Care Solace links families with providers
By Mark Hebert
May 30, 2023—Mrs. Bobbitt’s daughter had opened up to her in late 2022, telling her mother she “needed to talk to somebody.” The sixth-grade student in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder that can cause behavior issues and difficulty communicating and socializing. These weren’t critical issues, but Bobbitt knew she needed to find some help for her daughter. She was just struggling to find time to do it. Fortunately, a few months later she got a call from the mental health practitioner at her daughter’s school, Shawn Stinson, who wondered if she needed help finding a mental health provider and asked Bobbitt if she wanted to try a new service being offered by JCPS called Care Solace.
“I said ‘sure,”’ Bobbitt said. “Anything that might help my daughter.”
Within 48 hours, Care Solace had paired Bobbitt with a counselor at Seven Counties Services, which scheduled an appointment for her daughter less than two weeks later.
“It worked fast,” Bobbitt said. “They found a provider and took that responsibility off my plate. They did everything.”
That’s the biggest benefit of JCPS’ new partnership with Care Solace, a company that is helping find and coordinate mental health and substance abuse treatment for students, staff, and their families. The service is free.
Since JCPS began offering the service in March, Care Solace has handled 787 referrals. Stinson, a middle school mental health practitioner, says he’s referred eight or nine families.
“They don’t have to do the research themselves to find help for their child,” Stinson said. “Care Solace will do the legwork for them. That is the biggest benefit to parents.”
He said the company has access to a broader array of providers and more options for families who need help dealing with issues like grief, processing a divorce, or challenging behaviors. Long waiting lists for counseling services is no longer a problem for JCPS families, according to Stinson. Care Solace has helped families find appointment times within a couple days and sent multiple follow up communications to him and the families, Stinson said.
”Research has shown that mental health needs affect the academic success of our students, work productivity of our employees, and supportive structure from our families,” said Dr. Alicia Averette, JCPS assistant superintendent of student support services. “We’re glad we can help families quickly connect with the mental health resources they need in collaboration with Care Solace.”
For Bobbitt, the every-other-week counseling sessions at Seven Counties Services are not only aiding her daughter, but helping the entire family improve their communication issues. And she’s not sure she would have found the help without that phone call from Stinson.
“I’m happy JCPS reached out to me,” she said. “It’s been a godsend. Care Solace has done everything we need them to do for our family.”