By Rodrigo Hernandez
The need for mental health counseling often increases during the holiday season. The Encompassing Center, a mental health facility located 3019 W. Harrison St., helps address that need in this community through compassionate mental health care and other services.
Two counselors from the organization recently shared their reflections on how it supports local residents. Jennifer F. Smith, licensed clinical professional counselor and the center’s program director, gave an update on the facility’s services and tips for managing during the pandemic while Pamela Jimenez, certified anger management specialist, spoke about her role and at the facility. Both highlighted concerns among clients and other mental health professionals.
Word from the director
For clients, dealing with extensive waitlists at many community health partners and providers can become an obstacle. “If someone needs an evaluation, the waitlist can be months to almost a year,” Smith said. “I think with the pandemic a lot of things have come up or are an addition to everyday life stressors.”
Demand for psychiatric services in particular has grown. “People are in need of psychiatric services and other medical services, and the wait times for providers have been really long for clients,” added Smith.
She noted mental health professionals must bridge their services and connect with each other, emphasizing how connections among them could improve coverage and services across communities. “Sometimes it can feel like competition as we’re providing the same services, but we can come together as providers and professionals to see how we can work together to make sure we are covering all of our communities,” Smith said.
The center recently added emergency food services, as individuals and families struggle to find food security.
“The spirit behind it is that there are families that don’t really know where to secure food or where to look for those resources because sometimes getting food pantry resources can be overwhelming,” Smith said. Staff have worked to eliminate any stigma for clients, including those who never have had to use emergency food services before. “We’re not a pantry, but the food we do give is starter items as a warm handoff and connection so it’s not a scary process,” she explained.
Clients can access services both in person and as telehealth. “We have been reopened for in-person services since October 2020,” Smith noted. “People sometimes cannot be on the phone for an hour or have internet services, so you can come to the center as well as use our counseling or therapy services on site for safety and privacy reasons too,” she added.
Mental health challenges tend to rise in fall and winter from weather changes and the holiday season, and the pandemic has contributed extra stress during these periods.
“We have to be aware of things that present like depression,” said Smith. “The holidays are coming up, and that brings up a lot of triggers of grief and loss around this time of year.”
Considering these stressors, she suggested families and individuals connect with each other and share resources.
In the larger community, Smith acknowledged how the coronavirus (COVID-19) has exacerbated inherent stressors in schools, for both children and families, as in-person learning resumes and not all children are vaccinated.
“There’s a lot of stressors around kids getting sick with COVID-19 because we still don’t have full knowledge around vaccinations for younger children,” said Smith. “We have to make sure that we’re staying with CDC regulations like washing hands, wearing masks, and taking care of ourselves, especially with going to our yearly physical appointments.”
Smith encourages newcomers to visit the center for information or to get help.
“Our doors are always open,” she said. “So if anyone has questions, no question is a stupid question, even if it’s concerning something we can’t provide.”
The director also encouraged those discouraged by the current pandemic to remain vigilant and maintain a sense of community. “Everybody wants to get back to normality, but our world is turning into something different, and we just have to make sure that we rely on each other and have the community assertion: ‘Let’s do this together!’” Smith said.
Anger management
Anger ranks among the mental and emotional health challenges the center addresses through new anger management sessions that can earn clients a completion certificate. “We have a curriculum that is in use, and we can also do the sessions in schools,” she noted. “We can also do one-on-one sessions, so many new clients have been at the center requesting that specific service.”
For Jimenez, a licensed professional counselor and bilingual/bicultural therapist, her role as a certified anger management specialist at the center gives her special insight to community needs. As a bicultural therapist, she has worked with Latino and Black communities extensively; currently, she works with young children, teenagers, and families.
Like Smith, Jimenez stressed that returning to school has increased the need for the center’s services, leading to new partnerships with schools. Additional partnerships would bring even more referrals.
For Jimenez, providing quality service in multiple forums remains key. “There is a huge need for mental health services, and we continue to do our best to make sure that need is met whether this is done virtually, on the phone, or in person,” she said.
Regarding clients’ experience of overly long waitlists, she called the year-long wait list seen in some cases “definitely concerning.”
When it comes to psychiatry, “At The Encompassing Center, we are lucky to have a partnership with Rush [University Medical Center] and have a psychiatrist available once a month,” said Jimenez. “And although we do get busier every day, most clients get a call back from a clinician within the first 48 hours once we have received a referral.”
For the cold weather season, Jimenez recommended “creating daily routines that look after you and your needs” at this time of year. Like Smith, she acknowledged mood changes that can come with the season. “Making sure we are getting enough rest, proper nutrition, and seeking help if we know we struggle with mood changes during the winter time is also a great way to take care of ourselves,” she said.
In addition to self-care, Jimenez encouraged people to make connections with loved ones during the holidays because connectivity helps avoid isolation.
“Finding ways to connect with others this holiday season, even if you still do not feel quite ready to be in a room filled of individuals, is important,” said Jimenez. “We can still maintain a close relationship with the people we love whether it be through Facetime, social media, or email without feeling alone or lonely.”
She noted easing COVID-19 lockdown restrictions has increased concerns and anxiety, making public health critical for clients and mental health professionals alike.
“This is an ongoing topic that clients come in speaking of, whether they have a loved one who died of COVID-19, have struggled with COVID-19, or have underlying health problems that make them vulnerable to the virus,” said Jimenez. “That’s why it is really important to not judge ourselves depending on what others are doing and what they feel comfortable with.”
Jimenez reminded everyone about being good to oneself. “We need to celebrate our own successes during this time—at our own pace,” she said.
Contact The Encompassing Center at (773) 638-5703 or visit https://encompassingcenter.org.
Editor’s note: If you have a health-related issue you would like to see Gazette Chicago cover, text (773) 969-9443.