Education Matters: Making Mental Health a Must @ JFCS of the Suncoast

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

JFCS has a commitment to change lives forever by being the area’s leading human services agency. While many know that their non-denominational services work wonders with the health concerns of the elderly, the challenges faced by homeless, and the needs of those with food and financial crises, one of the lesser-known-but-equally-vital things they provide is mental health care and support.

The National Association of Mental Illness reports that 1 in 5 US adults experiences mental illness in any given year, and 1 in 25 (9.8 million!) experience mental illness severe enough to significantly interfere with major life activities. Perhaps most disturbing of all is this statistic: 17% of youth (6 –17 years old) experience a mental health disorder.

JFCS realizes that dire situation regarding our children, and they’re taking action.

“An important aspect of JFCS’s contribution to the education community is through psychological services to children,” says President/CEO Heidi Brown. “We’ve found that it’s an unmet need in our community. There are simply very few providers who offer this type of service and take Medicaid or low-cost self pay.”

Mary Bane Stevens, Director of Counseling Services, says that they’re now doing about 14 complete psychological evaluations a month. The recipients of these come from referrals—from parents, guidance counselors, schools, physicians, mental health counselors, and other agencies. Sometimes more than one. “If a parent wanted to have their child evaluated by a licensed psychologist, it could cost up to $2000. What we’re able to do here is use doctoral interns—those with a master’s degree who have almost completed their Ph.D. They have a high level of education and this is the last thing they do before getting that degree. And all the work they perform for us is supervised by a licensed psychologist.”

One way of thinking about this is that JFCS is providing two services at once, with children and families getting affordable care, and the doctoral students receiving invaluable on-the-job experience and training. It’s a great situation where everyone receives something meaningful.

These doctoral students come from all over—Miami, Boston, Los Angeles, Tucson, and elsewhere. Brown explains that there’s a national matching system in place, much like one used for placement in a medical residency internship.

“An important aspect of JFCS’s contribution to the education community is through psychological services to children.We’ve found that it’s an unmet need in our community. There are simply very few providers who offer this type of service and take Medicaid or low-cost self pay.”

While the program is obviously meeting many needs, it has a built-in challenge—costs. The doctoral students receive a stipend. There are the often-unreimbursed copays. The cost of the internship itself. The cost of supervising the program. The cost of testing materials.

The reason JFCS has been able to create and continue the program so far has been because of the generosity of their donors—many of whom rank education and at-risk children among their most vital areas of interest.

One of the new services JFCS provides this year is testing for autism. Stevens says, “It has a huge effect on kids, so getting them into the right school placement and support system is key.” Without data, there’s no easy way to advocate for a child in the school system. JFCS’s ability to provide the testing and create the data gives parents the tools that allows them to finally get the best education environment they can for their child, and that’s every parents’ wish.

JFCS also provides wraparound services for many of their clients. Stevens notes that “if we see where a child is having issues through their psychological evaluation, and then we note that the parents are struggling in other areas, we can refer them to our Healthy Families program. Or we can send them to counseling or other services within our agency that will help any member of their family.”

This mental health service for kids is in its 3rd year now, and they’re already interviewing for next year’s doctoral candidates. This past year, JFCS had four, and come July 1, they need to be replaced since it’s a one-year position. 

One of the things that has surprised Stevens was the actual environment. “When I took the position,” she explains, “this program was part of my responsibility. My thought was that psychological testing would be noisy, stressful, and tense. But it’s nothing like that at all. Kids come with their parents, they bring a lunch, have a nice day, and the testing gets done. It’s amazing how calm and cheerful and positive it is for the parents, too.”

Brown says that if anyone’s interested in receiving these services, they should call the Weinberg Campus on Fruitville Road (941-366-2224) and ask for the Intake Department. They offer a sliding scale that adjusts to the financial ability and situation of the clients. 

“The program is still so new that we’re just working through how to best utilize this service before coming up with clear next steps,” Brown adds. “We’re taking a measured approach. We started with one doctoral candidate, and now we have four. We have to be realistic, but we know the need is there.”

It’s important to know that JFCS is a mental health and human service agency that serves all people, regardless of background or religion. Indeed, the vast majority of those served are not Jewish. “We help people in crisis,” Brown says. “That’s what we do.”

For More Informationon the JFCS of the Suncoast, please visit  www.jfcs-cares.org or call 941.366.2224.