REXBURG -- Rexburg's new mental health clinic is working to help those with unmet needs in the community.
East Idaho Mental Health at 859 South Yellowstone Highway opened in July and accepts Medicaid and Medicare insurance coverage, as well as private insurance plans. Staff say its services are largely a response to local demand for mental health service providers who accept Medicare and Medicaid.
"Fewer clinics take Medicare, because it's really hard to become credentialed with Medicare," said Samantha Arnold, the clinical director for EIMCH. "Some providers don't want to go through the hassle of the process, but when it comes down to it, there are some certifications that are absolutely necessary for those counselors to be able to help people with Medicare or Medicaid."
The Medicare/Medicaid certification process for any mental health providers requires oversight and reporting from state agencies which ensure certain federal standards are met.
Arnold graduated from the University of Southern California in 2016 with a master's degree in social work. In 2018, she became the clinical director at Upper Valley Health Care, which was bought by Ameri-Health in 2021. Arnold was hired on at EIMHC in September of this year.
Arnold says her focus is to develop a program based on community needs.
According to its website, East Idaho Mental Health Clinic provides group, teen, family and couples counseling.
Arnold says EIMCH will add to the scope of its services in the coming months by providing psychological evaluations and a nurse practitioner for medication management.
"We're in the credentialing process right now to start doing (psychological evaluations)," said Arnold. "There is a huge wait list for psychological testing. Scheduling for some clinics is months out."
According to Arnold, psychological evaluations diagnose mental health conditions that counselors can't, including autism, ADHD and bipolar disorder.
"I think counseling is for anyone," said Arnold. "If you feel like you need to talk about traumatic things, then come in and talk about it. It's human nature to want to talk to someone and process through things, and it's a good thing to have someone to talk to."
"Sometimes people use mental health like they would use ... a savings account, like when sometimes your dryer goes out, and you have to dip into your savings to fix it," said Tiffany Egan, the office administrator for EIMHC. "But (mental health) isn't like that. Sometimes (counseling) is used just to help you make better decisions, or help you to cope when you have anxiety."