Significant Growth Driven by Community Need

The following story was written for Myrtue's Health Matters Fall 2024 Newsletter.

As the 1990s began, community leaders increasingly recognized the need for mental health support in Shelby County. The farm crisis of the 1980s exposed and amplified high mental health risks among farmers facing unpredictable and disruptive forces. In response to this crisis and broader community mental health needs, Prairie Rose Mental Health Center opened in 1990 as part of the Shelby County Medical Corporation. The original staff consisted of just three people, psychologist Dr. Michael Rosmann, who served as the first director, nurse practitioner Dr. Connie Vogel ARNP, who also had a Ph.D. in marriage and family therapy, and an administrative assistant, Gloria Kenkel. While Myrtue and Prairie Rose Mental Health Center were sharing resources since 1991, the clinic officially became a department of Myrtue Medical Center in 2005. With a name change the next year, Myrtue Behavioral Health was born.

Since those early days, understanding of mental health has grown exponentially, and Myrtue Behavioral Health has grown in response. Joan Kloewer, LBSW, is the longest-serving member of the current staff. Kloewer has witnessed significant changes during her tenure.

“Since I’ve started at Behavioral Health, I have seen growth in many ways from the number of clinicians to the wide variety of services,” said Kloewer. “The dedication from staff has always been top-notch. Now, there are just more of us to continue the mission! I love the opportunities I have had with Myrtue over the years. It’s been an honor!”

Today, the Behavioral Health team works diligently to meet the diverse mental health needs of the community by expanding staff, training in evidence-based interventions, and creating innovative new services. The multi-disciplinary team of medication providers, therapists, community support staff, and office staff all work together to provide patients the best quality care.

“Behavioral Health is made up of a group of incredibly knowledgeable and innovative providers and staff. Our team is passionate about mental health care and dedicated to providing excellent services,” said Behavioral Health Director Lindsey Kinney, LMHC. “We are excited to continue expanding our knowledge and services to provide effective mental health treatment for years to come.”

The Behavioral Health team also collaborates across Myrtue departments, including the Senior Life Solutions program, which launched at Myrtue in 2020 and is now located in the building that formerly housed Behavioral Health. Senior Life Solutions is an intensive outpatient group therapy program designed to meet the unique needs of individuals, typically 65 and older, experiencing mental health challenges related to life changes often associated with aging. This program is also expanding as it adds a second track to accommodate the needs of the community.

A key area of growth for Behavioral Health is expanded staffing of advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants) offering medication evaluation and management. More than half of Americans live in a mental health shortage area, including Shelby County residents and nearly 90 percent of Iowa counties. Psychiatrists are in particularly short supply, especially in rural areas. With advanced practice providers specifically trained in psychiatric needs, Behavioral Health has greatly improved local access to medication management.

Group therapy options have also grown in recent years. With a nationwide shortage of mental health professionals, Myrtue Behavioral Health leaders knew they would need to be creative to offer the community robust mental healthcare. Therapy groups provide accessible and timely care driven by the latest science in mental health treatment.

Increasingly, research points to body-based interventions as essential for effective mental healthcare across challenges such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and addiction. Behavioral Health staff developed and launched Movement Therapy in December of 2021. Since then, Movement Therapy has expanded to include adults, teens, and children, as well as groups focused on addiction recovery, body image, and disordered eating.

Behavioral Health has also developed the Starting Point Therapy Group, a twice-weekly walk-in option for adults covering core concepts and tools for mental health. In early 2024, the team also relaunched substance abuse treatment with a curriculum developed in-house uniquely integrating mental health, trauma, and addiction elements.

While the department celebrates the innovative expansion of services, the team strives for more. Even with all these developments, they know that the need is still great. Integration in the expansion of the Harlan Rural Health Clinic will allow for significant growth, allowing patients to access specialized care in a timely manner. The Behavioral Health staff continues to work diligently to recruit and retain excellent staff, invest in training, and expand services to support the diverse mental health needs of the area.

Looking Toward Our Future: Growing our Mental Health Services

As mental health needs become increasingly pressing nationwide, Myrtue Medical Center is committed to providing high-quality and comprehensive mental health care. The Harlan Rural Health Clinic expansion will improve integration between the Harlan Health Clinic and Behavioral Health through an approximately 7,000-square-foot space on the second floor of the expansion dedicated to Behavioral Health. This area will include 16 therapist offices, crisis waiting rooms, and support spaces. The new design aims to better meet the needs of the community, offering timely and tailored mental health services.

If you are in need of mental health services, or would like to learn more on how Behavioral Health can help you, call at 712.755.5056.