of treatment programs and facilities in the area.