Dr. Rita Jungblom

MADISONVILLE, Ky. (11/1/14) — A much needed service for people suffering from severe mental illness is returning to the Madisonville area but this one is in overdrive.

Mobile Psychology, LLC is expanding services for adults with severe mental illness. The program is called Green Light and will be operating Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Located at 1840 Lantaff Blvd., Madisonville, Green Light can service residents from any county in Kentucky that meet certain qualifications.

Green Light is a Therapeutic Rehabilitation Program funded by Medicaid for the severely mentally ill at risk of being hospitalized for psychiatric reasons. Green Light helps clients develop the skills necessary to maintain in the community.

“We are excited about providing these services for the severely mentally ill. These are the people most in need, and we are looking forward to getting them up and going in life,” said Dr. Rita Jungblom, CEO of Mobile Psychology. “We will be teaching everything from cooking, to banking, to symptom management and much more. We have a newly-renovated facility, designed specifically for this service. It includes a kitchen, a common area, an activity/group room and a relaxation room.”

A similar program was offered by a area mental health center in the past but they terminated those services earlier this year leaving a void, Jungblom said.

“We’re going to fill that void with a fun, exciting program that is educational and therapeutic,” said Jungblom. “Our goal is to help people sustain in the community, decrease psychiatric hospitalizations and decrease or eliminate interaction with the judicial system. We will be teaching clients the skills necessary to stay healthy, safe and out of trouble with the law. We anticipate servicing 12 to 15 clients a day, but we have the room and the ability to expand as needed. And, that will be happening quickly as we have several people already signed up.”

Green Light focuses on the development of daily living skills, illness awareness, emotional regulation and crisis management. Clients gain hands-on experience with meal prep, cooking and cleaning.

Educational and therapeutic groups will be offered as well as trips to various community businesses and agencies to learn about local resources, shopping and recreational options.

“Learning can be fun and we plan on making sure that happens – hygiene might not sound exciting but visiting a beautician or a barber shop for the first time is going to be quite an experience for our clients,” said Jungblom. “We are also going to teach them how to access these services on a budget.”

Jungblom added that Mobile Psychology will be covering all of the expenses incurred on the community outings.

“Finances can be a barrier for many – we’re going to remove that barrier while they are in the program and teach them how to minimize it so they can meet their needs once they have graduated from Green Light.”

Transportation can also be a barrier so we have made arrangements with PACS to assist those who qualify, said Dr. Jungblom. “The local PACS office has been wonderful. The staff has gone above and beyond – they are truly invested in helping the disabled. This project has been a community effort — from PACS, to Habitat, to individuals who have donated items and time. It has been a blessing.”

SurfKY News
Information provided by Dr. Rita Jungblom

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