(Beaver Dam) Church Health Services is highlighting the importance of offering mental healthcare needs for area youth. The Beaver Dam-based non-profit provides primary care services for local residents who are low income, uninsured, or are under-insured.
Executive Director Thea O’Conner says their Mental Health in the Schools Program is a newer offering that includes having therapists available for students at school sites. She says one challenge for low-income families is access to care and their ability to transport their kids to various locations for services.
Church Health Services is currently offering in-school therapists at the Beaver Dam, Horicon and Waupun School Districts. O’Conner says teachers are often first-hand witnesses to some of the disturbance’s children go through and can provide helpful background information to the therapist.
Church Health Services Community Outreach Director Bev Beal-Loeck, who also serves on the Beaver Dam School Board, says addressing mental health is crucial for every school district. She says school guidance counselors are not necessarily trained to help with diagnostic illness which is where therapists with Church Health Services can step in.
Church Health Services has a fundraiser on August 3 at the Old Hickory Golf Club. An Evening In New York features Big Apple-themed food and entertainment with all proceeds benefiting the registered 501-C3. Learn more about the event and the services offered from a recent conversation on WBEV’s Community Comment program:
