RWBC and your program support your efforts to engage self-care, including for mental health concerns. Depression, anxiety, suicidal thinking, substance misuse and other conditions may impact your well-being and your performance in residency. We encourage you to pursue mental health care for those conditions. You may pursue that directly, for which resources are provided below. You may also pursue that by starting with a RWBC consult in which we will listen to your concerns, help you identify options and a plan and if you wish, facilitate referrals.
Urgent Services
Daytime Options:
1. Contact the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Department triage clinician at 715.387.5744. That person will review your concerns and identify options to assist you.
2. EAP (ERC) The employee assistance program of MCHS is called ERC. It provide confidential services on campus. Contact them at 1.800.222.8590. For more information about ERC, please visit this link.
After Hours Options:
1. Contact the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Dept. on call clinician at 387.5744. That person will address your urgent concerns and help you manage them safely.
Suicidal Concerns
Immediately contact the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Department
- Daytime: 387.5744, ask for the triage clinician and explain it is for suicidal thinking.
- After Hours: 387.5511, ask for the on-call clinician in the Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Department and explain it is for suicidal concerns.
- Another option is to contact Wood County Crisis Services at 384-5555 which provides a hotline service.
- Another option is to contact the ERC at 1.800.222.6590 for 24 hour assistance.
To Arrange Counseling
The Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Dept. at MCHS provides therapy and medication management treatment for residents. You may refer yourself directly by calling 715.387.5744 and ask to set up an initial appointment. A team nurse may do a preliminary screening with you to ensure your needs are appropriately addressed. This is a traditional outpatient health care service for which your insurance will be billed and you will be responsible for any co-pays or deductibles. Below you will see links to the MCHS Schedule of Benefits Plans (please note, these documents are good for the benefit year listed on each plan):
The ERC provides up to 5 free counseling sessions for you and any family members to address your concerns. Here is some additional information on their service and how to set that up.
Private mental health services in Marshfield. There is one private clinic we have referred residents to in the past: the Wise Mind Clinic. We are working on a list of providers in the community to have for you in the near future.
---
1. Choose your Coverage: Security Administrative Services
2. Choose your Health Plan: Marshfield Clinic Health System
3. Enter mileage range and zip code
4. Enter Specialty: Counseling/AODA/Behavioral Health
5. Select Search
6. This list will provide in network providers for this specialty.
Internet-Based Resources to Support Your Mental Health
The evidence base for the mental health benefit of internet programs and apps now includes RCTs. The evidence is showing the benefit of these tools for well-being, resilience and management of anxiety and depression. Optimal use of these tools involves sharing your progress through the program with a therapist or trusted others as, when done independently, there is a high dropout rate. Much like starting an exercise routine or self-care plan, we adhere better when we do it with others or update others on our progress and recognize the progress we are making.
One web-based tool for which there is data specific to its benefit for residents, is MoodGYM. The JAMA Psychiatry 2015 article Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention for the Prevention of Suicidal Ideation in Medical Interns: A Randomized Controlled Trial is linked here for your review. In addition, at the 2018 Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry National Conference, a session on challenges and resiliency in residency noted the value of this tool, particularly as one presenter stated, "we (residents) don't get care when we struggle."
MoodGYM addresses core cognitive-behavioral tools to understand our thoughts and emotions and then develop tools to support our wellbeing, which then reduces risks for depression, anxiety and suicidal thinking. There is an annual subscription charge of about $10 to set up your account. The emerging literature and input at the AACAP conference suggest this is well worth the potential benefit.
MoodGYM and other computer based programs are not meant to substitute for therapy. Rather they can be used in combination with therapy and may shorten the overall length of the treatment. They can also be used in a proactive manner as part of your self-care plan to build resiliency and reduce risk of mood difficulties during residency. Here is a resource that reviews many of the current computer based mental health resources for your further consideration.
Additional Resources:
- Depression and mental health apps: How to tell the good from the bad
- Wellbeing Apps Review: here is a review conducted in 2/2018 by the fellows and faculty in the Adult Psychology Fellowship Program at MCHS.
