Since its inception in 1974, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health has endeavored to provide services of the highest quality through its institutional and community service delivery system. The Department of Mental Health provides a network of services to persons who experience problems with mental illness, alcohol and/or drug abuse/dependence, or who have mental retardation or developmental disabilities. The Department of Mental Health is also responsible for the development and implementation of state plans for the purpose of assisting with the care and treatment of persons with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia. Quality institutional and community care are provided within a comprehensive service network operated and/or funded by the Department of Mental Health. The successful development and implementation of the service delivery system are due to the strong, sustained advocacy of the Governor, the State Legislature, the State Board of Mental Health, the Department's employees, individuals receiving services, family members, and other supportive individuals. Their individual and collective concern has been invaluable in promoting the most appropriate residential and community service options, facilitating expansion of needed services, and preventing institutionalization of individuals best served within a home or community setting.

The Department of Mental Health is committed to developing and maintaining a comprehensive, statewide system of prevention and service options for adults and children with mental illness or emotional disturbance, alcohol/drug abuse/dependence problems, and/or mental retardation or developmental disabilities. This array of services includes prevention, treatment, and training services in inpatient or institutional settings, as well as a system of community-based treatment, residential, and support services that includes transitional and aftercare programs. The Department is also committed to developing and maintaining community-based adult day programs for persons with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia and to providing education and training for families and other caregivers.

The Department supports the philosophy of making available a comprehensive system of services so that individuals receiving services and their families have access to the least restrictive and most appropriate level of services that will meet their needs. The facilities operated by the Department of Mental Health, the 15 regional community mental health/mental retardation centers, and other nonprofit agencies that receive funding through the Department form a statewide network of public services and support systems. Consistent with its philosophy, the department strives to maintain high standards and to improve continually the availability, accessibility, and quality of services provided through this public system.

A priority of the Department is to work with individuals and their families to develop the capacity of communities so that needed services and supports can be offered locally. The Department has attempted to do this by developing an array of community programs that provides services to individuals as close to their homes and communities as possible. The Department also strives to prevent or reduce unnecessary use of inpatient or institutional services when individual needs can be met in less intensive or restrictive levels of care.

The Department provides accessible inpatient and institutional services as part of the comprehensive statewide service network for individuals who need services of this nature and intensity. Therefore, efforts to maintain and improve the quality of services at these facilities are ongoing. Underlying these efforts in both community and inpatient or residential services is the belief that all components of the system should be consumer-centered and built on individuals' and their families' strengths, while also meeting their needs for special services. Finally, in accomplishing its mission of developing an accessible, comprehensive service system, the Department of Mental Health is committed to its obligation to administer efficiently its human and fiscal resources, as well as to identify and communicate existing needs and advocate for resources to meet those needs.

The basic duties of the Department of Mental Health are as follows:

1. To establish state plans for the purpose of controlling and treating all forms of emotional illness, alcoholism, drug misuse, and developmental disabilities;
   

2. To develop and implement state plans for the purpose of assisting with the care and treatment of persons with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia;
   

3. To maintain jurisdiction, administration, and operation of four mental health hospitals, five comprehensive regional centers, and any other mental health or mental retardation facilities which have been or may be established through legislative action;
   

4. To serve as a single state agency in the administration of available fiscal resources for training, research, and education regarding all forms of mental illness, mental retardation, alcoholism, drug misuse, and developmental disabilities. To serve in such capacity unless such funds are specifically designated to a particular agency or institution by the federal government, Mississippi Legislature, or any other grantor;
    

5. To supervise, coordinate, and establish standards for all mental health-related operations and activities;
    

6. To assist regional mental health/mental retardation commissions in the development of community/regional programs and services;
    

7. To establish and promulgate reasonable minimum standards for construction and operation of facilities, including admission, diagnosis, care, treatment, and patient/records transfer. Further, under such standards, to provide day care, outpatient care, emergency care, inpatient care, and follow-up care, when such care is provided as appropriate and necessary; and,
    

8. To assist community or regional programs by making grants and contracts from available funds.

The network of services comprising the public system is delivered through three major components:

State-Operated Facilities:
The state psychiatric facilities, the five regional facilities for persons with developmental disabilities, the two specialized facilities and the six crisis intervention centers are administered by the Department of Mental Health. These facilities serve designated counties or service areas in the state and provide programs which are described in the "Bureau of Mental Health," "Bureau of Mental Retardation,” “Specialized Facilities” and “Crisis Intervention Centers” sections of this booklet. The regional organization of their service areas promotes the philosophy of providing comprehensive continuity of quality care by linking referral systems, services, and follow-up activities with community-based services and supports in individuals’ home communities.

Regional community mental health/mental retardation centers (CMHCs):
These facilities operate under the supervision of regional commissions appointed by county boards of supervisors comprising their respective service areas. The 15 regional centers make available a range of community-based mental health, substance abuse, and in some regions, mental retardation/developmental disabilities services.

The process for mental health civil commitment for admission to the state hospitals begins with the filing of an affidavit (a legal document) with the Chancery Court in the county in which the patient lives. If a pre-evaluation screening at the mental health center suggests a commitment examination is warranted, an examination must be done by either two physicians or by a physician and a licensed, certified psychologist. If they recommend treatment in a hospital, or other setting, the judge will make a decision based on all the evidence presented, if treatment should proceed, and if so, at an inpatient or outpatient facility. When an individual is committed to a state hospital, the required legal documents are sent to that hospital's Admission Office by the Chancery Court. Once these documents are received, an admission date and time are set. The admission will involve a review of hospital documents, questions to obtain general information and an inventory of the individual's personal possessions. 

Like most illnesses, treatment for mental illness consists typically of a combination of medication, education and therapeutic programming. When individuals are admitted to a state hospital, they are oriented to their living environment by staff who review program schedules and activities, and individuals' rights and responsibilities with them. Initial assessments begin within a few hours after admission. They are conducted by members of the treatment team which consists of a doctor, nurses, psychology staff, recreation staff, and a social worker. Based on these assessments, individuals receiving treatment and their treatment team develop a treatment plan within the first week to ten days. The treatment plan describes goals for an individual to accomplish and lists groups, activities and other forms of treatment prescribed by the treatment team. Treatment at the state hospitals helps individuals to live as normal lives as possible in the most independent setting appropriate. Once discharged from a state hospital, most individuals continue treatment through various programs at their local community mental health center, other local programs or private mental health care. 

For more information, contact any of the facilities or associations listed below: 

Mississippi Department of Mental Health
1101 Robert E. Lee Building 239 N. Lamar Street
Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 359-1288 
(601) 359-6295 (fax)
(601) 359-6230 (TDD)
www.dmh.state.ms.us

Mississippi Department of Mental Health's Toll-Free Help Line:
(877) 210-8513

State Psychiatric Facilities:

Mississippi State Hospital
PO Box 157-A
Whitfield, MS 39193
(601) 351-8000
www.msh.state.ms.us 

East Mississippi State Hospital
PO Box 4128, West Station
Meridian, MS 39304-4128
(601) 482-6186
www.emsh.state.ms.us

North Mississippi State Hospital
1937 Briar Ridge Road
Tupelo, MS 38804 
(662) 690-4200
www.nmsh.state.ms.us

South Mississippi State Hospital
823 Highway 589 
Purvis, MS 39475 
(601) 794-0100
www.smsh.state.ms.us

Central Mississippi Residential Center (Under Construction) 
312 S. College St. 
Newton, MS 39345 
(601) 683-2061
www.cmrc.state.ms.us 

Other Education Resources:

MS Families as Allies for Children's Mental Health 
800-833-9671

National Mental Health Association
800-969-6642 

Mental Health Association of Mississippi
800-584-6274 

Mental Health Association of the Capital Area, Inc. 
601-956-2800 

Mental Health Association of Lauderdale County 
601-693-2893 

Mental Health Association of the Pine Belt
601-794-0219 

Mental Health Association of Washington County 
662-332-8604 

Mental Health Volunteers of Jackson County
228-762-1675 

The 1999 State Legislature provided funding through Senate Bill 3119 for construction of seven community-based crisis centers to be operated as satellites of existing facilities operated by the Department of Mental Health and the Bureau of Mental Health.

All of the centers constructed or planned are of similar design and function and include 16 beds and one isolation bed. The role of these centers in the regional system is to provide stabilization and treatment services to persons who are in psychiatric crisis who have been committed to a psychiatric hospital and for whom a bed is not available. It is believed that many of these individuals with mental illness can be treated in the center and returned to the community without an inpatient admission to the state psychiatric hospital. The more quickly a person receives treatment, as opposed to being "held" without treatment, the less likely his or her condition will worsen. Therefore, successful treatment can be accomplished in less time, even if the person still needs to be admitted to the hospital. Other individuals will not need to be hospitalized at all. The centers are or will be located near or have easy access to a medical facility that will accommodate medical emergencies. In addition, plans include establishment of a cooperative relationship with a medical emergency facility so that medical clearance can be obtained for persons who have symptoms that may be indicative of both psychiatric and other medical conditions.

Mississippi Department of Mental Health
Crisis Intervention Center - Locations and Contact Information