East Central Behavioral Health (ECBH) is a private nonprofit [501(c)(3)] community behavioral health center established in 1971. The ECBH main office is located in Brookings, SD. The raison d'être for ECBH is to provide comprehensive behavioral health services in Brookings County, South Dakota and surrounding areas. Services “reach” throughout the region, with an array of options provided to nursing homes and in the homes and communities of people with whom ECBH staff work.
Brookings County has a population of ≈ 30,000 and a “school year” population of ≈ 42,000. For most of the year, it is the 3rd largest county (by population) in South Dakota. The majority of the population lives in the city of Brookings (≈ 20,000). South Dakota State University, located in the city of Brookings, serves more than 12,000 full- & part-time students. Six small towns located in or proximate to Brookings County bring the “effective service population” to ≈ 50,000.
ECBH strives to provide a broad array of services in order to serve the diverse needs found in this area. There are four major “areas” of service provision:- Comprehensive Child/Adolescent/Family Services – primarily providing: outpatient therapy, psychoeducational and support groups, home-based therapy and support
- Comprehensive Adult/Family Services – primarily providing: outpatient therapy, community based case management
- Adult/Adolescent/Family Substance Abuse (focused) Services – a full array of state-sanctioned outpatient education, intervention and prevention
- Medical Services – primarily providing: outpatient psychiatric availability
ECBH employs qualified staff licensed or certified in appropriate areas of behavioral health. The comprehensive scope of practice for ECBH professionals allow for identification, diagnosis, treatment and alleviation of identified behavioral health problems and issues.