Southern University program providing free therapy sessions to people in rural communities

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A Southern University program aims to break down stigma and barriers to accessing mental health care in rural areas.

According to the National Institutes of Health, farmers have a suicide rate that is three times the national average.

“We’re not like Baton Rouge. We’ve got limited resources and a limited places that we can deal with or put or send a mental person,” Pointe Coupee Sheriff Rene’ Thibodeaux said.

Sheriff Thibodeaux says his deputies often go out on calls for someone who is struggling with their mental health.

“I’ve seen in the past five years that I was the sheriff that some of my deputies have to deal with the same person every week. Sometimes, it’s every month, and there’s just not too many places to put these people and get them help,” Sheriff Thibodeaux said.

Sheriff Thibodeaux says deputies will take someone who is struggling to the hospital for help, but they are only held for three days.

“It falls back in the hands of the people in the public and in the deputies that are working in the street, and it gets frustrating for them because they see the same person over and over again, and they haven’t seen a whole lot of change in the past five years for that. But there’s surely seems to be some needs for us to find some facilities to help us with mental patients,” Sheriff Thibodeaux said.

Another barrier people in rural communities face is affordable care.

“We know that mental health is a really big thing right now and our team here at the Southern University Ag Center are always trying to build a stronger, healthier Louisiana,” Jasmin Mathews, Southern University Assistant Public Health Specialist, said.

Mathews worked with a team at Southern University to create a program that offers free virtual therapy sessions to bridge the gap.

“There’s a lot of stigma that surrounds seeking mental health services. I do want to say that seeking help is not a sign of weakness. It is absolutely a sign of strength and so I know it’s kind of a nervous thing when you first start, but there are licensed counselors who can help provide tools for you to cope with life’s ups and downs,” Mathews said.

Internet access is another barrier, but Southern has a solution for that as well.

“When you register, there’s a question that asks if you have access to Internet. If someone says no, then we have our mobile technology unit that will come out and provide free Internet access for you to attend your services,” Mathews said.

So far, the program has helped 50 people get access to free therapy sessions, and both Sheriff Thibodeaux and Mathews hope it will create an increase of mental health awareness and break down the stigma.

“We’re excited that there’s at least something starting to take place from Southern, and we welcome that, and we hope that it’s the start of something that can take over in the perishes in the real communities and throughout the state of Louisiana,” Sheriff Thibodeaux said.

If you are interested in signing up for the program, you an do so on the SUAG website.

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