To grow with changing community needs, Senior Behavioral Sciences changed its name to Southwest Behavioral Services, a member of the Southwest Health Center family.

The new name better reflects the program and its role as a provider of mental health services. With Dr. T.J. Norton, psychiatrist and medical director, and two Advance Practice Nurse Practitioners, Christine Dressler and Gerry Lou Sertle, SBS is the only mental health clinic in the area that has providers who can prescribe medications to all age groups in the mental health setting.

“We realized that our name did not reflect who we are and whom we serve,” said Heather Johnson, program director. “As our services continue to expand and grow we felt that now was the time to make the change.”

SBS opened in 1998 and was originally located in Cuba City. In September 2008 Senior Behavioral Sciences moved to its current location at 1185 N. Elm St. in Platteville as a part of the Park Place campus.

At the start, SBS served the older adult population (55 older) in both the inpatient and outpatient capacities. Today SBS continues to serve the older adult population on our acute inpatient psychiatric unit for those 55 and older but has expanded services in the outpatient clinic to include children 6 and older, teens, adults, and seniors.

Programs at Southwest Behavioral Services include Inpatient acute psychiatric hospitalization for those 55 and older, outpatient mental health services for ages 6 and older; onsite outpatient visits to 17 area nursing homes and assisted living facilities; Memory Diagnostic Clinic; and Intensive Outpatient Psychotherapy.

SBS is also working to expand psychiatry coverage soon through Telepsychiatric services.

The public is invited to the 15th anniversary/open house at the Park Place Campus, 1185 N. Elm St., Platteville, Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.