AR-Connect, a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) program that provides mental health care via live video, is offering its services to Gulf Coast natives forced to relocate to Arkansas due to Hurricane Ida.
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall Sunday and led many in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to evacuate their homes for what may be an extended period due to flooding and downed power lines.
To accommodate any evacuees in Arkansas needing assistance with mental health issues, such as medication management, substance abuse, anxiety or depression, AR-Connect’s therapists are offering their services at no cost, regardless of the patient’s insurance status. The only requirement is that anyone seeking treatment through the virtual-care program must be residing in the state, even if temporarily.
Formed in part by a grant from the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, AR-Connect is a partnership between UAMS and the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services.
To access AR-Connect care, call the AR-Connect call center at (501) 526-3563 or (800) 482-9921. The call center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Most callers are able to see an AR-Connect team member within one business day. The virtual clinic sees patients Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. No medical referral is necessary to access the program.
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