The Intercultural Senior Center in Omaha is offering mental health services to people over 50. ARPA funds awarded to the organization allowed them to start a program and hire counselors late last year. The Mental Health Coordinator at ISC Brittany Sherlock said the program is a pilot. So far, the center has three counselors available and about 20 seniors are accepting services. One of their counselors is a Spanish speaker. Counseling is part of their whole-person approach, in addition to mental health services the center helps seniors experiencing food insecurity and with their physical health. Gayenell Roby has been visiting the center for about seven years. She said she didn’t hesitate to accept counseling services. Her counselor made her feel comfortable right away. ” she’d be here as long as I needed her,” Roby said. Roby said the sessions have helped her move forward from the loss of her son and most recently the loss of friends she’s made at the center during the course of the pandemic. “I really thank for keeping me going month by month,” Roby said.Sherlock said not everyone in this age group is open to mental health services and their refugee population sometimes doesn’t understand the concept. As a part of the program, the center also offers educational classes on mental health and its importance. “I promote an idea that it’s not like there is something wrong with you or it’s not that you need help,” Sherlock said. “Maybe you just want somebody to consult about decisions, maybe you just want to tell somebody the stories about how your husband influenced your life before he passed.” Sherlock said the most common reason seniors seek counseling is loneliness or grief. The Intercultural Center provides transportation to appointments and counseling is free of cost. One thing that has been a barrier to providing counseling is language, especially with the recent influx of Ukrainian refugees. “We’ve tried so many times where we’ve reached out to so many agencies, we’ve reached out to the Ukrainian church so until I find a translator I can’t really offer those services,” she said.Sherlock said she’d like to see the program continue to grow and have five counselors in total. She hopes the model can be something other organizations can follow. To receive the services you must be over 50, but you do not have to be a member of the Intercultural Senior Center.
OMAHA, Neb. — The Intercultural Senior Center in Omaha is offering mental health services to people over 50. ARPA funds awarded to the organization allowed them to start a program and hire counselors late last year. The Mental Health Coordinator at ISC Brittany Sherlock said the program is a pilot. So far, the center has three counselors available and about 20 seniors are accepting services. One of their counselors is a Spanish speaker.
Counseling is part of their whole-person approach, in addition to mental health services the center helps seniors experiencing food insecurity and with their physical health. Gayenell Roby has been visiting the center for about seven years. She said she didn’t hesitate to accept counseling services. Her counselor made her feel comfortable right away. “[My counselor told me] she’d be here as long as I needed her,” Roby said. Roby said the sessions have helped her move forward from the loss of her son and most recently the loss of friends she’s made at the center during the course of the pandemic.
“I really thank [my counselor] for keeping me going month by month,” Roby said.
Sherlock said not everyone in this age group is open to mental health services and their refugee population sometimes doesn’t understand the concept. As a part of the program, the center also offers educational classes on mental health and its importance. “I promote an idea that it’s not like there is something wrong with you or it’s not that you need help,” Sherlock said. “Maybe you just want somebody to consult about decisions, maybe you just want to tell somebody the stories about how your husband influenced your life before he passed.” Sherlock said the most common reason seniors seek counseling is loneliness or grief. The Intercultural Center provides transportation to appointments and counseling is free of cost. One thing that has been a barrier to providing counseling is language, especially with the recent influx of Ukrainian refugees. “We’ve tried so many times where we’ve reached out to so many agencies, we’ve reached out to the Ukrainian church so until I find a translator I can’t really offer those services,” she said.Sherlock said she’d like to see the program continue to grow and have five counselors in total. She hopes the model can be something other organizations can follow. To receive the services you must be over 50, but you do not have to be a member of the Intercultural Senior Center.
