This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
11/14/2022 02:46 PMWith its counselors and programs, North Haven Community Services (NHCS) is continuing to provide help in mental health to young people and the rest of the North Haven community while looking to the future for greater possibilities in its outreach.
While NHCS has been a part of Town operations and outreach for decades, mental health counseling and programs have gone largely unnoticed by many people, according to Donella Crenshaw of NHCS who is the program manager of clinical services for the town and is a social worker with BHcare, the organization that oversees the clinical and administrative operations of the counseling services program.
As services and case-management assistance for individuals is available through the department’s counseling services wing, group-based activities are hoping to be resumed, not being held since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic despite their critical nature, according to Crenshaw.
“COVID put a huge strain on mental health, and people felt isolated and depressed and lonely,” said Crenshaw. “We do see a lot of clients here that are suffering from the after-effects of COVID and still not even feeling comfortable getting out in the world.”
Crenshaw has seen these effects especially extend to school children in the community as well during and after COVID’s impact, and providing therapeutic assistance for the youngest demographic in town has become a significant part of counseling services.
“Kids have lost a lot when it comes to schooling and socializing. There’s a big stressor in school still, getting back face-to-face,” she said. “Some kids can’t focus virtually and do the work so they fall behind academically, and when they go back they’re behind. There’s the stigma, ‘I don’t feel good enough, I don’t feel smart enough.'”
Crenshaw has a strong familiarity with trauma and other mental health for young people, having previously worked in a residential program for boys, foster care, and children suffering from sexual abuse and neglect. In regards to North Haven, the level of acuity Crenshaw has seen in the struggles of young people is not as high as with those she worked with previously, although mental health issues are still present. These range from children feeling ignored or overlooked by their parents, the anxiety surrounding achievement and bullying at school, and acted-out behavior as a result.
Whilst mental health services exist at North Haven schools, NHCS recognizes the difficulty in administrations and school health staff reaching all struggling students and aims to be an alleviating and resourceful space for targeting the issues prompting unhealthy behavior.
Once the goal of restarting group-oriented programs is achieved partly through a solidified staff roster, counseling services can be available to children and families in the areas of social skills, anger management, or even recreation-based therapy groups.
“Therapy doesn’t have to be just ‘sit down and talk to me about your feelings.’ I think the best way to reach kids is by being creative,” Crenshaw said. “We have a whole bunch of games and arts and crafts supplies. I find that kids will do the work when they feel like it’s not work. I think we can reach them on that level without the pressure of the school and other kids seeing them go to a counselor’s office.”
Crenshaw has also worked with kids who have developed addictions to social media and its applications, which may have further exacerbated reliance on technology as was found to be the case while attending school virtually during the pandemic’s isolation period. However, the program director said understanding the extent of such an addiction can be difficult to determine, since most kids, primarily due to embarrassment, are reluctant to admit if they have that issue.
Beyond the youngest demographics in town, adults that have come through counseling services include long-standing clients with chronic mental illnesses such as bipolar and schizophrenic disorders and those who feel mental stress resulting from the financial strains inflicted upon them during the colder months. According to Carla Picard of Community Services, the town department has seen an increase in households applying for their sponsored Energy Assistance program during the fall and winter seasons, and an increase in request for help with the paperwork and case-management aspects.
“First-timers often are unfamiliar about what we do here. When we start gathering information for the purposes of their energy application, we start to hear the stress and anxiety that’s kind of coming through as they’re explaining the financial hardship they’re experiencing,” Picard said. “Often times, I would then come to Donella and say ‘I have someone that actually might want our services because they’re stressed for that reason.'”
Crenshaw has found through screenings over phone conversations that depression and anxiety are also among the biggest stressors among the adult population. A loss, be it a friend or family, is another common issue brought to Community Services, which the program manager said could be assisted with the establishment of child and adult grief groups once staff and resources are sufficient for that kind of program.
“I’m advocate for face-to-face [therapy]. It’s the best approach. There’s so much you get from being with a person: their body language, their affect. Even though you can see them on a screen, there can be a lack of intimacy in that.”
Despite in-person counseling being the most effective method, according to Crenshaw, Community Services still recognizes the preference of clients to speak over the telephone, including those who may not have access to computer applications such as Zoom, unlike a house or cellular phone.
Having started delivering counseling and clinical services in North Haven this past May, Crenshaw said she has already seen the resourcefulness and extension of Community Services through its numerous programs, separating itself from other departments with similar functions.
“When I came here, I was very happy to see we provide what we provide. The fact that there’s a food bank for town residents, not every mental health place has that as part of their program. The fact that [Community Services] help[s] with energy assistance. If you can’t pay your bills and can’t have heat at home, how are you even supposed to focus on your mental health, and be stable and OK? That fact that we have that, and you can get your counseling here, I think it’s just really great.”