After nearly two years of planning, in October 2024, Memorial Hospital began offering mobile counseling services to six school districts throughout Hancock County.
Memorial Medical Clinic Mobile provides services to children, ages three to 18, in Carthage, Dallas City, Hamilton, La Harpe, Nauvoo-Colusa and Warsaw school districts. According to Memorial Social Worker Gavin O'Neil, Memorial's counselors and social workers also see children outside of the participating school districts at Memorial's counseling office. O'Neil provides the counseling services offered through the Memorial Medical Clinic Mobile.
'We hope to expand service options in the future, including a second Memorial Medical Clinic Mobile to reach more schools and families,' he shared. 'Memorial Medical Clinic Mobile it allows us to remove barriers for families to get the help they need, where they can most easily access the services. Schools are already limited on space and funding, and with Memorial Medical Clinic Mobile, we just need a parking spot. Parents can attend if they wish and are able, but for those who cannot, they can still get their children help that does not cause an unnecessary burden as we are bringing the services to them.'
During Memorial Medical Clinic Mobile's first year during the 2024-2025 academic year, Memorial had 700 patient visits. This year, to date, they've had 600 patient visits, and are on track to have well over a 1,000 patient visits for this school year, O'Neil added.
Parents interested in utilizing Memorial's mobile counseling can schedule through their child(ren)'s school or by calling (217) 430-9103. Appointments are billed through insurance, and there are options for self-pay and financial assistance through Memorial. To learn more, visit mhtlc.org.
