Walmart’s Mental Health Clinic

Getting Creative With Mental Health Care

There’s something hitting Walmart stores, and the one near you may be next. But this isn’t not a new product. It’s a health service – a mental health clinic!

In an effort to make mental health treatment accessible to the public, Beacon Health Options decided to launch a clinic inside a Texas-based branch of Walmart.

Beacon, a Boston-based company, providing clinical mental health and substance use disorder management, plans on eventually expanding the trend across the entire nation.

Who is Walmart’s Mental Health Clinic For?

Although dealing with cognitive and emotional issues in between filling up your cart with eggs and sweet potatoes may be a stretch, the initiative has merit.

Russell C. Petrella, MD, president and CEO of Beacon, explains that positioning a clinic in a retail store makes it more accessible to the community. It is local and open in the evening hours, which easily fits people’s schedules.

According to Petrella, Beacon teamed up with the retail giant to make the process of finding help easier. This would also fight stigma and assure quality care, he said.

The intended audience of Walmart’s mental health clinic includes people suffering from milder cases of stress, relationship issues, anxiety, and depression.

But those dealing with more serious cases can also benefit. A licensed clinical social worker will refer them to a Beacon provider who can help them.

Mental health treatment is clearly becoming more accessible in America. And this may just be the next breakthrough.

What do you think about a therapy session in a supermarket?

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