This Year's Project: Heartland's School Based Mental Health Counseling
Our Motto "Changing Lives, Healing Hearts, One Day at a Time"
Heartland Counseling Services, Inc. has been providing mental health and substance abuse services for 41 years. Dr. Stanley Reiss started the community behavioral health center in October 1977 at Salem Lutheran Church in Homer, Nebraska. Our mission is to provide quality mental health and substance abuse services to the communities in which we serve. Heartland provides services to anyone regardless their ability to pay and partners with the state of Nebraska for individuals who do not have any health insurance. Our amazing team of 31 provides services to all of Siouxland, as well as, 11 counties in northern Nebraska.
Services include individual, family, and group mental health and substance abuse counseling, intensive outpatient program for substance abuse, wraparound services in individual's homes for those struggling with mental illness or substance abuse. Heartland also provides prevention and counseling services in six schools districts in nothern Nebraska. Most recently, Nebraska Gov. Ricketts recognized Heartland's Mobile Crisis Response Team for both youth and adults. Our staff work very closely with local law enforcement, schools, doctor's offices, and families when working with individuals who may be suicidal, homicidal, or psychotic.
Last year, Heartland served nearly 3000 individuals with over 8200 appointments.
Current Project: Heartland's School Based Mental Health Counseling
Heartland Counseling Services, Inc.
Heartland Counseling Services, Inc.'s School Based Mental Health Counseling Program, called The Mariposa Project, is unique in that it is the only program in Northern Nebraska that offers mental health and substance abuse counseling in the school districts of Bancroft-Rosalie, Homer, Emerson-Hubbard, Oakland-Craig, Macy, Pender, Ponca, O’Neill, Lyons-Decatur, Wakefield, and community locations to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
A healthy student has a better chance to develop skills, learn and succeed in school. Unfortunately, many students come to school with emotional and behavioral health challenges affecting their academic performance and overall health. Most often, the lack of available services in the community, the inability to pay for treatment, and the limited amount of mental health services covered through insurance places a strain on the schools and forces teachers and administrators to provide behavioral health support. By having a licensed mental health practitioner from Heartland in the schools, it relieves some strain on the school personnel and allows the students the help they need. The program's model helps remove any barriers that might prevent someone from accessing confidential mental health counseling.
Students who are uninsured or underinsured are never turned away. Mental health practitioners are available to meet immediately with students in a school based setting convenient for the student. There are no delays, denials of, or approval from insurance companies for mental health care - the program's priority is to provide the care the student needs. Our mission is provide quality mental health services to anyone in our community, as well as, working with community partners; this program is exactly that.