2022 HEALTH CARE EDITION
UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS
The repercussions of this two-year period are going to be long-lasting. And just because the pandemic is done does not mean that the trauma is gone … every single person in this world was impacted in some way by the pandemic.
Mental illness can a ect anyone at any age. According to Ashley Bono, a licensed professional counselor, knowing the contributing factors and warning signs of mental illness is critical to ensuring children receive the care they need.
those coping skills that the child and the parents need and then to be able to help them move on.” Creating solutions As local providers work to hire more sta , NBISD and CISD have also made strides to strengthen their student support programs. In 2020, CISD combined the school safety team, school resource o cers, health services and licensed mental health professionals to create the CISD Department of Safety and Student Support, Elliott said. The district also increased its mental health sta from four social workers to 19 licensed mental health profession- als, she said. At NBISD, o cials allocated Elemen- tary and Secondary School Emergency Relief grant money to create four new counselor positions and six new Com- munities in Schools positions, accord- ing to the district. “We’ve been able to get some good counselors and hire some more coun- selors to help us out,” Cattin said. Additionally, NBISD announced April 25 that Kelley Shipman has been hired as the district’s rst director of counseling. Shipman is serving as an assistant principal at New Braunfels Middle School and will begin her new role July 1, Saxton said. Shipman will work with campus counselors and Communities in Schools sta to support their work, Saxton said, and will oversee e orts to increase the health and well-being of students and sta and will develop models of support in times of crisis, loss and grief. In summer 2021, the Suicide Pre- vention Council of Comal County was formed to provide support to commu- nity members and assist residents in
Contributing factors
Warning signs
• Isolation from quarantine or stay- at-home orders • Income insecurity • Poor parental mental health • Lack of access to mental health care • Disruptions in routine • Disconnection from social support systems • Instability or abuse at home
• Excessive worrying or fear • Extreme mood changes • Avoiding friends or social activities • Changes in sleeping or eating patterns • Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs • Di culty concentrating or staying still
DR. ANNE ESQUIVEL, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF MIND WORKS
nding care, Nieto said, and the coun- cil is registered with the state depart- ment of health and human services. Nieto serves as chair for the council. “The council is made up of commu- nity members, di erent organizations, businesses and survivors,” Nieto said. Though MHDD is understa ed, Nieto stressed the organization can still receive new patients and refer them to the best provider if MHDD is not the most appropriate option. The organization also created the website www.mapcomal.org where residents can nd help and learn about support options available locally. Despite sta ng challenges and growing mental health needs, area providers are hopeful that continued education and collaboration between the community and professionals will make a di erence. “There are de nitely people who want to do this work, who have the heart to do mental health work or be in our schools,” Gomez said. “It takes a team e ort. We’re not working in silos.”
SOURCES: KELLER FAMILY FOUNDATION, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS, COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Country Mental Health and Develop- mental Disabilities Center, or MHDD, and Connections Individual and Family Services to connect students with providers. As of May 19, Hill Country MHDD has received 110 youth intakes in Comal County since January, accord- ing to Jennifer Nieto, Comal County clinic director for MHDD. The clinic received 79 intakes during the same period in 2021 and 78 in 2020. “We are always lacking access to psychiatrists, especially for children in our community, like the waitlists can be months,” Gomez said. In addition to partnerships with these organizations, CISD has also con- tracted with 13 individual and group therapy practices to provide services on campus for more than 300 stu- dents, said Kristi Elliott, director of student support services for CISD. While campus programming has grown, referrals have also increased, and waitlists to see area providers have grown signi cantly.
“These kids need support, but resources are very limited,” said Ashley Bono, a licensed professional counselor at InMindOut Emotional Wellness Center. “Now the need for therapists and psychologists and mental health professionals has sky- rocketed, and we really don’t have a lot of people to meet that demand.” Bono said the pandemic added to the already growing demand for mental health care. Since 2020, Mind Works has opened three new locations in Central Texas, and Esquivel and her team are working to hire more sta . Each location has a waiting list. Mental health providers also dis- cussed the importance of teaching coping strategies and communicating with parents to equip children with the tools they need to maintain their men- tal health post-treatment. “The majority of parents that are in our practice are highly invested in the well-being of their children,” Esquivel said. “We want to teach
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
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NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION • JUNE 2022
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