Mental Health Treatment Center Uses Social Media to Connect Clients to Treatment

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Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center

Technology like smart phones or tablets has allowed mental health treatment to become more accessible.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) August 30, 2013

Gone are the days when information on mental health treatment was strictly available over-the-phone or in person. In the modern world, people are turning to the Internet to do their initial research. The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center, a specialized facility in South Florida, has tapped into the power of social media to build a link between people with a mental illness and the treatment they are looking for.

“Technology like smart phones or tablets has allowed mental health treatment to become more accessible,” said Ben Brafman, founder and CEO of the Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center. “That means that more people are online and using social media to seek and share information.”

The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center has an active Facebook page and Twitter account, which are followed by current clients, family members, alumni, and more. Managed by the center’s outreach team, the pages have experienced dramatic growth over the last several months. In fact, the mental health treatment center also receives inquiries about treatment programs through Facebook and Twitter.

If someone is interested in the facility, they can follow social media accounts to get more information. Seeking information online is often much easier than making the difficult first step of picking up the phone or walking into a mental health treatment center. The pages regularly post questions and interact with clients or potential clients.

“It’s important to note that social media cannot give you all of the information you need when choosing a mental health center,” said Brafman, a 20-year veteran of the behavioral health industry. “However, it can play a big part in making that initial connection between people and treatment. After engaging with us on Facebook or Twitter, a person may be more likely to take the next step and come into the facility.”

Besides cost, the reason many people do not seek mental health treatment is because they feel nervous or embarrassed. Broaching the topic through social media provides a degree of anonymity, allowing them to ask detailed questions or get an idea of what to expect from treatment. Social media accounts can also link potential clients to the mental health treatment center’s website and blog, where they can explore further.

“We make it a point to encourage interactions on our social media networks,” said Brafman. “This way, we can start supporting our clients before they even walk through the door. People with a mental illness are often searching for a community where they feel comfortable. If we can make that happen online, we can then transfer that sense of security to our mental health treatment center through face to face interactions.”

The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center is a full service mental health facility located in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Dedicated to helping individuals who suffer from mental illness find a path to living better, The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center offers a mental health program and support for a wide variety of mood and thought disorders including: depression, anxiety disorders, anger management, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. For more information on mental health treatment, please contact The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center at 1-888-205-2775 or online at http://www.mentalhealthcenter.org.

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