I'm pissed! I'm angry at what is happening across America and is not being talked about or addressed as the media remains transfixed on Corona-Virus numbers and the upcoming Election. For months, we at Encouragers have been receiving calls from desperate parents who cannot find any available therapist who take their insurance, they have lost their insurance due to government shutdowns resulting in layoffs, and those who have insurance but can't pay their premiums. They are looking for someone, anyone, who can help them address the loss of a spouse, father, son, or daughter to suicide. Schools are calling us in droves to help children as young as three years old who are suffering from the consequences of changes attributed to Covid-19. Just last week alone we had 3 seperate moms call us begging for help for their children when they found their fathers who hug or shot themselves in their final act of desperation.
This year (which has 2 more months to go) WorldPopulationReview.com is reporting 4312 suicide deaths for the state of California alone (https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/suicide-rates-by-state). Why are we not talking about how to fix this? Insurance companies remain flooded with requests for treatment, mental health clinics are busting at the seems, and the wave of despair continues to be fueled by the media fear mongering that keeps people glued to their TV and laptops. The holidays historically are known to show an increase in suicides. How many more will 2020 add to those numbers?
What we are doing to answer the call
Encouragers Counseling & Training Centers was created for just this time. In response to the increased needs we are working with Universities to bring in more students working in their Masters Degrees in Psychology and Social Work to provide low and free counseling services to the most needy families in Riverside County. We have hired new clinical Associates to address the increase of referrals from the VA to aid active duty and veterans suffering with depression and PTSD. We have expanded our team of Clinical Supervisors to include LMFT, LPCC, and LCSW supervisors. We are reaching outside of Riverside County as we help individuals as far north as San Francisco and south to San Diego via Telehealth. During a time when others are shutting down we are ramping up. I fear the worse is yet to come and so we are being proactive in our approach to providing mental health services.
Others in the Mental Health field are also "ramping up" by creating opportunities to increase their bottom line. They are developing on-line resources for a fee, selling books, and creating ZOOM seminars all at a cost to those who need their services but unfortunately can't afford them. We on the other hand are in the ditches, on the front line, fighting the good fight right alongside the most wounded souls fighting for their lives.
How you can help
Encouragers is a non-profit 501c3 organization that relies on donations and grants in order to offer these low and no-cost services and your financial support is desperately needed. Click the button below and make a donation today. Additionally, if you are a Christian, could you pray for our clinicians and staff who are working diligently to help as many people as possible. Unfortunately, even we can feel despair as the needs of the many are overwhelming our ability to help. If you are a licensed therapist who would like to join our team, reach out to our Human Resource Officer Monica Kajar at monica.j@encouragersusa.org and see how you can become an Encourager too.
"Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance."
Samual Johnson