If you have tried to find a counselor or psychiatrist in Kentucky and hit a wall of long waitlists or “not accepting new patients,” you are not imagining it. Mental health care is in genuinely short supply across the Commonwealth — and the shortage is worst in the rural and Eastern Kentucky communities that need it most. The good news: at Fresh Start Health, we offer both counseling and psychiatric services, and we currently have capacity to take new patients. You do not have to wait months to get help.
Kentucky’s mental health shortage is real — and documented
This is not a talking point; it is in the state and federal data:
- 71% of Kentucky’s counties — 85 of 120 — are federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas. Some analyses put it even higher, with 110 of 120 counties facing severe shortages of mental health professionals.
- Kentucky needs roughly 1,638 more mental health providers to meet current demand, and 70% of that unmet need is in rural counties — the very areas Fresh Start serves.
- More than 1 in 3 Kentucky adults with anxiety or depression symptoms reported needing counseling or therapy but not receiving it (35.2%, compared to 28.2% nationally).
- Eastern Kentucky reports the worst mental health of any region in the state, with some Appalachian regions showing more than 20% of adults reporting frequent poor mental health — yet these same counties have some of the fewest providers.
Put simply: the need is highest in Eastern Kentucky, and the providers are scarcest there. That gap is exactly what leaves people waiting, driving hours for an appointment, or giving up on care altogether.
What that shortage means for you
When there are not enough counselors and psychiatrists, the people who need help feel it directly — waitlists that stretch for months, clinics that are closed to new patients, long drives to the nearest provider, and no easy option for medication management. For someone dealing with depression, anxiety, or the mental health side of recovery, those barriers can be the difference between getting better and going without care.
Fresh Start Health has capacity now — counseling and psychiatry
We built Fresh Start to close that gap for Eastern Kentucky, and we are accepting new behavioral health patients today. Our services include:
- Counseling and therapy — supportive, judgment-free care for depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, and the emotional side of recovery.
- Psychiatric services and medication management — evaluation and ongoing management of medications for conditions like depression and anxiety, coordinated with the rest of your care.
- Telehealth from home — if the nearest provider is a long drive away, we can see you by telehealth so distance and transportation are not barriers to getting started.
All of this is available across our four Eastern Kentucky clinics in Ashland, Grayson, Morehead, and Vanceburg — and by telehealth statewide.
Affordable and covered
Cost should not keep you from care. Fresh Start accepts Kentucky Medicaid, Medicare, and most commercial insurance plans, along with Ohio Medicaid, CareSource, and Molina. For patients without insurance, we offer an affordable self-payment plan. And if getting to an appointment is a challenge, we do everything we can to help — including access to our own passenger van.
You do not have to wait months for help
Kentucky’s mental health shortage is real, but you have an option close to home that is open to new patients right now. Whether you are looking for counseling, psychiatric care, or both, Fresh Start Health is ready to help you get started — in person at one of our Eastern Kentucky clinics or by telehealth. To become a patient or ask a question, call us or use our chat function and our care coordinators will help you take the first step.