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Rangeley District Hospital outlines county behavioral health services and senior intensive outpatient program
Summary
Rangeley District Hospital staff summarized local behavioral health options, including telehealth counseling, medication management, and a Senior Life Solutions intensive outpatient program that uses a group‑therapy model and integrated care.
Rangeley District Hospital representatives described mental‑health services available in Rio Blanco County during a May 20 presentation to the Rio Blanco County Board of County Commissioners.
Commissioners were introduced to a range of local options intended to expand access to behavioral‑health care in a rural area: telehealth counseling and medication management through a partnership with a telepsychiatry provider, in‑clinic counseling available through the Rangeley Family Medicine clinic, and the hospital’s Senior Life Solutions program — an intensive outpatient program (IOP) directed at older adults.
The clinic director (identified in the meeting as Britney, clinic director at Rangeley Family Medicine) said telebehavioral services began in August 2022 and have grown from about nine patients a month to more than 55 per month; the program integrates counseling and medication management and usually can schedule patients within a few days. The clinic’s telehealth arrangement requires a referral from a clinic provider; walk‑ins can be screened and referred as well. The telehealth partner provides therapists and medical providers for medication management, and staff said telehealth can be especially helpful for patients who find travel or stigma a barrier.
Rangeley District Hospital’s Senior Life Solutions is a doctor-ordered, intensive outpatient program aimed at seniors who face complex social, medical and behavioral challenges. Program components include group therapy up to three days per week (three sessions per day), individual therapy two to four times per month, physician oversight, nursing screens and coordination with primary care providers. The hospital said the program is designed to provide concentrated treatment (akin to physical therapy or cardiac rehab) and to discharge patients to regular outpatient follow-up when appropriate. Staff noted telehealth participation is available and that the hospital can supply iPads for teleparticipation.
Presenters also noted continuing regional resources: Mind Springs (recently acquired and rebranded in the transcript as Health Solutions West) continues teletherapy services statewide; a new inpatient behavioral‑health facility opened in Vail; and certain inpatient or higher‑intensity addiction treatment options are located in Craig and Steamboat Springs. The hospital and clinic staff recommended psychoeducation to reduce stigma, encourage early help‑seeking, and use of primary care for initial screening and treatment when appropriate.
Why it matters: In rural counties, limited local capacity and long distances to specialty centers can delay access to care. Commissioners thanked the presenters and noted the importance of local coordination and referral pathways for residents seeking behavioral health care.
Speakers quoted in this story come from the meeting transcript: Elizabeth Wiley (presenter introduced by the board), Britney (clinic director), and commissioners who commented and asked questions.
