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In order to improve healthcare outcomes and access in Springfield in particular, Clark State partnered with Mercy Health to create Mercy Health Springfield Primary Care at Clark State, a primary care clinic that provides medical care to students, employees, and the public. This Clinic is located in the Applied Science Center on Leffel Lane and is open to the public from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Friday. Clark State and Mercy Health are hosting an open house for the community on Wednesday, Sept.11 from 12-3 p.m. to showcase the personnel and services at the Clinic.
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Clark State has been a problem-solver in the addiction and mental health crises in our region. We recently received a grant from the federal Department of Health and Human Services for $899,228 that will train 300 paraprofessionals as peer-to-peer recovery specialists and chemical dependency counselor assistants (CDCA) I and II. As part of this grant, Clark State will establish the National Center for Addiction Integrated Services in the Community College to disseminate this training statewide and nationwide. The Mental Health Recovery Board of Clark, Greene and Madison Counties is a strong local partner in this grant.
Clark State has developed statewide curriculum through a partnership with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services to train peer-to-peer recovery specialists. Peer-to-peer recovery specialists work with employers to coach new and incumbent hires in recovery and tailor service delivery to match needs identified by individuals with “lived experience” recovering from addiction. Clark State has also worked with the State of Ohio on creating pathways for apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship models for addiction and mental health-related careers.
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Finally, providing mental health services is key to student success. Removing the stigma associated with seeking help for anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues is a focus at Clark State. A 2016 study from the Hope Lab, called “Too Distressed to Learn? Mental Health among Community College Students” stated that half of community college students surveyed experienced a mental health condition. The cost of not seeking treatment for these issues can have significant consequences for student success and performance, and offering treatment and referrals for students is critical to ensure that they reach their educational goals. Our counselor, Melinda van Noord, provides and coordinates services for students, and her work with them is as important as what happens in the classroom.
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