How can modern innovations help with mental wellness and counseling programs in Orange County?
As an Orange County non-profit facility dedicated to mental health, the Mariposa Center team is always looking for new ways to make treatment and counseling available for those who need them. Providing access to these services is crucial for the health of individuals, families, and the community as a whole.
Why is Access to Counseling Programs in Orange County Important?
Researchers have been sounding the alarm for several years now. There has been an increase in reported instances of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other mental health challenges, creating an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the United States”.
While there is no easy or immediate fix for these issues, mental health professionals and counselors have the tools and training necessary to help those facing these struggles rediscover the joys of a healthy life.
The biggest hurdle to providing these services to those who need them, however, is access. While some employers have started to include a mental wellness stipend as a component of health insurance benefits, many local populations don’t have the coverage or financial assets to pay for these services out-of-pocket.
Leveraging Innovation to Expand Access
In the early days of the Covid pandemic, Mariposa Center switched to online counseling and therapy services in place of meeting in person. Continuing to connect with our clients, and each other, through video conferencing made it possible to get through those challenging times.
Since then, however, we have continued to use online meetings as an option for some services and appointments. In-person meetings and interactions are still preferable, but we recognize that the logistics of everyday life don’t always allow for that, and we’ve adapted accordingly.
More Innovations & Programs at Mariposa Center
Online counseling is one of many ways we’ve found to serve the Orange County community at Mariposa Center.
We also offer free onsite childcare for clients so that individuals and couples can meet with counselors and therapists in person without interruption.
Further, Mariposa Center is on the short list of OC facilities that offer equine therapy for treatment and recovery. New research continues to verify the power that this form of therapy has on individuals recovering from substance abuse, trauma, and other challenges.
“Like anything else in life, ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’ is not a good reason to avoid change. Our mission is to provide clients with the tools they need to build resilience and regain a healthy life, and as the best ways to do that evolve, we’ll evolve too.”
Tina Rossi, LCSW; CalWORKs Behavioral Health Services Program Director
Mariposa Center has offered a combination of innovative therapies and proven counseling programs in Orange County since 1977. We remain dedicated to helping all of our clients restore the happiness, health, and joy that they have lost to mental health or substance abuse challenges.
