“DEMAND FOR SERVICES TRIPLED”
That is what Catholic Charities Bloomington (CCB) Clinical Director O’Connell Case, LCSW, told BHF in November as the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a surge in caseloads for their staff therapists.
“Many of the callers were people that had never sought mental health treatment before, and the nature of the calls was more desperate and frantic. Those who had mild depression or anxiety in the past and had dealt with it reasonably well were now at a breaking point.”
The results of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) ongoing survey suggest the percentage of American adults with anxiety and/or depression has quadrupled since the onset of the pandemic. Significant adverse impacts on social determinants of health, like employment and food security, are likely contributing factors for the rise. Those conditions, coupled with a barrier to healthcare access, further exacerbates this mental health crisis.
Children have also felt the wave of emotional distress: school closures eliminated social activities and access to many of their mental health outlets.
SUPPORTING A COMMUNITY IN NEED
In 2018, BHF announced over $1m in grants benefiting various health-related community causes, including funding to grow local mental health resources. More than a quarter-million was awarded to CCB to provide a new case worker and an additional therapist, increasing availability by approximately 1,600 appointments annually.
“There was already a considerable need to augment local mental health resources, especially among those that have Medicaid, but no one could have predicted the pandemic and how those services would become even more critical,” said Heather Robinson, Interim President and CEO for BHF. “We are proud to support Catholic Charities Bloomington’s incredible work throughout our community and region.”
LOCAL IMPACT
In 2020, Catholic Charities Bloomington provided 8,266 mental health counseling sessions to 586 individuals.
The BHF-funded therapist alone provided 955 sessions to 47 clients, with most of those clients ranging from ages 5-17. The case worker maintained and wrote additional grants for the organization, which have been instrumental in CCB’s operations by funding sanitizing equipment, staff laptops and enabling CCB to keep their front house staff. The case worker also provided supplementary assistance to therapists and clients alike, providing referrals and connections to other community resources as needed.
Like many others, their organization pivoted to virtual-only services in the spring of last year. When they finally resume in-person therapy sessions, CCB will also continue assisting clients with limited transportation access through BHF’s Non-Emergency Medical Transportation grant.
MAINTAINING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
“Reports around the world stated that around six months into a pandemic, there would be a mental health ‘tsunami’ and that is certainly consistent with our experience,” Case said.
Take steps to ensure you care for your mental health by using the strategies Case outlined, including taking time for yourself or exploring creative outlets.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance, you can find a list of local and statewide providers here.
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