President Mark Killingsworth presided over today’s meeting. Mark provided the opening prayer and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting was held by Zoom due to COVID-19 meeting restrictions. Joe Bost thanked those who helped with today’s meeting. Wes Brooks then introduced today’s guest speaker, Dean Doty.
Dean is the Operations Manager at Right Track Medical and focuses on provider management and productivity.
More than 43 million people in the U.S. experience mental illness each year, from children to adolescents as well as adults. Right Track Medical Groups' mission is to provide quality, outpatient mental health services for patients in the Southeast. Early intervention, individualized care, and convenient access are what they provide.
Their focus is on intervening through outpatient care before a mental illness reaches a crisis level where inpatient treatment is necessary.
Developmentally, children and adolescence are at such a critical time of their development. During these years, young people are growing into who they are created to be. This growth comes with normal “growing pains” and adjustment, yet for some youth, there is much more going on that affects their overall wellbeing and functioning. In fact, 50 percent of lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14.
Mental illness, just like a medical disease, has tangible effects that inhibit someone’s ability to function and enjoy life. Among young people, ages 13-18, one in five have or will have a serious mental illness. Specifically, 11 percent of youth have a mood disorder, and 10 percent of youth have a behavioral or conduct disorder. Eight percent of youth are affected by an anxiety disorder.
Common mental-health concerns among kids and teens:
- Anxiety disorders: Fear and worry disrupt day-to-day life and relationships.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
- Conduct disorder: Extreme aggression and destruction towards other people, property, or animals.
- Depression: Depression goes beyond feeling sad to an extremely emotionally low emotional place.
- Bipolar disorder: It causes a mood to go back and forth between high moods and low moods.
- Eating disorders: Involves distorted body image and behaviors involving depriving the body of nutrients.
- Substance abuse: Being in emotional pain can make substances especially appealing to numb the pain.
- Suicide: Sometimes teens and even children are in so much pain that they begin to have suicidal thoughts.
Approximately one in five men develop alcohol dependency at some point in their lives. Each year one in five women in the United States experiences a mental health issue.
Risk factors for suicide include social isolation, substance abuse, unemployment, military-related trauma, sexual orientation, genetic predisposition, and having other mood disorders.
Common mental health issues among men and women include:
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Anxiety disorder
- Eating disorders
- Suicide attempts
Because each patient’s needs are unique, Right Track Medical offers customized treatment plans. This can include, appointments with a physician, nurse practitioner, and even sessions with a therapist.
They also offer Coping Skills Groups. Sometimes it helps to be in a group with people that understand where you have been and what you are going through.
Benefits of Coping Skills Groups:
- Practice healthy coping skills
- Learn to manage stress & incorporate wellness
- Cope with change
- Improve decision-making skills
- Set boundaries & communicate effectively with others
- Act through goal setting
If you or someone you know is in a crisis, please reach out. You can email Dean directly at ddoty@righttractmedical.com or visit their website at https://www.righttrackmedical.com.
Mark thanked today’s speaker and then announced we will start meeting at the Holiday Inn once again beginning on November 17th.
There being no further business to come before the club, Mark thanked those who were able to attend today’s meeting and adjourned the meeting with our motto: “Service Above Self.”