Mental Wellness Program
A program of Catholic Charities
What We Offer
Mental Wellness services that reduce mental health risk and promote early involvement to mitigate the negative outcomes that may occur as a result of mental health challenges
This program responds to the growing mental health crisis by:
- Adding accessible programming outside the typical model where treatment follows only after a diagnosis
- Utilizing approaches designed to negate the stigmas that surround mental health diagnosis and treatment
- Working in tandem with our established counseling program and other traditional mental health resources
- Maximizing the benefit of psycho-educational resources and support groups
- Fostering family resources that help make mental health fitness an attainable goal
- Providing a path to higher levels of care when needed
Like all other Catholic Charities’ programs, these services will be provided in an accessible manner, including sliding fee scales to ensure access and affordability.
Benefits to Early Intervention to Mental Wellness
Untreated mental health symptoms typically intensify which can increase the likelihood of destructive behaviors and results. Additionally, as mental illness progresses, it can affect an individual’s ability to think and speak logically. Addressing the early symptoms of a mental health struggle can mitigate more serious disruptions in a person’s life. Early attention to mental health symptoms can:
- Help an individual understand circumstances and make informed decisions
- Reduce treatment resistance
- Reduce risk of self-harm or harm of others
- Reduce the risk for suicide
- Reduce school, work and/or relationship disruptions
- Increase coping skills
- Help maintain basic life skills
- Reduce impact of trauma
- Encourage more rapid recovery
- Reduce the occurrence and/or incidence of reliance of alcohol or drug use
- Increase social functioning
- Improve confidence
- Improve job preparedness
Early Intervention for Mental Wellness Offers
Psychoeducational Sessions: Curriculum-based, group model, spanning multi-sessions will be used to nurture self-esteem, foster constructive behavior, and develop coping skills
- Rollercoasters coping skills development sessions for children
- Anger management
- Conflict resolution
- Visualization (ACT Strategies)
Support Groups: Provide joint experiences that can facilitate decreased stress and isolation, develop natural and informal mental health supports, and even start to reduce stigma by creating safe spaces to talk
- Self-care
- Pregnancy loss support
- Grief
- Parenting
- Work-life balance
Creative Arts: A creative arts therapist will lead individual and group sessions creating an environment in which participants can explore their struggles and improve coping skills through arts, movement, drama, music, and other creative interventions
- Individual/Family Art Sessions
- Individual/Family Music Sessions
- Individual/Family Dance/Movement Sessions
- Individual/Family Poetry Sessions
- Individual/Family Drama Sessions
- Individual/Family Gardening
Individual/Family Treatment/Supportive Therapy:
- Intake and assessment
- Treatment planning
- Supportive counseling
- Referral to higher levels of care
Peer Support: Helps people feel less alone in their experiences, which sets a strong foundation for healing and provides ongoing social and emotional support. Peer Supports have lived similar situations and are therefore able to walk alongside individuals to aid them in paths to healing and recovery.
This program can meet with individuals/families to discuss possible solutions for early warning signs:
- Sleep difficulties
- Appetite changes
- Decline in personal care
- Withdrawal from social interactions
- Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
- New problems with concentration or memory
- Increased sensitivity to sounds, smells, touch
- Exaggerated beliefs or unusual statements about personal powers, resulting from magical or illogical thinking
- Excessive nervousness, fear, or suspiciousness