God led me through those doors,” says Ruth Hall, a vibrant, well-dressed grandmother, active church member and what few would imagine as a client in need of urgent mental health services.
But Hall is a reminder that anyone at any time can find themselves needing the immediate services offered at OhioGuidestone’s ReadyCare Walk-in Clinics.
Ruth was exhausted and overwhelmed when she walked into OhioGuidestone’s 3500 Carnegie Avenue ReadyCare walk-in location in Cleveland. She was hoping the ReadyCare clinic could help her find peace in the turmoil of raising her six-year-old granddaughter.
With no advanced notice, Hall had become legal guardian to Serenity, a bright but deeply guarded child with intense emotions, uncontrollable energy and defiant behavior that caused problems at school and at home.
Hall came to the ReadyCare clinic seeking support, but she quickly learned Serenity also needed help.
OhioGuidestone, including its ReadyCare walk-in clinics, is committed to providing whole-person accessible care or, in Hall’s case, whole-family care. Her well-being was tied to Serenity’s well-being, and Serenity’s well-being would involve processing trauma and learning new behaviors.
Hall and Serenity began services together with great results so far. She credits OhioGuidestone therapist Antionette Foster for helping Serenity learn to express her emotions in a healthy way and to trust her grandmother and the people around her.
“Serenity is very good at sizing people up,” Hall says. “Miss Antionette has taught her how and when it’s ok to let her guard down, and now she’s calm and making friends at school.”
Hall is also doing well and is happily bringing her granddaughter into her church community.
It’s still early in their relationship, but both are enjoying each other and Hall, with the help of her OhioGuidestone team, says she is looking forward to watching Serenity grow.
“It all happened by walking through that door,” she says.
The Importance of Timely Access
ReadyCare clinics are walk-in behavioral health clinics that provide same-day mental health and substance use treatment with no appointment required.
The services that helped Hall and her granddaughter are also available at more than 10 ReadyCare locations across Ohio.
The clinics offer services including mental health assessments, counseling, therapy, crisis intervention, psychiatric care, medication management and medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders. They are designed to provide immediate access to care, especially for individuals covered by Medicaid.
“When someone is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, they can’t wait for an appointment; they need to see someone right away,” says OhioGuidestone Supervisor Esther Friedman. “ReadyCare is designed to get people into care quickly where they can get help from a licensed clinician, a therapist, or other care provider and, if needed, a referral to primary care or other services.”
She adds, “We link individuals to providers who can meet their physical health needs as well as behavioral health needs. We also provide them with education and resources that help their overall well-being.”
Friedman says it’s important to recognize the significance of mental health and the role it plays in primary medical care. She says, “When you are in a mental health crisis, you’re not thinking about getting a primary care physician or the fact that you haven’t been to a dentist, but those things can really become overwhelming.”
OhioGuidestone Project Director Christina Sherman-Zographos says, “We don’t just focus on crisis intervention; we work on long-term stability. Whether we are linking someone to housing, connecting them with food assistance or providing therapy, we make sure people get the full range of support they need.”
Leading the Way to Wellness
ReadyCare walk-in clinics are the latest innovation in the 160-year history of OhioGuidestone’s efforts to meet the evolving needs of individuals, families and communities.
“ReadyCare clinics are filling gaps in access to care that still exist in our communities,” Sherman-Zographos says. “We have always had outstanding therapists, behavioral health specialists and care coordination, but now we are helping more people access them by eliminating financial, geographical and other barriers.”
She adds, “In our area people will go to the emergency room for a mental health crisis, which adds to an already overburdened emergency department with long wait times where they may only be able to address the problem they see in front of them, missing possible undiagnosed but very significant underlying problems that may require ongoing care.”
With ReadyCare clinics, anyone experiencing a behavioral health crisis has immediate access to a care provider and is assigned a care coordinator, which is proven to be a critical element in overall health and lifelong success.
“Our ability to quickly diagnose and assess is an important component of ReadyCare clinics,” Friedman says. “In addition to therapists and care coordinators, we have screeners and crisis navigators who can complete diagnostic evaluations (DEs) on the spot.”
She emphasizes, “We see it every day, so we know that people who receive high-quality behavioral health services lead healthier, more productive lives.”
OhioGuidestone’s crisis hotline in Cuyahoga County (440-260-8595) offers crisis services seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
ReadyCare clinics offer in-person, walk-in behavioral health services with easy access to a care provider. Services and hours vary by location. To learn more, visit myreadycare.org.
This article was made possible by Grant Number 1H79SM086700-01 from SAMHSA.
