Mental Health Matters: Cowley County Resources

Aug 19, 2023

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By Cassie Stein, BSN, RN, EMT, emergency department manager at William Newton Hospital, and Sheila Peil, LPC, coordinator for crisis services at Four County Mental Health

Mental health is a topic of large interest across the country. One of the many topics is the lack of resources and services for those struggling with behavioral or mental health challenges.

An important part of getting help is knowing what resources you have so that you can access them when needed and know where to go when you are having a crisis. A mental health crisis is any situation in which a person's actions, feelings, and behaviors can lead to them hurting themselves or others, and/or put them at risk of being unable to care for themselves or function in the community in a healthy manner.

Frequently when people are in a mental health crisis, their first thought is to go to the emergency room. While the emergency room is open and available 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays, it shouldn’t be your first avenue of treatment for a mental health crisis or concern. Four County Mental Health services Cowley County as well as Elk, Chautauqua, Montgomery, and Wilson Counties. The providers and staff at Four County Mental Health are trained to assess and help direct or provide additional care to those in need.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to talk to someone, the Four County crisis line is 800-499-1748. This number is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is also the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

If you are not in crisis and need someone to talk through a situation you can find support through a “warm line.” Warm lines are staffed by individuals who have had experience with mental health struggles and understand where you are. Two local Kansas warm lines are Mental Health of America of the Heartland, 866-927-6327, open 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily, and Compassionate Ear, 866-927-6327, open 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each night.

National warm lines with expanded hours include the Empowerment Center, 800-643-7462, and Enterprise Resource Center, 415-459-6330. Additional resources can be found at warmline.org or 7cups.com.

While the William Newton Hospital ER is always open and available, we want to better educate the public to know resources to help improve their healthcare and the efficiency of getting the services they need. Knowledge is power, and knowing who to contact, where to go, and what you can do before, during, and after a crisis helps you have the tools for a better tomorrow.

If you are not in crisis and want to engage in mental health services, Four County Mental Health has walk-in hours for same-day services at their individual locations. In Cowley County, the office is located at 22214 D Street, Strother Field. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m. and goes until early or mid-afternoon depending on the day. You are encouraged to check in early as it is a first come first serve. To make your check-in go faster, have all your items that will be requested including proof of residency, proof of income, and insurance card if you have it.

Editorial Notes: This article was submitted for the "Weekend Check-Up," a regular health column in the Cowley CourierTraveler penned by employees and friends of William Newton Hospital. Cassie Stein, BSN, RN, EMT, William Newton Hospital emergency department manager, holds certifications in basic life support, advanced cardiovascular life support, trauma nursing, pediatric advanced life support, five levels of the incident command system, and is a strike team task force leader. Sheila Peil, LPC is the coordinator for crisis services at Four County Mental Health. She specializes in psychology and behavioral health & social services.