During the COVID-19 shutdown, the Steinman Foundation wanted to respond to the needs of the community. One way the organization chose to do that was to focus on mental health, with a goal of making sure community residents felt supported in unprecedented times.
The foundation reached out to Mental Health America of Lancaster County (MHALC) to bring a Community Mental Health Assistance Plan (CMAP) to local workers. "They partnered with us because we had relationships with service providers and we're able to support individuals beyond the project," said Kim McDevitt, executive director of MHALC. MHALC turned to Philhaven/WellSpan as a consultant. "WellSpan runs an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)," explained McDevitt, who added that the organization provided a lot of guidance in the best way to execute the plan, especially emphasizing that less than a quarter of each patient's session should be spent on paperwork. "We wanted it devoted to getting to the (patient's) story," said McDevitt. "We want people to feel comfortable and to walk away with some tools, skills, and ideas on how to move forward with the angst or fear that they have."
MHALC hired Caryn Thompson to be the project coordinator. In early May, she began researching the best way to implement the program, amassing a list of nearly 70 providers, which was reduced to 10 providers based on grant applications. The final list represents a variety, from groups to individuals, with providers that offer bilingual services, those who focus on seniors, one whose specialty is the Plain population, and more. "We wanted to make sure we (reached) everybody in the county," Thompson said. By early June, Thompson was holding online training sessions for the providers to let them know what was expected and to explain the documentation they needed to complete so that MHALC will have the demographic information needed to continue the program.
McDevitt explained that the program is designed as an approach to the increase in anxiety, depression, and other fear-related behaviors associated with the shutdown. "We have seen an increase in police calls, and crisis outreach is starting to tick up now," she said.
Lancaster County residents who are in need of professional support may call MHALC at 717-397-7461 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. for an intake form. "You will talk to one of our navigators who will help you identify a therapist," said McDevitt. Thompson will recommend a therapist, and CMAP will provide three free confidential counseling sessions. The client will call the provider for an appointment, but MHALC will send out a resource packet to the client and follow up to provide additional support as needed.
Thompson said that if the client wishes to continue after three sessions, she has a list of insurances the providers will accept. "If they don't have insurance, we are partnering with Lancaster Osteopathic Health for their copay assistance program," said Thompson. "That information is included in the resource packet I send out."
According to Thompson, more than 30% of people in the United States experience anxiety on a regular basis, ranging from fear of insects to extreme social anxiety. She noted that anxiety and depression are common responses to a pandemic, but isolation during a season when people are used to being outdoors with others compounds those issues. "We can't function on a typical seasonal level," Thompson said. "A lot of parents don't know how to handle the financial aspect of going back to work and (supporting their children's schooling). There are a lot of questions." The partnership has set a goal of helping to alleviate these issues by providing professional support to those workers in need. "Having someone outside your family to talk to can help," said Thompson.
Readers who want to know more about the program may visit https://mhalancaster.org/our-programs/cmap-essential-workers.
Leave a Review