Community partners offering resources to better behavioral health care in eastern North Carolina had a chance to connect with patients and one another during ECU Health’s 14th annual Behavioral Health Expo on Sept. 22.
The free event brought approximately 50 organizations to Eastern AHEC in Greenville, where community members could see what resources are available across the region. Stacey Greenway, service line executive director and event organizer at ECU Health, said education is invaluable to improve access to care for people who are affected by mental health.
“We work with our community partners year-round, and this is a wonderful opportunity to bring all of their various services together in one place to connect with patients across the region,” Greenway said. “
Attendance by the community and partner organizations continues to grow which is encouraging to see in rural areas where this kind of care is so important. Behavioral health is part of whole-body health, and we are glad resources are available to address it.”
The event featured three presentations on behavioral health, discussing topics such as autism, managing depression and more. Having experts from various fields under the same roof was helpful to let providers know where they can refer patients and collaborate to improve health across eastern North Carolina.
“It is very important to come together to see what resources we have available to help patients,” said Dr. Michael Lang, chair of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and ECU Health. “No one group can provide for everything, so it is good to know where we can send patients who need specialized care or other resources specific to their unique situation and optimize outcomes for this population that we serve.”
To learn more about Behavioral Health at ECU Health, please visit ECUHealth.org/Behavioral.