Some local parents are in a panic as they just learned their children's mental health could be at risk.
Last week providers were told funding will no longer be coming in to support Partial Care Programs in the state of Idaho.
At Stillwaters Counseling in Blackfoot they are trying to re-assure parents they will work through this with them. Obviously, that might not be the case at every counseling center.
A social worker who is employed there says this will not negatively effect their business as they provide counseling services for all ages.
KayAnn Hayes says the cuts do effect twenty-six of their young clients.
The Partial Care program is an afterschool program for children who have some sort of mental health issues. Problems range from sexual abuse, to anxiety and even post traumatic stress disorder.
At Stillwaters Counseling in Blackfoot, counselors work with them to boost their self-esteem, teach core values and coping skills, along with how to deal with their anger.
Most eventually graduate from the program.
For five years, services at Stillwaters have been sustained by state Health and Welfare program that is funded through Medicaid.
This is only one of several facilitates, in Blackfoot alone, that provides this service. Funding for the program ends at the end of the month.
At Stillwaters, they simply plan on changing the name of the program and they plan on doing everything they can to continue providing this service.
KayAnn Hayes, Licensed Social Worker:
"If we can get to them and work with them, you know work out some of that stuff, let them talk about that whatever those things have been for them. You just, you see a dramatic, you just see a dramatic positive change in their life many times."
A lot of people might be wondering what all volunteering would entail. Well, they would help with crafts and games and there would be some sort of training before being thrown into the mix.
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