Healthy Minds
4/8/2019
I have been a private provider contractor for Healthy Minds Fairfax for about two years. Healthy Minds works to improve access to mental health services throughout the county.
The local high schools and middle school contact me when they have a student who needs mental health services, but doesn't have insurance and/or adequate funds to pay for therapy. I then contact the family who is entitled to attend eight sessions with me free of charge to them.
It has been so rewarding working with these families and students. Many of the parents speak little English. We have enjoyed many a laugh as I attempt to communicate with them from my very limited Spanish abilities. You would be surprised how well it works and what genuine bonds I am creating with the parents via our minimal shared language. Healthy Minds does have a contract with translators which I use on occasion, particularly when I need extensive historical narrative from the parent or their is a serious mental health challenge that requires in depth dialogue.
Most of the clinical work is done with the student. They report depression or anxiety about their personal, home or school lives. These teens have fewer resources than many of my other clients and encourage me to tap into other areas of my expertise. I have found myself putting on my social worker hat and using casemanagement skills more frequently with my Health Minds clients. I have coordinated with school social workers, provided some transport to clients, made a home visit and accessed a free bicycle for a client who needed transportation to his job.
Other than the concrete ways I have helped these clients, I am also working with them on basic core beliefs that may not have been given to them at home. "You are worthy and deserving of love" seems to be a common theme that many of my clients have struggled with, but particularly these beautiful souls referred by Healthy Minds.
It can be really difficult to start believing in yourself as a teen. Many of these kids have not known their own worth, being told they are a "slut" or "useless", or sometimes, even more painful, simply ignored. In my office I see them, I hear them and, for some, this reality is completely foreign. They often don't know what to do when I emphasize their importance in the world. Instilling confidence and worth can be seem so simple, yet when you have been taught the opposite, it can be very tricky to reverse.
After the eight sessions I work to ensure that the teens are in good mental health. Often they are and we terminate without a need for further services. Sometimes Healthy Minds can grant a few more sessions to solidify the work that has been done. We also reach into the community to find other services that can help meet these clients' needs.
This piece of my work has been unbelievably rewarding. Some of these kids have never had anyone to talk to; my ability to listen and believe in them can make an everlasting impact and for that I am so grateful.
For more information on Healthy Minds see the video below. Make sure to notice the great acting job of the therapist used for the video. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cableconsumer/node/1439