IOWA CITY, Iowa — September marks Suicide Prevention Month, and the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health at the University of Iowa is using the moment to highlight the importance of accessible therapy services for students, school staff, and families across Iowa.
The center offers a wide range of mental health support, including individual therapy, group counseling, and virtual services, all designed to meet people where they are.
"I think one silver lining thing that came out of COVID is that a lot of agencies offer telehealth now. Our clinic is no exception. I think broadening and having resources accessible across Iowa is going to be helpful in this," said Liz Gleason, Social Worker at Scanlan Center for School Mental Health Clinic. "Having people ready to help you navigate those systems and get them linked up with a provider who they're going to identify with and click with is going to be really helpful for them in that experience."
The center is launching new group therapy sessions for parents and caregivers, offering a space for adults to share their experiences, support one another, and gain tools to better help their children.
"Many parents and caregivers feel alone, like they're the only ones going through having teens with suicidal thoughts and self-harm. That group is going to bring parents and caregivers together to realize that they're not and that there's support available for them and then how they can also support their kids at home as well," Gleason said.