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Hart Counseling Services is now offering behavioral health care services to Jamestown and the surrounding communities full time, said its owner, Tim Hart.  Hart and the staff of Hart Counseling Services provide services to individuals 10 years old and up, including behavioral health assessments, individual, family, group and marriage counseling, anger management group, psychological testing and referrals for additional services.  Hart has worked in the mental health care field for over 25 years, most recently as an advanced clinical specialist. He and his staff combined have over 100 years of experience in providing services to individuals with various levels of mental health needs, he said.  The goal of Hart Counseling Services is to provide effective, evidenced-based services that are individualized to each person, family or group, Hart said. The business wants to fulfill service gaps with outreach and accessible services, and to help clients avoid having to wait for services, he said.  The stigmas of needing mental health services are still out there, but less so, Hart said. But there are still gaps in service and people reluctant to get help, he said. There are also more stigmas in smaller communities, and many people have a “get over it” mentality when it comes to behavioral health issues, Hart said.  Making services affordable is one way to help encourage people to care for their mental health, Hart said. The business accepts many insurance options, including Medicare and North Dakota Medicaid.  North Dakota, like much of the U.S., is facing a shortage of mental health care services, especially in rural areas. Hart said he wants to fill in gaps in the region for mental health services. The business will do outreach to surrounding communities and take services to them, Hart said.  “Some people have limited resources and means to get to here, which has been a barrier in mental health services,” Hart said.  Oakes, Harvey, Cooperstown and other small towns in the area don’t have a variety of, if any, mental health care services, Hart said. Hart said he did outreach for the South Central Human Service Center, so the communities in the region are familiar with him. He also sent out letters to schools and other agencies in the area so they are aware of the business’s service.  “Just like physical health and spiritual health, we need to stay mentally and emotionally healthy as well,” Hart said. “It is important that we have services available to address each part of a person.”  Hart said he is excited to be able to continue to work with people in Jamestown and the surrounding communities, and looks forward to collaborating with existing agencies to best serve the needs of the region.

Writing Credit:

Katie Fairbanks

The Jamestown Sun