Mental health agency opens Oxford location

A Butler County-based behavioral health services agency has opened an Oxford location, filling a void left after previous mental health providers closed their office.

Butler Behavioral Health Services opened its doors in Oxford on Jan. 9 at 5223 College Corner Pike as a full-service facility.

“We have the same services as we offer in Hamilton and Middletown. That was important for us from the start of the concept,” said Randy Allman, CEO of BBHS. “It was part of our business plan to only do it if we can offer the same services as our other offices and right away.”

That commitment — as well as finding an appropriate location — delayed the opening a bit, but Allman said it was worth it to be able to open with all services and professional staff in place and ready to offer a full range of mental health services.

Allman was recently named CEO of Butler Behavioral Health Services after marking three years with them this past November. He said the agency is one of the oldest community mental health services in the state.

Based in the Oxford Counseling Center are Therapist Nicole Quinn MSW, LSW and Program Manager/Therapist Kate McLain LISW. Also on staff are Office Coordinator/Medical Assistant Rachael Witt and Regina Wilde, a family nurse practitioner, who serves as prescribing provider for medications.

Allman said they offer psycho-pharmacological services of therapy is not enough. As a general philosophy, they want to start without medication, but have developed a relationship with Community Health Solutions locally to be able to offer a more holistic approach to treatment.

“It’s all done through an integrated manner, looking at the whole person with other services. If physical health conditions are not treated we can bring in Primary Health Solutions for a holistic approach to care,” Allman said. “We can also offer employment services through our employment department to work with clients who have problems with work. It’s often a mental health issue, for example, someone who has not worked in a long time and does not know how to get a job.”

BBHS also offers a 24/7 mobile crisis team for the county but Oxford has been included in that for a number of years, so it is not a new service here, he said.

While the newly-opened office provides private spaces for counselling as well as a larger conference room for group sessions, Allman said their work also takes them outside the facility with mobile-based services in homes and schools.

“It’s not just in this office,” he said. “We work closely with schools. We will start some groups to work with others in the schools, the high school or alternative school, stress tolerance-type groups. We will work with students, ultimately to improve academic success. That should pave the way to doing more services in the schools.”

He said they intend to work with other community social service agencies, such as the Family Resource Center and the Oxford Community Choice Pantry.

“We know the people we serve need other types of services to be successful,” Allman said.

The Coalition for a Healthy Community has had mental health as one of its top goals since its inception and when the community lost local mental health services, members began looking for providers.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays. They offer open hours for services and invite anyone to come in during those hours to start services.

The phone number for the Oxford Counseling Center is 513-273-8064.

An open house to meet the staff will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7.

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