Supporting Kentucky Healthcare Providers During Mental Health Month

Primary care providers are often the first point of contact for individuals experiencing mental health concerns, especially in rural communities where therapists and other specialty care can be limited. This Mental Health Month, the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC), in partnership with the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities at the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services is highlighting a new resource designed to support those frontline clinicians: "Discussing Mental Health: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals." 

The guide offers practical tools for how to screen, communicate, and respond to mental health and suicide related concerns. It also includes a flow chart of guidelines for how and when to use 988, the free‑of‑charge crisis and suicide lifeline that connects callers to trained counselors 24/7. 

Joseph Ellis, M.S., Research Administrative Coordinator at KIPRC and the guide’s primary author, said the goal was to create something that addresses people’s specific needs and circumstances. 

“When thinking about our rural Kentuckians, not all of them have immediate access to mental health care,” he said. “Typically, the most available healthcare provider is a person's primary care physician. We wanted to create a guide for physicians as another tool to help provide the best possible services to their patients.” 

The guide includes evidence-based screening tools, communication strategies like the OARS , Open‑Ended Questions, Affirmations, Reflective Listening, and Summarizing , model and guidance on how to talk with patients about suicide, Ellis said.  

The OARS model, a core technique in motivational interviewing, gives providers an empathetic framework for talking about mental health: 

• Open-ended questions invite patients to offer more than “yes” or “no” responses, helping providers understand what the patient is truly experiencing. 

• Affirmations acknowledge the patient’s feelings and strengths, reinforcing that they are heard and supported. 

• Reflective listening involves repeating or paraphrasing what the patient has said to show understanding and build trust. 

• Summarizing ties together key points to ensure that both patient and provider share the same understanding before moving forward. 

Ellis said this communication piece is just as important as the clinical tools in the guide. 

“Mental health is a very sensitive topic for many people,” he said. “We wanted to ensure we not only guided providers on what to look for but also on how to make the patient comfortable. If you are not comfortable talking about your mental health with your provider, you are going to keep it bottled up until it explodes.” 

988 versus 911 

One of the most frequent questions primary care providers have about patients who express mental health concerns is when to call 988 versus 911. Ellis said the distinction is important and often misunderstood. 

“You should call 988 when there is a crisis,” he said. “A crisis can look different to everyone. It could be accessing community resources, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or needing guidance on how to help someone near you. You should call 911 when you need physical interventions to provide safety for one or more people.” 

To give providers a clear, quick reference during appointments, Ellis included a decision-guiding flow chart in the discussion guide that also outlines what to expect with each option. 

“The original goal was to share guidelines of when someone should be reminded that 988 is a tool, when to call 988 and when emergency services are needed,” he said. “Working with the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities and Kentucky’s 988 Administration, we expanded it to show what to expect when calling 988 or emergency services during a crisis.” 

Additionally, Ellis developed a stand-alone “When to Call 988” flowchart. Both resources are accessible on both the KIPRC website and FindHelpNow.org so the public can easily download and share them. 

Creating Safer Spaces for Patients 

Ellis said he hopes the guide helps providers feel more confident and prepared when a patient mentions mental health concerns or when the provider needs to initiate the conversation themselves. 

“I hope it either provides new practices or validates current practices on how to engage with someone who needs help,” he said. “It allows them to create a safe environment for their patients to discuss their problems and get the help they need.” 

For Ellis, this project has been more than just a professional task. 

“Mental Health Awareness Month is professionally and personally important to me,” he said. "I had undiagnosed Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and untreated Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder until I was an adult because it wasn't discussed. An empathetic and honest provider is the difference." 

The guide also highlights FindHelpNow.org, a statewide tool that helps providers and patients locate mental health treatment with current availability. The site includes educational materials, community resources, and filters the search to help match patients with the right level of care. 

The mental health resources on FindHelpNow.org were created by the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) in partnership with funding from the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID), under the KY Emergency Response for Suicide Prevention grant. 

KIPRC, a unique partnership between the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) and the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, serves both as an academic injury prevention research center and as the DPH’s designee or “bona fide agent” for statewide injury prevention and control, focusing on injury prevention translation and practice.