Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Caring for the most vulnerable
Editor’s note: A new Sunday feature, Personified will put a face on area organizations. We begin this week with Justin Hunt, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Ozark Guidance.
Tell us about your organization: Ozark Guidance is a private, local nonprofit mental health center. We are committed to meeting the mental health needs of individuals, families and the broader Northwest Arkansas community.
Mission: Saving and changing lives by providing compassionate, quality mental health services.
Services provided: We provide a wide range of services, including schoolbased mental health and therapeutic day treatment for children and adolescents, recovery services for those who struggle with addiction, and intensive services for patients with severe and persistent mental illness.
Service area: Our staff of more than 400 employees provides services in seven locations in Washington, Benton, Carroll and Madison counties. Our main campus is located in Springdale with other centers in Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs, Berryville and Huntsville. Our school-based services are in many schools throughout the region.
Average number of people served annually: Ozark Guidance serves more than 11,000 people annually.
How is your organization’s mission unique? As the safety net mental health provider in NWA, we are charged with caring for the most vulnerable among us, including children in the foster care system and individuals with severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia.
What part of your job fills the most of your time? My outpatient clinical duties fill the majority of my time, but I also have time devoted to administrative activities including supervision of our psychiatrists and advanced practice nursing providers.
What have you learned on the job that you didn’t expect? The amazing diversity of the population we serve and the sometimes overwhelming need present in the community.
What challenges face your organization? Incoming transformation of the state’s mental health system funded through Medicaid.
What upcoming fundraisers and/or other events does your organization have planned? Walk a Mile in My Shoes April 13-14 [and] the annual golf tournament, with morning and afternoon flights, June 25, at the Springdale Country Club.