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Catahoula Parish Hospital District 2 staffers cut the ribbon Saturday morning at the new Outpatient Behavioral Health Services clinic in Ferriday. From left are Jason Torrey, back, Kristy Parks, Amaya Flornoy, Starla Caston, Debra Miesch, chief executive officer at CPHD2, Judith Waldrop, Ruby Iva Ward, Tonnette Haynes, Susan Howard, Chase Weeks, Roger Smith and Rollande Thomas, in back. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

Staffers gather in the patient waiting area at the new Outpatient Behavioral Health Services in Ferriday. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

Two of four consultation rooms for providers and patients at the new Outpatient Behavioral Health Services in Ferriday. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

Conference room at new Outpatient Behavioral Health Services in Ferriday. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

Break room at new Outpatient Behavioral Health Services in Ferriday. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — Staffers, contractors and members of the Ferriday community marveled at the transformation of 1820 EE Wallace Blvd. Saturday morning.

What was called a tired, rundown old building is now a bright, beautiful and modern facility that welcome those who need outpatient mental health services in the community beginning Monday morning.

The Catahoula Parish Hospital District No. 2 showed off the new facility at a grand opening on Saturday morning.

Kristy Parks, chief operating officer of the district, said the new Outpatient Behavioral Health Services clinic would provide a safe and comfortable place for those who need mental health services.

Three mental health care providers will staff the clinic each day on a rotating basis, she said.

“We are in a mental health crisis in this country right now,” Parks said. “Our aim is to end the stigma associated with mental health issues and to be here for the community when they need us.”

The clinic is open to everyone, Parks said. It accepts private health insurance, but also provides services for those without insurance or who meet certain income requirements on a sliding scale.

“Transportation is also available,” she said. “We will go pick up patients and bring them in to see a mental health practitioner, and will take them back home.”

One of those practitioners is Ruby Iva Ward, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

“We want to thank everyone who had the vision to add mental health services to CPHD 2,” Ward said. “One in five adults in the U.S. has mental health issues. One in six children and adolescents ages 6 to 17 has a mental health issue in the United States. Among adolescents ages 10 through 14, suicide is the second leading cause of death. In Louisiana, 700,000 people each year have a mental health issue. That’s three times the size of Baton Rouge.

“We want to work to supply in the rural areas the critical need for mental health services. Thank you all for having the vision for this and getting it completed,” Ward said.

For more information about the new Outpatient Behavioral Health Services clinic at 1820 EE Wallace Blvd. in Ferriday, call the CPHD2 Administration at 318-389-9941 or visit cphd2.org.

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