An online therapy program designed for Spanish speakers. More scholarship money for counseling. More money for the Flourish Foundation to address depression among children in the Wood River Valley.
These are all part of the mental health investments St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation is making as part of Blaine County’s Mental Well-Being Initiative.
The Initiative has brought together more than 40 partners from local government, healthcare, nonprofits, education, business, and religious organizations to build a mental well-being ecosystem. And this fall St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation Board of Directors awarded several grants to support the community’s mental well-being.
“We’re focused on building the infrastructure for ongoing collaboration that will prioritize our community’s mental health for years to come,” said Megan Tanous, chief development officer of St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation. “Through monthly workgroups, partner organizations and community members are refining objectives and identifying tactics to achieve our shared vision.”
Sanarai, an online therapy program for Spanish speakers, offers more than 700 sessions of professional online therapy delivered in Spanish with support from local case managers, said Jenna Vagias, project manager for the Mental Well-Being Initiative. The online therapy program is being offered through partnerships with St. Luke’s Center for Community Health, The Hunger Coalition, Family Health Services and the Alliance of Idaho.
“It’s a major step toward expanding mental health services for our Spanish speaking population,” said Tanous.
St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation has provided $41,000 to the St. Luke’s Center for Community Health Counseling Scholarship Fund to defray the costs of mental health counseling for people in need. The counseling sessions help address an array of mental health issues, including, suicide, parenting, anxiety and depression.
“Given the high demand for mental health services, the need to provide assistance for people to access community-based counselors is high, despite St. Luke’s having its own mental health counselors. We continue to provide this assistance to people seeking therapy support with providers outside of St. Luke’s,” said Sarah Seppa, St. Luke’s Wood River’s director of Community Health & Engagement. “Treatment of underlying mental health issues through behavioral health therapy, particularly for those with limited or no resources, is crucial to the health of our community.”
