U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski Visits Bowen Center In Kosciusko County
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Staff Report-
Bowen Center hosted Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN, 2nd District) at its Warsaw outpatient office recently to highlight the mental health care services, addiction treatment and recovery options it provides to Indiana residents.
Kurt Carlson, Bowen Center president and CEO, explained Bowen Center’s approach to treating the whole person by not only providing appropriate mental and physical health care but also wraparound services to address poverty, transportation, homelessness, safety and lifestyle, according to a news release from the Bowen Center.
“While we have a large professional staff of psychiatrists and psychologists, the majority of our employees work alongside our clients helping them learn new skills and connecting them to resources,” Carlson said.
Walorski signaled the critical need for the services Bowen Center provides in her district and what that situation might look like if those services were not available, the release states.
“One of the things I’ve learned on the House Ways and Means Committee is that I am a big proponent of putting human beings, trained professionals, into the path to help lead people out of addiction, poverty and other issues. I believe public-private partnerships are the way to go so I am thankful that Bowen Center is here and grateful for what you do,” Walorski said.
Dr. Carolyn Warner-Greer, medical director of Bowen Recovery Center, which provides access to treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, explained to Walorski, “Two-thirds of our patients at Bowen Recovery Center, besides being treated with medicine to address their Substance Use Disorder and addressing their mental and physical health, are also receiving additional services including skills coaching. We help them get insurance, housing, transportation, job assistance and more. Those wraparound services are critical to their success in our program and we provide that.”
“You can’t ask a person with a Substance Use Disorder to stop using without addressing those other issues,” said Rob Ryan, senior vice president of operations at Bowen Center. “The one good thing to come out of the opioid epidemic is that because everyone knows someone effected and it is not tied to moral shortcomings, eventually society will see that it is a disease,” he said.
“It’s the stigma that gets in the way,” said Walorski. “It’s like when we’re talking about gun violence and mental illness and it brings back the stigma again.”
Ryan pointed out that “people with mental illness are rarely violent and far less likely to hurt others. The risk is for doing harm to themselves.”
Mental Health America states that most people with serious mental illnesses are never violent, and 95 to 97% of gun violence is not caused by mental illness, the news release states. “That’s interesting. I didn’t know that,” said Walorski. “Thank you for that information.”
The congresswoman’s visit comes as she tours the second district, meeting with constituents during congress’s August recess.
“We are so privileged to have Congresswoman Walorski visit Bowen Center to learn more about the services we provide to our clients,” said Matthew Graham, Kosciusko County director for Bowen Center. “We appreciate her genuine interest and concern for those in Indiana who struggle with mental illness and how we can erase the stigma which serves as a barrier to treatment.”
Founded in 1961 as a not-for-profit serving four northern Indiana counties, Bowen Center has grown into the largest community mental health care center in Indiana serving 22 counties and growing. Bowen Center’s mission is to strengthen communities and to improve the health and well-being of those it is privileged to serve, the release states.
