ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Jewish Family Services of WNC is partnering with Givens Communities to expand access to mental health counseling for senior living residents.
Jewish Family Services (JFS) is a social services nonprofit, providing help to people of all faiths.
Michael Barnett, JFS Executive Director, said their core programming is mental health counseling. They also focus largely on the senior community, so they decided to look for a way to merge the two.
The nonprofit explained how mental health care is becoming an increasingly important issue for older adults.
They added that 1 in 3 Americans 65 and older has been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Many older adults also experience loneliness and social isolation that can worsen mental health challenges.
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Barnett said making mental health counseling available to seniors is simply JFS being true to its mission and assisting seniors. To do that, they’ve partnered with Givens Communities.
Givens Communities is a nonprofit senior living organization.
Currently, JFS provides counseling every Friday at Givens Gerber Park in South Asheville. Next month, they plan to expand their counseling to Givens’ location in Black Mountain.
Geoffrey Cantrell, Givens Communities director of communications and PR, said their residents have welcomed the counseling services.
“In North Carolina, you have about 30% of people 55 and older who need some form of mental healthcare, therapy and just general support,” Cantrell said.
Cantrell said many people do not get mental healthcare support, with two of the biggest obstacles being cost and distance. This partnership with JFS has eliminated those obstacles.
“Every individual has their own situation, their own story, as we all do and it’s something that we’re seeing an immediate response,” Cantrell added.
Barnett said the goal is to make people aware that these services exist.
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Especially as so many seniors deal with a changing reality.
Barnett added that they aim to remove the cost barrier for mental health counseling, accepting Medicare.
Cantrell adds that mental health is just as important as physical health. He said the two play together toward someone’s overall well-being.
Cantrell said it’s rewarding to be able to provide these services.
“You’re helping others individually, collectively, and that builds a stronger community for all of us,” he said.
The hope is that this is only the start of bringing counseling to senior living communities across the mountains.