Mental Health = Let’s Talk About It!
Mental Health America of Fredericksburg has been supporting the citizens of District 16 since 1955. District 16 includes Stafford, Fredericksburg, Caroline, King George and Spotsylvania counties.
Mental Health America identifies the gaps in local services and creates unique programs and forms local partnerships to address those issues.
This 501c3 nonprofit has four areas of service.
The helpline. This is not your standard helpline. They have revamped their helpline to include dropdown filters for specific types of provider(s) that represent the litany of mental health options for the area. The helpline also includes filters to account for age group, insurance, session preferences, treatment approaches, and specialized therapy categories experienced support. Research shows that after five attempts, most people will stop asking for help, even when they really need it. The Mental Health America of Fredericksburg database is structured so that first-time users are matched with providers taking new clients. With patients' permission, they follow up with them until they get to their first appointment. After which, they remain in their wellness call database. The care is continuous with Mental Health America of Fredericksburg.
Prevention Education. Over the past two years, they have created a true grassroots effort offering a research-based program to the community. To that end, they pay a licensing fee to present a program that works with youth groups, and middle and high schoolers in our area for free. They work with school staff before the teens receive the program, to ensure they understand what their kids will see and how they can respond to support the students if needed. They found that after a presentation, students had a real need to talk further about their feelings. They would tell their parents about their experiences and thoughts as it pertained to self-harm thoughts or ideation. Thanks to their grant providers and individual donations, MHAfred has been able to partner with a local mental health organization called Youth Life Services. The counselors from Youth Life Services go after school and provide one-on-one counseling services to students in a real-time manner to ensure they receive mental health support. If insurance is not available to cover a student’s program participation, donors support the fee for counseling.
Senior Visitors Program. The focus of the Senior Visitors Program is to mitigate loneliness and isolation in our elderly community (we consider 60 years of age and over as our focus group). They are always looking for volunteers who are willing to commit to one hour a week for at least six months, to visit their assigned seniors and provide companionship (perhaps play games, talk, or watch a show together).
Peer Support Groups. The peer support leaders are now going through State of Virginia training that will certify them to lead an 18+ peer support groups in their area. This is not a trained and licensed clinician, but rather someone who is trained to lead interactions, and focused conversations with groups of individuals dealing with a mental health focused issue. For instance, they recently completed a peer group designed for parents raising children with mental health challenges. Giving a voice to a shared focus by these parents allows them to connect to a community with which they share a bond. A group like this increases the peer group member’s ability to face their challenges, and know they are not alone.
Mental health issues are sometimes viewed as taboo or have some negative stigma attached to it. The reality is everyone needs help. Help just comes in different forms. Mental Health America is here to help our own community.
Please visit their website for different ways to support Mental Health America and its programs. www.mhafred.org
