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It's no secret: Mental-health care has been stretched far beyond its limits in Sonoma County for years. A lack of professionals and funding has severely limited treatment options for mentally ill patients and smaller clinics like the Sonoma Valley Community Health Center are forced to pick up the slack as best they can with limited resources.

For its efforts, the Community Health Center was one of several clinics honored with a Hero Award from the Sonoma County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness during an awards banquet on Saturday, Sept. 13. "The awards are for organizations with an extraordinary contribution in the field of mental health," said Rosemary Milbrath, executive director of NAMI Sonoma County. "(Sonoma Valley Community Health Center) was selected because it aids a rural and underserved area."

The award is given based on an open nomination process. Community members, patients and doctors vote for the facilities that made the biggest difference in mental health during the past year. "This award is special becomes it comes from the community," said Patricia Talbot, executive director of the Community Health Center." Sonoma Valley has had a particularly hard time filling the demand for mental-health care. While a number of nonprofit organizations exist in Santa Rosa to aid the mentally ill, they are too far away to help Valley residents who may not have transportation.

Talbot said she has spent years trying to bring more mental-health treatment to her facility, but a lack of money and interested applicants meant little progress could be made.

"We were very surprised to get this award because we have such a limited mental-health program," Talbot said. "We were surprised but very, very delighted." The award, called Heroes in the Fight, includes a $500 donation. Milbrath said NAMI does not have the means to financially reward these exemplary organizations, but can publicly give recognition for a facility's hard work.

"People don't realize these organizations are the (mental health) providers now," Milbrath said. "They're picking up a lot of the slack."

First District Supervisor Valerie Brown and Assemblymember Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, were among the 300 guests who came out to honor the organizations caring for the mentally ill during NAMI's annual banquet. "It's a wonderful time to celebrate the accomplishments of these organizations," Milbrath said.

Until recently, said Talbot, the health center could only provide a part-time psychiatrist who would see people on a referral basis.

In recent months, a new grant has allowed the center to take on two psychologists and a licensed clinical social worker, meaning the center can treat a larger number of mental-health patients.

"But there's still more demand than we can attend to," said Dr. Jerome Smith, medical director at the center who accepted the award during the banquet.

"We still don't have enough spots to open it up to the general public. We still only take referrals," Talbot said.

Talbot added that the center will have to apply for a special license to take on any more mental-health-care professionals, which it is in the process of pursuing.

Talbot said the new clinical professionals have allowed the center to create a substance abuse program. The new group program is equipped to take walk-ins, giving patients greater flexibility in their treatment.

The Sonoma Valley Community Health Center is located at 430 W. Napa St. and can be reached at 939-6070.

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