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Don Schofield, executive director of East Center Mental Health-Mental Retardation in Troy was the program guest of Rotarian Isabell Boyd at the Wednesday meeting of the Brundidge Rotary Club.

Schofield received degrees in his field of study from Troy State University and the University of North Carolina. He has been executive director of East Central Mental Health-Mental Retardation in Troy since November 1990 and has worked in the mental health field since 1966.

Schofield said the East Central Mental Health Center is a non-profit corporation governed by a board of locally appointed directors whose mission is to provide quality mental health, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse services to citizens of Pike, Bullock and Macon counties. The services of ECMH are provided within the limits of available resources to the citizens, he said.

Schofield expressed appreciation to the City of Brundidge for its support of ECMH and those it serves.

“We can always count on Brundidge to understand the importance of the services East Central Mental Health provides and to lend the city’s support to our efforts,” he said.

Schofield said the services of ECMH are always in need and now, with the additional stresses related to COVID-19, the need for its services is heightened.

“At ECMH, we understand the additional stress that people are under,” Schofield said. “When we receive a call from a client with anxiety or depression, they don’t need intake assessment in four or five months, they need it the same day.”

ECMH provides a variety of services including adult out-patient, in-home intervention, high intensity care, rehabilitation day care and child and parent services, including child and adolescent mental illness outpatient services.

ECMH also has basic counseling granted to daily living, mental health consultation and consultation intervention teams for the seriously ill. Sixty beds are available for the chronically mentally ill.

“ECMH services are provided with compassionate care and with respect for the individual dignity and privacy in the least restrictive environment necessary to provide the needed services,” Schofield said. “At ECMH, we are dedicated to service and caring.”

The ECMH Crisis Line numbers are 1-334-566-3391 and 1-800-467-1208.

Schofield said anyone who is having mental issues is encouraged to contact ECMH at 334-566-6022 or the Crisis Line.