03/28/2024
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By: Erin Smith

Healthy BladenThe members of the Healthy Bladen Collaborative met on Tuesday morning and learned about how to access Eastpointe services for their clients.

Cheryl Harris with Eastpointe, an agency that manages mental health services for providers in Bladen and surrounding counties, gave an overview of the agency’s series and how collaborative members can help their clients to access them.

Harris said that Eastpointe has a new CEO Sarah Stroud. She also told the group that in each county served by Eastpointe there is a kiosk usually in the local library.

Harris said that she was not certain about the location of the kiosk in Bladen County. 

She said that Eastpointe recently held a mental health listening session in Lumberton. She said that the meeting was attended by three or four folks from Bladen County. The goal is to learn what are the gaps and needs in the county.

She said Eastpointe’s territory covers 12 counties and the closest walk in centers are located in Lumberton and Sampson County.

Proposed new local management entity to come into effect

Thing of benefit to us if live in Bladen and want to go to new Hanover right now not that easy for mental health or substance abuse unless have a contact with Eastpointe.

There is a proposed local management entity-managed care organizations that would expand somewhat Eastpointe’s reach.

Currently, there are service providers in Bladen County who have agreements to serve Eastpointe clients. To learn more about local providers you can go to http://www.eastpointe.net/

Click for consumers and scroll to provider choice database and then click search.  There are two ways to search the database: by county of address or counties served. This type of search will generate a list of agencies that serve the client’s county.

Marianne Valentiner said that through the community health assessment it was learned that there are concerns with substance abuse and mental health counseling.

Valentiner said that she and Berkleigh Pridgen have been doing a lot of work with community health assessment in collaboration with hospital. She added that they have also been busy with the Young Families Connect program writing the grant application.

Valentine said that they made a presentation at the Elizabethtown-White Lake Chamber of Commerce and the WMU ladies group in Clarkton.

The discussion than moved into the round table discussion where representatives of various agencies described upcoming activities as well as gave updates regarding their agencies.

The new Bladen County Senior Center is now holding Wednesday Bible reflections for seniors. a word challenge game twice per month which is designed to help get seniors minds stimulated.

Shayla Yancey, owner of DreamWorks Therapeutic Learning Center, discussed her agency and what is offered in terms of recreational therapy.

“We provide activities to help people with certain limitations,” said Yancey.

Focus is on children with mental and or intellectual diagnoses from ages 0 up to 21.

Academic tutoring, recreational therapy consultations

Greg Martin, County Manager, spoke about several projects that are ongoing in the county including the new detention and law enforcement center. The project will take 481 days or about 16 months to complete.

He also noted that Bladen County Parks and Recreation is working on a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant application and the strategic planning process is now underway.

Bladen Community College Director of Human Resources Tiina Mundy said the March program went well and encourages all work places to take part. She also discussed the Elizabethtown Rotary Club 8K Trail Run to benefit USO of NC.

Lisa Clark, Outreach Coordinator of Lower Cape Fear Hospice, said she recently attended a health fair and recruited 10 new volunteers for Bladen County but more are still needed.

Janet Miller of DSS talked about the agency’s child abuse awareness event to be held on Saturday, April 30, from 1 to 4 p.m.  She said there will be a contest for businesses and agencies who have the best pinwheel display. The goal is to decorate the town and around county with pinwheels to call attention to child abuse.

Miller said to enter the contest take a picture of your pinwheel grade or pinwheel creation and email it to the Department of Social Services.

Donda Evans of Bladen County Hospital said there is a one major push for the hospital is education for their staff. She said they are also encouraging growth within the nursing department via the Clinical Ladder program. Evans said that currently, there are 11 nurses who have attained Clinical Ladder Nurse 2. She said the program can go as high as Clinical Ladder 4.

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