Outpatient Mental Health Clinic

The Outpatient Mental Health Clinic provides traditional services including psychosocial, psychological and psychiatric evaluation, ongoing psychotherapy, medication management and education, nursing support, prevention and consultation activities.   

 Staff include psychiatrists, advanced practice nurse prescribers, psychologists, social workers and registered nurses.

HOURS

8:00am to 7:00pm, Monday through Thursday
8:00am to 4:30pm, Friday
Closed Saturday & Sunday

General Phone Number: (920) 929-3500
Intake Phone: (920) 929-3565

ELIGIBILITY

1) Fond du Lac County residency (Must provide one of the following as proof of residency)

• Verification of address through a utility bill in the last 90 days
• Bank, credit union, credit card, or mortgage statement.
• Current and valid WI driver’s license or State ID card
• Paycheck/stub.
• Current lease.  

2) Some insurance limitations

•  As a public facility, we contract with some insurance companies, but are not preferred providers with all insurance companies.
•  We do qualify for Medical Assistance reimbursement and contract with several Medical Assistance HMOs.
• We also have a sliding fee scale for uninsured and underinsured persons.

SERVICES

The first scheduled appointment at DHS is designated as an Intake.  During the Intake session, staff get to know the presenting problem, what brought a person to DHS, what the person is concerned about, what changes the person would like to make in life to improve their mental health. 

Staff also ask about the past, about family, previous treatments, health, medications used, schooling, work history, all the things that have been experienced by the person, both positive and negative. Strengths are shared as well as plans and goals for the future. Current medications are reviewed, if any.

At Intake or at a subsequent session, depending on time factors, an Individualized Treatment Plan is jointly developed by staff and the person looking for services. Strengths, goals and objectives are defined. The formal Plan serves to guide the process of treatment and can be altered as time goes on, goals are met, and new goals are established.

Treatment itself can take several forms. 

Psychiatry provides evaluation regarding the use of medications. If needed, these medications can be prescribed and monitored by the treating psychiatrist or APNP on a regular basis.  Some medications require regular blood draws which are also scheduled.

Psychology and Social Work provide a wide range of talk therapy for individuals, couples, families and groups. All age ranges are served from young children to elders. Common presenting problems include depression, mood swings, anger management, interpersonal difficulties, and marital problems in adults, severe emotional problems, sexual abuse and behavior disorders in children, and depression, early dementia, loss and grief in elders. Ongoing consultation is provided to other agencies involved in the treatment process, including schools, DHS Child Welfare and Aging Divisions, and nursing homes. A limited number of psychological evaluations are completed, primarily for court-ordered referrals and for our Acute Psychiatric Unit for differential diagnoses.

Nursing support is essential for individuals who receive medications through DHS. A total of seven nursing support groups are held weekly as well as individual sessions. Peer support is a very important part of the group process. Many persons with diagnoses of severe and persistent mental illness receive injectable medications or clozapine which require careful management. Nurses provide the injections, teach about symptoms of mental illness and the benefits and side effects of psychotropic medications, review and look for side effects, assist in obtaining medications in a timely fashion, provide basic health information, take regular weights and blood pressure and relate any and all concerns to the treating psychiatrist. In addition, nurses coordinate care with personal physicians for continuity and best outcomes.

Regular prevention/consultation is provided through staff presentations to a variety of audiences on topics related to mental health. Consultations occur with the Fond du Lac School system, DHS Child Welfare Division, Advocap Headstart, the Fond du Lac County Jail, the Special Population Emergency Preparedness Task Force, the Housing Coalition, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Welcoming New Clients