Koller Behavioral Health: Growing to Meet Community Needs

National awareness of mental illness is growing and the number of people seeking services for mental health conditions is on the rise. As demand for services in our area increases, Ascension Koller Behavioral Health is responding with more staff and programs to meet community needs.

In 1978 after Frank and Betty Koller’s son died, the couple made an extraordinary gift to the Howard Young Foundation to establish Koller Behavioral Health. They followed up in 2010 with a $2.5 million bequest to ensure that the clinic’s comprehensive and compassionate services would remain available to those in the Lakeland area far into the future. 

ADAPTING TO EVOLVING NEEDS

Suicide remains a top concern, but the Northwoods is also seeing an increase in individuals requesting services for substance abuse, dementia, anxiety and autism spectrum disorder. Koller is adjusting to meet these changing needs. 

“There is more community awareness of mental health needs,” said clinical psychologist Shawn Pflugardt, PsyD. “The requests for services across all age ranges have increased, from children to our growing elderly population.”

GROWING STAFF

The newest clinical psychologist on staff is Kayleena Nelmark, PsyD. “I really enjoy working here and appreciate the connection of our facility with the community,” related Dr. Nelmark. 

Dr. Nelmark focuses mostly on children with behavioral disorders, attention disorders and autism spectrum disorders. She also sees adults and does dementia testing at the memory clinic. 

In addition to Dr. Nelmark, “for the first time, we have a doctoral-level intern in our out-patient clinic,” remarked Jessica Schiek, MS, LPC, Regional Director of Ascension Koller Behavioral Health. 

EXPANDING OUR SERVICES

Last year Koller provided onsite support and mental health services to Lakeland STAR students and will continue to work collaboratively with them to provide referrals for mental health services. One of the initiatives and goals for the psychology department is to expand its diagnostic services for autism spectrum disorders.

“I think one of the gaps that we’ve noticed is services for diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder. That’s one of the reasons we have this kind of team together,” Jessica explained. “We’re looking to expand referrals to three and up in the near future given training for our psychology department and the development of an autism diagnostic clinic.” 

“In addition to growing our psychology team and the age range that we're able to see, our entire staff has grown in terms of psychotherapists who see children,” said clinical psychologist Jamie Hein, PsyD. We collaborate with teachers and special education providers, including those at Lakeland STAR. There is a lot of collaboration that's happening.”

This team also assists medical staff at the four area Ascension hospitals as well as the psychiatrists on staff when they need psychological evaluations performed. In addition, they help host the Frank B. Koller Biennial Mental Health Summit. This event is designed to raise awareness of mental health issues in our community and is supported by the Koller’s gift to the Foundation.

You can help support outstanding mental health in the Northwoods and other health-related initiatives by making a contribution to the Howard Young Foundation at www.HowardYoungFoundation.org.