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Prairie du Chien, WI – As the demand for behavioral health services grows nationwide, Crossing Rivers Health continues to expand to try to accommodate for the region’s need, now adding providers with a focus on outpatient therapy and psychiatry/medication management.

Matt Cram, Professional Counselor, joins Lacie Anthony, Licensed Professional Counselor, in providing outpatient therapy and mental health counseling to individuals, couples, and families, ages six years and older. Thomas Freeman, Psychiatrist, and Stacey Struble, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, join Psychiatrist V. Chowdry Jampala on the psychiatry and medication management team of providers who can prescribe and manage psychotropic medication for patients.

Cram received his education and training from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville and specializes in behavioral health and substance abuse counseling. He shared, “As a counselor, I want to ensure that everyone I work with will have meaningful experiences, learn in a positive environment, and are shown the path to becoming a well-rounded human being. My patients value the ability to talk with me without feeling judged. If you or someone who know may be experiencing substance use, an anxiety or depressive disorder, a stress-related disorder, a personality disorder, or could benefit from group therapy, please reach out and schedule an appointment to see me or Lacie.”

Anthony has been practicing as a clinical therapist for the past 19 years. She uses supportive therapy to help create a safe space for patients to explore aspects of their lives that they are struggling in and then uses evidence-based treatments to develop skills that will enable them to manage these issues more effectively than they have in the past. “I believe that people can change and recover from mental illness and addictions,” shared Anthony. “I strive to create a therapeutic relationship based on mutual respect, utilizing supportive listening, validation of emotions and experiences. I guide patients toward a place of change and growth with skill development based on researched treatments. Overall wellness depends on treating the whole person, physically and mentally, for people to meet their goals, recover and find what makes their life worth living.”

Anthony specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialect behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing. She has a particular interest in assisting patients experiencing depression and anxiety, and assisting patients in developing interpersonal communication skills, behavioral activation, and mindfulness skills. “I have been told that I create a very emphatic and non-judgmental environment where people feel empowered to make significant changes in their lives.” She added, “I also help with skill development through practice during sessions and short homework assignments that give patients the ability to develop more effective ways to manage their emotions and relationships.”

Dr. Freeman has over 35 years of experience as a board-certified psychiatrist offering behavioral health services to children, adolescents, and adults. He is affiliated with the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Neuropsychiatric Association, Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum, International Neuropsychological Society, and Society of Biological Psychiatry. Dr. Freeman works with patients ages six to eighteen. He will diagnose and prescribe psychotropic medications for children and adolescents with mental health and co-occurring disorders. He can also treat individuals that have complex medical conditions.

Struble holds a Master’s Degree of Nursing with an emphasis in health promotion and disease prevention with a post-master’s certification in advanced practice mental health nursing and is a licensed psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She works with patients age six to twenty-six. She commented, “Taking care of our mental health is just as important as taking care of our physical health. I think people need the information to make choices about their mental health care. Knowledge is power and I believe in arming patients with the information they need to make health care choices is the best way to serve our patients. I enjoy being a trusted health care partner and am happy to discuss options, risks, and benefits of treatment modalities, therapies, behavioral interventions, as well as medications. There are treatment options that work and can improve the quality of your life.”

Dr. Jampala has been seeing patients at Crossing Rivers Health since 2018. He has specific expertise on the brain-behavior relationship and has completed ten years of research as a Neuropsychology Ph.D. candidate. Dr. Jampala has more than twenty-eight years of experience as Chief of Mental Health Departments within the VA system and at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center. In his work with the VA and private practice, he has treated a wide spectrum of patients, including those with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), ADHD, and depression/anxiety. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Professor of Psychiatry at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/ The Chicago Medical School. He has authored many scientific papers and book chapters. Dr. Jampala works with patients eighteen years of age and older.

Dr. Freeman, Struble, and Dr. Jampala typically see patients that have been prescribed several medications by their primary care provider that has not resulted in a successful treatment plan or patients who have a serious and persistent mental health issue such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or a personality disorder. Together, the outpatient therapy and psychiatry/medication management teams work closely to provide a team-based approach to patient care.

Crossing Rivers Health Behavioral Health services are certified by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services under Chapter 35. This designation is considered the gold standard for outpatient mental health services. Becoming certified under Chapter 35 means that the highest level of quality is met and monitored to ensure that patients and their families are getting the best care possible. It also assures patients and the community that Crossing Rivers Health measures quality improvement and implements new processes to improve patient care.

All of the Behavioral Health providers are accepting new patients in the Center for Specialty Care, either in person at the Crossing Rivers Health Medical Center, located inside the North Entrance, or via telehealth. Making an appointment is a huge sign of strength. Call 608.357.2525 or visit crossingrivers.org/behavioralhealth to make an appointment.

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