The Northshore Community Foundation and NAMI St. Tammany are pleased to announce the launch of “WellConnected,” an innovative collaborative initiative to address mental health needs related to Hurricane Ida recovery on the Northshore.
In partnership with Talkspace, a virtual service that connects members with licensed mental health providers for counseling and therapy, the initiative will offer no-cost access to online therapy for a number of Northshore residents.
Local medical providers, including mental health providers such Florida Parishes Human Services Authority, will help guide individuals to the WellConnected Program.
Countless studies on mental health effects following natural disasters establish a well-documented pattern. Research shows that there is a marked increase in completed suicides within a two-year window following a natural disaster event and, in on the Northshore, there has been an average increase of 41% of completed suicides in the two years following each local disaster, including Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, Isaac, and the 2016 March floods.
Regionally, there is extremely limited capacity of existing mental health providers to add additional patients. Couple access problems with other barriers to treatment like perceived stigma, affordability and work/life appointment time conflicts and a segment of the population who needs help is not getting it.
Through a grant from the Northshore Community Foundation, NAMI St. Tammany will facilitate participation into the WellConnected program. While referrals can be made from local providers, WellConnected is open to anyone interested in getting support for their mental wellness and are over the age of 18, impacted by Hurricane Ida and living in one of the four Northshore parishes: St. Tammany, Washington, Tangipahoa, or St. Helena.
WellConnected will offer a free 90-day subscription to Talkspace which includes two live therapy sessions and unlimited messaging. To learn more about WellConnected visit www.wellconnectedns.com or reach out directly to NAMI St. Tammany’s WellConnected call line at 985-626-6402 or by email at wellconnected@namisttammany.com.
