The Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine (BJVIM) is seeking trained Mental Health specialists who are interested in volunteering their time at the Bluffton and Ridgeland clinics.
“Many patients coming to the clinic have health problems that contribute to employment issues, relationship problems, and functioning in the world,” said Dr. Helene Stoller, a 25-year psychologist who volunteers at the clinic.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 60 percent of people in the United States who have mental health conditions – including depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder — and nearly 90 percent of people with substance use disorders do not receive the care they need.
Stoller, who is the only mental health professional on staff at BJVIM, spends four hours a week meeting with patient and doctors. With more than 2,500 patients who call BJVIM their medical home, having only one mental health provider represents a gap in services.
“It is so important to have mental health as part of the health team. It’s really about the whole person,” Stoller said.
Mental Health specialists who are interested in volunteering their time are encouraged to call Pam Toney at 843-706-7090, ext 104.
