State's mental health services in Lyon County won't be consolidated

More than 150 people served by the Dayton Community Mental Health Center on Pike Street won't have to travel to Silver Springs to receive services.

After nine community forums, state Rural Clinics/Community Mental Health officials have decided against consolidating services in Dayton and Fernley locations in Silver Springs.

The state agency operates community mental health facilities in all three communities, and the Rural Clinics Executive Director Ray Kendall said the decision was based on advice from the forums as well as other agencies.

"We need to stay focused on the communities that we work in," he said. "We are a community-based service. It is difficult because of the cost of space, but we're going to continue to provide service in those communities."

Cheryl Bowles, director of the three clinics, said comments from the community brought about the decision.

"It was decided as a result of the stakeholder meetings that the residents of the communities desired services to remain in the communities," she said.

Bowles estimated that about 150 people in each of the three communities received some assistance from the centers, which provide counseling for mental illnesses like depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, as well as for emotional disorders or substance abuse problems. The centers serve both children and adults.

Bowles also said there may be an expansion of services at the Silver Springs center, depending on the proposed expansion of facilities by the Silver Springs-Stagecoach Hospital District board.

In November, Rural Clinics considered closing the Dayton and Fernley centers and moving all services to Silver Springs, because of the high cost of office space in Dayton and Fernley.

Kendall said no changes will be made for "quite the foreseeable future, since we have to plan two or three years in advance."

Rural Clinics/Community Mental Health helps patients in all Nevada's communities except Reno/Sparks and Las Vegas. The program has a sliding scale for patients without health insurance. There are 21 sites in rural Nevada, covering close to 100,000 square miles.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.

Who to call

To inquire about Rural Clinics mental health services in Lyon County, call:

Dayton - 246-5240

Fernley - 575-0670

Silver Springs - 577-0319