Catholic Charities works to make mental health services accessible

Oct. 14—Catholic Charities of Owensboro, located in the McRaith Catholic Center, is working to make counseling services more accessible, especially during the pandemic and to Spanish-speaking communities.

Director Susan Montalvo-Gesser said there is a stigma associated with mental health with Anglo communities, but that stigma is much greater in Latino communities, not just for mental health services, but also those individuals are also less likely to seek out services for physical health and monetary assistance for utilities or rent, as well, she said.

"We noticed that the Latino community and the refugee community were much less likely to ask for assistance monetarily, food assistance, utilities and rent than the Anglo community. They were hurting just as bad, but they either didn't feel like they were eligible or there was just that language barrier," she said.

With the pandemic creating added pressure for many, she said the Catholic Center has seen a greater need for mental health services, marriage counseling, as well as financial assistance needs.

Through the center's Counseling Assistance Program, or CAP, it contracts with counselors in communities throughout its diocese to provide counseling services to those in need at a lower cost.

"During COVID, we've noticed that a lot of people have unresolved trauma issues that came out during the pandemic, and we wanted people to be able to take advantage of the CAP program for dealing with those issues," Montalvo-Gesser said. "And a lot of the mental health issues that have come up during the pandemic and marriage issues."

Many of the counselors provide telehealth services, some of whom are capable of catering to Spanish-speaking individuals, which helps remove several large barriers, including transportation language and financial barriers, according to Montalvo-Gesser.

"In the Latino, community is even more important ... just because there is such a stigma there, so making sure they know that this is a normal thing, to go take care of your mental health, it's super important," she said. "And then having another barrier there where you're speaking in your second language to a counselor made it so that people just wouldn't do it. It was just another obstacle. So having people that can speak someone's native language is invaluable in being able to take care of their mental health."

Danny May, Owensboro Diocese director for family life, said much effort has gone into making the services more accessible and ensuring communities know it's available within its 32-county diocese and its Spanish-speaking communities.

"We want to try to normalize this and take this stigma away from it because everybody needs help, especially at this time," he said. "It's there for you to use, so go use it. We want to help people become more healthy and whole through this service."

The CAP service and counselors associated with it can be located through the diocese website, OwensboroDiocese.org.

Christie Netherton, cnetherton@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7360