91传媒 psychology clinic offers free mental health services for youth
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擶ith more than $200,000 from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), 91传媒鈥檚 Psychology Clinic is providing free mental health services for Mississippi鈥檚 youth, offering mental health screening, consultation and therapy.
The award was granted to Department of Psychology faculty members Michael Nadorff and Melanie Walsh鈥攃o-principal investigators鈥攁long with department head Mitchell Berman and director of the Psychology Clinic Emily Stafford, in partnership with 91传媒 Extension, which 聽provides material dissemination and outreach.
Telehealth at the Psychology Clinic began offering free services for youth ages 6-17 in March and the new funding helps continue the free services through December, with a possible extension into 2022. Telehealth services are available via smartphone, tablet or a computer.
Walsh and Chris Ellzey, both staff counselors for the clinic, serve as facilitators of the services. To schedule an appointment, email telehealth@psychology.msstate.edu or call (662) 325-0895. Only parents of minors may request services.
鈥淲e know that our children have been negatively impacted by the changes in structure and major shifts in daily life due to the pandemic, and we are hoping to aid in addressing this burden,鈥 said Walsh, the CARES telehealth program director and clinical supervisor. 鈥淲e are seeing a great deal of anxiety, depression, social and adjustment issues in the youth we are serving.鈥
鈥淔eeling a bit 鈥榦ff鈥 right now is a normal response given the year that we have lived through,鈥 Walsh said. 鈥淓veryone deserves a bit of self-acceptance and grace, even our children and youth.鈥
Walsh said Mississippi has a shortage of mental healthcare providers, especially those who work with young people.
鈥淪everal of the families we are working with have remarked that if these free telehealth services were not available to them, they would not otherwise have access to mental health services for their children. We know we are filling a dire need in the state of Mississippi with this service,鈥 Walsh said.
91传媒鈥檚 telehealth program also provides services for adults including individual therapy services such as couples, individual, group and family, as well as behavioral sleep therapy services. Payment is based on a sliding scale. To initiate services, call the clinic at (662) 325-0270. For more information, visit .听
Part of 91传媒鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Psychology is online at .
91传媒 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽.