How to Start Depression Care in Southern West Virginia

This is a practical guide to starting depression care at Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center. It explains how to schedule, what to bring, which clinics serve the region, what to ask about cost, and how to work through transportation or scheduling barriers.

This page is not clinical advice and it is not a substitute for an evaluation. Whether what you are experiencing is depression is a question for a clinician, not a website. Southern Highlands provides evaluations at our Princeton, Welch, and Mullens clinics. Call (304) 425-9541 to schedule one. For an overview of the condition and available care, visit the depression treatment page. The National Institute of Mental Health also maintains general public information at nimh.nih.gov.

How to Start Care at Southern Highlands

You can call Southern Highlands directly to request an assessment; you do not need a diagnosis before calling or need to explain everything on the phone. A health plan or particular service may still apply referral, authorization, eligibility, or medical-necessity rules.

Call

(304) 425-9541. Tell whoever answers that you would like to schedule an assessment. They will ask which county you live in, what insurance you have if any, and when you can come in. If you are not sure which clinic is closest to you, ask. Staff can look it up.

Walk in

Listed office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Walk-in intake availability may differ from office hours, so call (304) 425-9541 before coming to confirm when an intake is available. Starting in person can be easier for people who have unreliable phone service, who work nights, or who have found phone calls hard to make.

What to bring

A photo ID if you have one
Your insurance card if you have insurance
A list of any medications you currently take, including over-the-counter ones
The name and phone number of your primary care provider, if you have one
If someone else referred you, the name of that person or agency

If you do not have some of these, come anyway. Missing paperwork is not a reason to be turned away, and front office staff deal with this every day.

What the first appointment looks like

The intake assessment takes roughly an hour to an hour and a half. It is a conversation with a clinician about what brought you in, your history, and what you want to be different. At the end of it, you and the clinician agree on a plan for what services you will start with and when your next appointment is.

We are not going to tell you here what that plan will contain. That is the clinician’s job, in the room, with you.

The first visit guide has a shorter preparation checklist you can review before you go.

Where We Provide Depression Services

Southern Highlands serves Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties from six locations, including:

Princeton Clinic (Mercer County)
Welch Clinic (McDowell County)
Mullens Clinic (Wyoming County)
Children’s Clinic, for ages 3 to 17

Call (304) 425-9541 and ask which site is nearest to you and what days services are offered there. Not every service runs every day at every location, and that is worth confirming before you drive.

Mercer County

Princeton is the largest of our sites and the one most people in Mercer County reach first. If you are coming from Bluefield, Athens, Oakvale, or the Green Valley area, ask the scheduler about Princeton when you call.

McDowell County

The Welch clinic serves McDowell County. McDowell has some of the longest drive times to any kind of health care in the state, and the roads that get you there are not interstate. If the drive is the obstacle, ask about telehealth and about Medicaid transportation before you decide the appointment is not possible.

Wyoming County

The Mullens clinic serves Wyoming County, including Pineville, Oceana, and the Rockview area. As with the other counties, call ahead and confirm which days the service you need is offered at that site.

Children and adolescents

The Children’s Clinic provides services for ages 3 to 17. If you are calling about a child, say so at the beginning of the call so the scheduler routes you correctly. Bring the child’s insurance information and, if there is one, any documentation from the school.

Practical Questions About Appointments

These are the things people usually find out the hard way.

Appointment times. Ask what times are available at your location when you schedule. If daytime appointments do not work with your job, say that on the first call rather than accepting a slot you know you cannot keep.

If you have to miss one. Call (304) 425-9541 as far ahead as you can and reschedule. Missing an appointment does not close your case, and it is not a reason to avoid calling back. People stop coming after one missed appointment far more often than they need to.

Records from another provider. If you have been seen somewhere else, tell your clinician at intake. A release of information form lets us request those records so you are not repeating your whole history from memory.

Bringing someone with you. You can bring a family member or friend to an appointment. Tell the front desk when you arrive. Whether that person joins you in the room is your decision.

Interpreters and accommodations. If you need an interpreter or an accommodation to attend, say so when you schedule so it can be arranged ahead of time.

Services Available for Depression

Depression is among the conditions treated across our outpatient programs. Services include:

Individual therapy with licensed therapists and counselors
Group therapy, including skills groups and support groups
Medication management with psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners
Integrated care, meaning your therapist and your prescriber work in the same organization and can coordinate directly instead of you carrying messages between two offices
Case management to help with the practical parts, like paperwork, benefits, and connecting to other services
Crisis services, available 24 hours a day

Which of these is appropriate for any one person is decided during and after the assessment, not in advance and not from a web page.

You do not have to choose between counseling and a medication appointment before you make the first call. Tell the scheduler what you want help with and bring your questions to the assessment. Staff can explain how the available services are scheduled.

What Being a CCBHC Means for You

Southern Highlands is certified by West Virginia as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic under a program based on federal CCBHC criteria. Those requirements include access and service standards relevant to people seeking care.

Services are meant to be available under one roof. Rather than sending you to one agency for counseling, another for medication management, and a third for case management, a CCBHC is expected to provide a comprehensive set of services itself and to coordinate the rest.

Crisis services run around the clock. Not business hours. That is why the crisis line at 1-800-615-0122 is answered at 2:00 AM on a Sunday.

Care is coordinated. Your providers here are expected to work together and, with your permission, with your other health care providers rather than in isolation.

Ability to pay is not supposed to be the gatekeeper. This is the basis for the sliding fee scale described below.

Services are provided regardless of where in the service area you live. That covers all of Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties, not just the towns the clinics sit in.

Paying for Care

Cost and coverage are worth handling up front rather than letting them become the reason you never start.

We accept:

West Virginia Medicaid
Medicare
Most private and commercial insurance plans
Self-pay

If you are uninsured or underinsured, ask about the sliding fee scale, which is based on household income and household size. As a CCBHC, Southern Highlands serves people regardless of ability to pay, but that does not mean every service is free. Billing staff can explain eligibility, required documentation, and the charge that may apply before your first appointment.

If you are not sure what your insurance covers, bring the card and let our billing office check it. This is a routine part of intake. People frequently have coverage they did not realize they had, particularly people who were enrolled in Medicaid at some point and never confirmed whether it lapsed.

If you need help applying for coverage, case management staff can point you toward enrollment assistance for West Virginia Medicaid.

Telehealth

Southern Highlands offers appointments by video for people who cannot easily get to a clinic.

You can attend from a smartphone, tablet, or computer
West Virginia Medicaid may cover eligible telehealth services, depending on the service, provider, and approved delivery method
Request telehealth when you schedule, and staff will tell you what app or link to use
You will need a private place to sit for the appointment, which for a lot of people means a parked car

Telehealth is not the right fit for everyone or for every kind of appointment. If your internet is unreliable, say so when scheduling and ask what the options are.

Getting to Appointments

Distance is a real barrier in this part of the state. A twenty-mile trip in Mercer County and a twenty-mile trip in McDowell County are not the same trip.

Options worth asking about:

Telehealth, which removes the drive entirely for some appointment types
Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation. If you have West Virginia Medicaid, transportation to covered appointments may be available. The state’s transportation broker line has historically been 1-844-549-8353. Confirm the current number with our front office or with your Medicaid plan before you rely on it.
Scheduling around a ride. If you depend on a family member or neighbor for transportation, tell the scheduler that when you book. It is easier to find a time that fits a driver’s schedule than to reschedule after a missed appointment.
Consolidating visits. If you are seeing more than one provider here, ask whether appointments can be stacked on the same day so you make one trip instead of three.

What It Is Like to Get Care in Southern Coalfield Communities

People in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties run into a specific set of obstacles that have nothing to do with whether care would help them.

Distance and roads. Clinics are further apart here than in a city. Winter closes roads. A canceled ride can mean a missed month.

Cost and coverage. Job loss and the shift away from coal employment have left a lot of households with unstable insurance. People assume care is out of reach financially before they ever ask what it would cost.

Privacy in a small town. In a community where people recognize each other’s vehicles, the idea of being seen walking into a mental health clinic keeps people home. Your health information is protected by federal and state privacy law. Information may be used or disclosed with your authorization and in circumstances permitted or required by law; ask for the Notice of Privacy Practices if you want the details before scheduling.

The habit of not asking. There is a strong local expectation that you handle your own problems. That expectation is not a small thing to push against, and nobody at the front desk is going to think less of you for showing up.

Availability. Rural counties have fewer providers per person than urban ones. That is exactly the gap community mental health centers exist to fill, and it is why walk-in intake and telehealth matter here more than they would in Charleston or Roanoke.

Common Reasons People Put Off Calling

Almost every barrier below has a practical answer, and none of them require you to have figured anything out in advance.

“People will find out”

Your health information is protected under HIPAA and other applicable law. Staff do not ordinarily confirm a person’s patient status to an outside caller, but information can be used or disclosed with authorization and in circumstances permitted or required by law. If privacy in a small town is your concern, ask about the Notice of Privacy Practices and whether telehealth is available for your appointment.

“I can’t get there”

Ask about telehealth, ask about Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation, and ask which of our six locations is actually closest to you. People often assume they have to drive to Princeton when a nearer site would work.

“I can’t afford it”

Ask about the sliding fee scale, which is based on household income and household size. Ask billing to verify your insurance before your first visit if knowing the number in advance would help you commit to the appointment.

“I don’t have time”

Ask what appointment times are available at your location before you rule it out, and ask whether telehealth would cut the travel. If you are seeing more than one provider here, ask whether visits can be stacked on one day.

“I tried before and it didn’t stick”

Say that at intake. If the fit with a particular clinician was the problem, you can ask to be scheduled with someone else. That request does not require a complaint or an explanation.

“I don’t know what to say”

You do not need a script, a diagnosis, or the right words. “Something’s been off and I want to talk to somebody” is enough to get an appointment scheduled.

Working With Your Primary Care Provider

Many people first raise mental health concerns with their family doctor. That is a reasonable place to start, and Southern Highlands is not a replacement for primary care.

What we can do is coordinate. HIPAA permits some provider-to-provider information sharing for treatment without a separate authorization, while other records or uses may require additional permission. Substance use disorder records can have additional federal protection. Bring your provider’s name and phone number to intake and ask the clinician what can be shared, whether an authorization is needed, and what choices you have.

If your primary care provider referred you to us, tell the scheduler that when you call. It sometimes speeds up records transfer.

Helping Someone Else Get Care

A lot of the calls that come into (304) 425-9541 are from a spouse, a parent, or an adult child rather than from the person who would be the patient.

You can call and ask general questions: what services exist, where they are, what the hours are, what it costs, whether a referral is needed. Staff can answer all of that.

Staff generally cannot discuss a specific person’s care with an outside caller merely because that caller is a relative or is paying a bill. Information may be disclosed with authorization and in circumstances permitted or required by law. Staff can explain the general privacy process without confirming whether someone is a patient.

The most useful things you can usually hand somebody are the phone number and current intake information. The clinic can be contacted directly, although a health plan or particular service may apply referral or authorization rules. Scheduling and consent for a minor depend on age, custody, service, and applicable law, so ask what documentation is required.

Crisis and Urgent Help

These are contacts, not instructions. If you are in crisis, use them.

Southern Highlands 24/7 Crisis Line: 1-800-615-0122 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org Crisis Text Line: text HELLO to 741741 If someone is in immediate physical danger, call 911.

You can also walk into the Southern Highlands Crisis Stabilization Unit. It operates 24 hours a day. If you are unsure where to go or whether to go, call the crisis line at 1-800-615-0122 and ask. That is what the line is for, and you do not have to be an existing Southern Highlands patient to use it.

Crisis staff can also connect you to ongoing outpatient appointments afterward, so a crisis contact does not have to be a dead end.

Other Information and Support

If you are looking for general information rather than an appointment:

National Institute of Mental Health — plain-language public information on mental health conditions, including depression: nimh.nih.gov
SAMHSA — the federal behavioral health agency. Its national helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), operates 24 hours a day and provides free, confidential referral and information. Its treatment locator and public materials are at samhsa.gov
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — 988lifeline.org

Local churches, senior centers, and community organizations across the three counties also host peer and support groups. Our case management staff can tell you what is currently meeting near you, which changes more often than any web page can keep up with.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need a referral? A: You can call (304) 425-9541 directly to request an appointment. A health plan or particular service may still apply referral or authorization rules. Listed office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; call first to confirm current hours and walk-in availability.

Q: Do you take my insurance? A: Southern Highlands participates in West Virginia Medicaid and Medicare and may participate with commercial plans. Bring your card or call billing to verify network status, coverage, authorization requirements, and cost-sharing for the service you need.

Q: What if I do not have insurance? A: Ask about the sliding fee scale, which is based on household income and household size. As a CCBHC, Southern Highlands serves people regardless of ability to pay, but that does not mean every service is free. Ask billing what documentation and charge apply.

Q: I live outside Mercer County. Can I still be seen? A: We serve Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties from six locations. Call and ask which site is closest to you.

Q: Can I do appointments from home? A: Telehealth is available for many appointment types. Ask whether the specific appointment is eligible for Medicaid coverage and whether video, phone, or an in-person visit is required.

Q: Is what I say confidential? A: Your health information is protected under HIPAA and other applicable law. Information may be used or disclosed with authorization and for treatment, payment, health care operations, safety, reporting, court orders, and other purposes permitted or required by law. Your clinician and the Notice of Privacy Practices can explain how those rules apply.

Q: Can I keep seeing my regular doctor? A: HIPAA permits some provider-to-provider information sharing for treatment without a separate authorization, while other records or uses may require additional permission. Ask the clinician what applies and what choices you have.

Q: What if I need help outside business hours? A: Call the 24/7 crisis line at 1-800-615-0122, or 988. For immediate physical danger, call 911.

Q: Can my family member call to ask about services for me? A: Anyone can call (304) 425-9541 with general questions about services, hours, locations, and insurance. Staff generally cannot discuss a specific person’s care with an outside caller merely because the caller is a relative or pays a bill. Information may be disclosed with authorization and in other circumstances permitted or required by law.

Q: Do I have to know what is wrong before I call? A: No. Scheduling an assessment is how that gets sorted out. You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or an explanation ready.

Q: What if I missed an appointment and stopped coming? A: Call (304) 425-9541 and reschedule. A gap in attendance is not a reason to avoid calling back.

Q: Can I bring somebody with me? A: Yes. Tell the front desk when you arrive. Whether that person comes into the room with you is your call.

Q: What if I need an interpreter or an accommodation? A: Say so when you schedule so it can be arranged in advance.

Q: How long does the first appointment take? A: Plan on roughly an hour to an hour and a half for the intake assessment.

Q: Do you serve children? A: The Children’s Clinic provides services for ages 3 to 17. Mention that you are calling about a child at the start of the call.

Getting Started

Call (304) 425-9541 to schedule or confirm walk-in intake availability; listed office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Bring an ID, an insurance card if you have one, and a list of current medications
Ask about the sliding fee scale if you are uninsured, and about telehealth or transportation if getting here is the problem
Expect an assessment of roughly an hour to an hour and a half, and to leave with a next appointment scheduled

Questions about symptoms, diagnosis, medication, or what treatment would involve for you belong in that appointment, with a clinician who can actually answer them.

To schedule an assessment, call Southern Highlands at (304) 425-9541. Listed office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; call first to confirm walk-in intake availability at the location you plan to visit. Southern Highlands has locations across Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties. This blog describes the services Southern Highlands provides. It is not clinical advice.