LOS ANGELES, CA – Imagine being in a mental crisis, having the wherewithal to know you need help, but your only outlet is to search Google and try to find help in a sea of therapists and addiction centers. What if, in that moment, there was a place you could go that could guide you on your journey?
It shouldn’t sound that farfetched. If you have a medical issue, in all likelihood, there is an urgent care near you that could address those types of needs. Yet somehow as a society, we neglect our mental needs until we are in crisis.
Ari Hirt is seeking to change that with MindMD.
(Courtesy of Jackie Rae)
For the past six years, Hirt has worked as the founder and CEO of “The Haven at Pismo.” The center provided in-patient dual diagnosis addiction treatment. The center allowed patients to receive their care in an isolated setting that kept them away from their day-to-day lives. However, patients struggled once they returned to their everyday life. Hirt says he often found that patients did not have the tools to access care in unpredictable situations.
That frustration sparked the idea for MindMD. The center not only provides care, but also resources and information that are often not readily available.
The center is on the street level at 8500 Wilshire Blvd. The center has three different entrances: two at the front street side and a private back entrance for clients who need more discrete care. The multiple entrances are by design as the center strives to have an inviting and easily accessible atmosphere.
Clients can walk right in, speak to a counselor or therapist in rooms that feel more like an inviting living room rather than a doctor’s office, and start treatment immediately. Or they can be given resources that will address their specific needs.
Hirt says the center operates as a concierge for service where patients receive the assistance that will offer the best form of care. He says with addiction, going to an in-patient facility where you are away from your family, work, and friends for 30 to 60 days may not be the best option.
Hirt says with MindMD, there are “therapists, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, and an addictionologist.”
“What we have done here is put together in one center the experts in not just addiction, but in overall mental health and also in medicine that is relating to mental health and addiction.” Hirt continued.
Historically, these disciplines have operated independently which often creates further challenges for the patient. Hirt says if a client has an addiction issue, a therapist may be able to quickly identify the underlining issue as a mental health issue. By creating a treatment that addresses both mental health and addiction, the patient has a greater chance of success.
Jessie Martori, the President of Strategic Development for MindMD, notes that “problems with mental health and addiction escalate. As they escalate, they may be too acute or have too much need for a regular doctor or therapist, but they are not yet in need of a higher level of care in an in-patient treatment center. (However), there is no one in that middle space that can help them.”
With MindMD, someone who is at the beginning stages of a crisis can walk in, immediately be seen, and given a plan that will deescalate the situation and give them the help they need to prevent them from reaching a crisis.
MindMD is a cash payment facility, and while every patient might not be able to afford care, the center will make every effort to ensure clients receive the care they need at a price they can afford. In addition, the center has pledged that anyone who comes in will receive assistance in finding the right place to go. As a part of their grand opening, MindMD is offering free walk-in consultations.
The center is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. You can reach the center by calling 833-646-3631 or visit MindMD online at https://www.mindmdwellness.com.
