Archive for category: Behavioral Health

By Chris Woodward, MA, LCAC, KCGC-II, Director of Substance Use Services

It’s fall, and you can see them everywhere: the “Red Kingdom.” Honestly, you can see them all year round here in the Kansas City area. They wear the logo. When a person pulls on the colors of their favorite team, they feel like a part of something, a piece of the action and a willing participant in cheering on the team they choose or are born into supporting.

Fans give their time, their money and sometimes their sanity to support the success of their team. The allegiance runs deep. So much so that when someone wearing silver and black walks by, an “us versus them” response can bubble to the surface. This feeling can draw boundary lines within families, workplaces and communities.

This sense of civic pride or community can be summed up in one word: belonging. It’s the feeling that you are in the right place, your needs are being met and someone is holding space for you.

For a person working through dependency, that feeling of belonging can be found in a group, a meeting, a team or a sponsor. We need a place where others understand the situation we’re in, the feelings we’re experiencing and the thoughts, feelings and fears we need to share. This is one of the primary reasons group therapy can lead to positive outcomes for people experiencing dependency.

Let’s look at three concepts that make group therapy successful.

First: Accountability

When you’re expected to be there, people look for you. Read that again and maybe write it down.

Showing up is a big part of getting better, whether you’re working on relationships with your family, going to the gym or attending therapy. The group will ask questions about your day-to-day experiences. They care if your car won’t start, your tire is flat or your child is struggling with relationships. They might even know a good mechanic or have a recommendation for a mentor or therapist who helped their own child through a rough patch in life.

This kind of accountability in a therapeutic space can be refreshing. It can also be more constructive than putting your thoughts and fears out on social media, hoping for responses from strangers you might only see once or twice a year.

Second: Shared Experiences

Most groups form around a common interest or goal. For example, we may need to work on a particular part of a problem, share similar thoughts, feelings or faith, cheer for the same team or enjoy the same artist.

Support groups and therapy groups are much the same. We’re working through similar life challenges, including cravings, triggers, risky situations, money issues, gambling, gaming, substance use or misuse.

When we sit together, listen and share what we’ve experienced and what we’re going through, we learn about one another. We discover that we’re not so different from our neighbors, co-workers or grandparents. We’re all going through something and looking for answers.

And unlike AI, we have a person sitting across from us who cares about our outcome and, in some cases, has traveled this road before us. They may have stumbled into the same cracks we’re trying to avoid, and their experience can help us get back up or navigate the road to recovery with fewer setbacks.

We can share our stories with people who understand what it’s like to endure a cold night of craving or the frustration of feeling like everything we touch falls apart.

Third: Belonging

We find a place to belong, a place that feels like home, among others who share a similar goal: to become better versions of ourselves for our own sake and for the sake of others.

For a person experiencing dependency, the road to recovery isn’t easy. The people who share our blood and DNA might not understand our struggles or circumstances. But a stranger who has felt the same dependency in their body, mind and soul might become a safe harbor for our thoughts and feelings.

There is something powerful about being understood by a group of people who have been where you are. That understanding can bring peace to the soul.

When we find this place of belonging, we can begin the work of putting our lives back in the order we want them to be. A group can help us do that. Members can give us space to grow, offer support and hold hope for the changes we’re working toward. As we move away from chaos, we can begin to take charge of our own thoughts, feelings and choices.

What If It Didn’t Work for You?

I know there are haters everywhere, and one of you might be reading this and saying, “It didn’t work for me,” or “That’s OK for some people, but it’s not for me.”

I understand. People have been hurt by groups, family members and friends — even by well-meaning people who thought they were helping. Sometimes, the people around us simply don’t understand what we’re going through.

However, it’s possible that the group or community you tried wasn’t your place of belonging. I encourage you to try again. Open the door to self-reflection and ask yourself, What am I missing? What could make my life better?

Try a group, a book club, an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting or a therapy group. Explore different spaces and give yourself the opportunity to find people who understand you and support your growth.

Finding your place of belonging could be the next step in your recovery.

HPC holds group therapy every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. To learn more, please call us at 913-648-2266.

By Catherine Rice, Vice President of Marketing/Outreach at Health Partnership Clinic, Olathe Noon Optimist Club Member/Mental Health Committee Member

At Health Partnership Clinic (HPC), we know mental health is just as important as physical health. Every day, our Behavioral Health team works alongside patients, families and community partners to provide compassionate care, reduce stigma and connect individuals with the support they need. That mission aligns closely with the work being done through the Olathe Noon Optimist Club Mental Health Committee, where I am proud to represent HPC as both a club member and committee participant.

Recently, our community came together around an important and powerful project focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention. What began as listening sessions with local youth evolved into something much bigger — a meaningful, student-led initiative designed to encourage conversations, increase awareness and remind young people that asking for help is a sign of strength.

The project was shaped through conversations with Teen Council, Zero Reasons Why and student leaders, who identified three major concerns facing youth today: inclusion, safety and suicide prevention. Following heartbreaking losses within the community, local organizations and leaders recognized the need to take action.

Through collaboration with incredible partners including the Johnson County Mental Health Center, City of Olathe, Kansas Department of Health & Environment and HPC, the Noon Optimist Club helped bring a student-created suicide prevention video to life.

“This project shows what’s possible when we listen to youth and work together as a community,” shared Barbara Cordts, President of the Olathe Noon Optimist Club.

Students from Olathe Northwest High School, guided by Sources of Strength, created a professional and heartfelt video designed to break down barriers surrounding the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Their message is simple but powerful: reaching out matters.

The video premiered May 1 in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month and serves as a reminder of the impact youth voices can have when communities choose to listen, support and collaborate.

At HPC, we are honored to support initiatives like this and remain committed to expanding access to behavioral health services for individuals and families throughout our communities. By working together — schools, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, local government and youth leaders — we can continue building a stronger, more compassionate community where no one feels alone.

Because sometimes, just five minutes can save a life.

To learn more about the clinic call 913-648-2266 today!

Watch the student-created video here:

 

 

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In 2024, over 49,000 lives were lost to suicide in the United States and over 12.8 million seriously thought about suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), risk factors for suicide include:

• Previous suicide attempt
• History of depression and other mental illnesses
• Serious illness such as chronic pain
• Criminal/legal problems
• Job/financial problems or loss
• Impulsive or aggressive tendencies
• Substance use
• Current or prior history of adverse childhood experiences
• Violence victimization and/or perpetration
• Bullying
• Family/loved one’s history of suicide
• Loss of relationships
• High conflict or violent relationships
• Social isolation
• Lack of access to healthcare
• Suicide cluster in the community
• Community violence
• Stigma associated with help-seeking and mental illness
• Easy access to lethal means of suicide among people at risk
• Unsafe media portrayals of suicide

Suicide rates were highest among non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people, males, and adults 85 and older in 2023. Healthcare professionals can help prevent suicide by:

• Routinely screening patients for suicidal thoughts and behaviors
• Consider hospitalization for patients at high risk for suicide
• Refer to a higher level of care if needed.
• Develop a crisis plan
• Collaborate with family members
• Collaborate therapists and psychiatric providers

In addition to identifying risk factors, healthcare providers should help identify and enhance protective factors among at-risk populations, including:

• Effective coping and problem-solving skills
• Reasons for living (for example, family, friends, pets, etc.)
• Strong sense of cultural identity
• Support from partners, friends, and family
• Feeling connected to others
• Feeling connected to school, community, and other social institutions
• Availability of consistent and high quality physical and behavioral health care
• Reduced access to lethal means of suicide among people at risk
• Cultural, religious, or moral objections to suicide

If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide:

• Call 911 for emergency services.
• Go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
• Call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Support is also available via live chat.

Health Partnership offers therapy services, psychiatric medication management, and substance use services. To schedule an appointment or for more details, call 913-730-3664.

By Christopher W. Woodward, LCAC, Substance Abuse Specialist

Dog Days of Summer

Stop for a moment and remember the start of summer. Remember the feeling when that new warm sun hits your skin, the days filled with fun and joy. Remember the change from the bitterness of the fall and winter to the warm and consoling temperatures of the spring and the summer.

For some of us it is a break, a time to recharge. A time to gather at the lake or pool and relax. As time passes that warmth has been replaced with oppressive heat. We have hit the dog days, the last days of summer where we start to find the building heat unbearable and irritating.

This year, the heat has been enough that the temps have felt like 100 degrees for several weeks. And we have had enough. We get to the point where we want to stay in, not socialize, not see our buddies at the pool or splash in the lake. The sunglasses have been lost and scratched, and the cool water of the lake has moved to a warm taped bath that seems to not refresh as easily. Our skin is burnt and sore, and the kids are cranky and needing a routine.

Often this is the same as our use of substances.

Many of us started off with the warm benefits of relaxation and a carefree lifestyle—to the hot and humid oppression that our summer has become. Many start the substance of choice for a reason. Perhaps to relax on a hot day after mowing the yard, to kick our feet up and read a good book or to start a conversation with a new person at the local establishment.

Just like summer, the more exposure we give the alcohol or the substance, the more wear and tear it has on our brain and on our body. Sometimes we need more of the substance to get the same effect, moving from that one relaxing drink to several drinks over several days. Then we find that those drinks do not satisfy like they used to, and we cannot get through the day without them.

As we move into Recovery Month, it is important to know that these dog days are only part of our story. They come around sometimes yearly and cause us to feel emotions, and irritations and to seek comfort and care. We can look around and find a spot to refresh, relax and gain access to the care that we need. Recovery can bring in a new season of life where we learn skills. A way to feel safe to remain in places where we can fill up the voids of relationship, pain, suffering and problems. Places where we can go out in the sun and not get burned as it were.

A balanced life of recovery provides us and our family with the best of all seasons, even the hot ones.

Health Partnership Clinic offers a comprehensive medical home that addresses all of your medical, dental and behavioral and substance-related needs. For more information call 913-730-3664.