In 1992, after a state budget cut resulted in many employees in the mental health field being laid off, there was a worrying lack of services for those in the Las Vegas community that struggled with severe and persistent mental illness. As a direct response to this, Mojave Counseling – an outpatient mental health program – was founded in the same year by Jim Parcells and Michael Howie.

Today, the program is part of UNLV Health, the associated multi-specialty academic medical practice of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV and has two locations: one on 4000 E. Charleston Boulevard that focuses on adult psychiatry and another at 6375 W. Charleston Boulevard that concentrates on child/adolescent psychiatry. Mojave Counseling is now a major player in the mental health field in Nevada – not only providing care to the community, but, through its training programs, increasing the number of mental health professionals in the Las Vegas Valley. The program is a teaching site for Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine medical students, residents, and fellows, while also accepting interns from other UNLV programs such as nursing, social work, and psychology.

Kathleen Wild, agency director of Mojave Counseling, says that the clinic aims to “help people maximize their health, well-being, and quality of life.” This is done through a “vast spectrum of specialty services” that sets Mojave Counseling apart from other clinics, such as case management, psychiatry, nursing, day treatment, and outpatient counseling. Along with these services, Mojave Counseling has an on-site pharmacy and primary care clinic available to their clients and the community.

“We have a large multidisciplinary staff that provides a full spectrum of services to adults and children with psychiatric disorders. Many of our clients have serious, persistent, and disabling mental health conditions,” says Wild. “The majority of our adult clients require assistance to obtain and maintain stable housing, obtain and manage entitlement resources, secure their basic needs and medical care, and perform basic self-care. Our staff helps meet these needs through a range of coordinated services.”

Wild says that there are a lot of things that make her proud about Mojave Counseling and most of these things have something in common: the staff. One example is the clinic’s staff-run Thanksgiving feast.

“Recognizing that not all of our clients have places to go for a Thanksgiving meal, our founders created this tradition decades ago. Staff volunteer to purchase and/or prepare traditional Thanksgiving dishes and bring them in to serve to clients and their families,” Wild says. “The joy in the room is palpable, and it is one of the highlights of my holiday season each and every year.”

Wild emphasizes that mental health is just as important as physical health, and this is an especially important message with September being Suicide Prevention Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-14, the third leading cause of death among those ages 15-24, and the 12th leading cause of death overall in the United States. When it comes to the state, Nevada ranked 11th highest in the nation for rate of suicide deaths per 100,000 residents in 2022 – according to Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH).

“One thing we can all do is to normalize seeking help! We can help each other by sharing when we have sought help ourselves,” says Wild. “I am a mental health professional, and I have attended therapy and will continue to do so throughout my lifetime. With normalization, this can be viewed and talked about as commonly as seeing the dentist, primary care, and eye doctors.”

Adding to this, she states, “As a therapist, I tell patients and other professionals one thing. Talking about suicide will not make someone suicidal. Communication is essential, and talking with others from a place of compassion is tremendous.”

Wild believes that one of the “greatest developments in our nation” is the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and she believes that this number should be a common number, similar to 911. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language and is completely confidential.

If you or someone you know is in a crisis, please call or text 988.

UNLV Health Mojave Counseling is accepting referrals for all programs. There are openings, with no waitlist, for youth and adult patients in the therapy, psychiatry, and First Episode Psychosis departments, as well as for adults in the Day Treatment program. Along with Medicaid being the primary insurance source, Mojave Counseling also accepts cash pay and is working to expand private insurance lists. Contact 702.968.5000 if interested or for more information.