Mental & Behavioral Health

I do have some kids with mental and behavioral/ developmental issues, and there is no pediatric speech therapist or occupational therapist in their town. They live way, way out. So, they’re having to try to find transportation, once a week, having to drive 45 minutes there for 45 minutes of therapy and then drive 45 minutes home. So, that’s a barrier to access.

“ The co-occurring disorders and the lack of accessibility to mental health contribute to a lot of our incarceration rates... We try to do a patchwork thing where we put a band-aid on something and we’re not getting to the root.”

In an August 2020 survey, nearly 40% of the state’s early childhood educators reported clinically relevant signs of depression – and those results came before the impact of Hurricane Ida and prolonged pandemic-related challenges.

In response, Ochsner Health partnered with the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) to launch a new virtual therapy program. Through the Ochsner Connected Anywhere platform, the program provides access to free mental health virtual visits for more than 166,000 public school educators and support staff statewide. The three-year, $1 million initiative is funded by LDOE through allocations from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.

Magnolia Community Services is a private, non-profit organization providing support to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Jennifer Archie, MD, is currently the psychiatrist for approximately 60 of Magnolia’s clients – seeing them for regularly scheduled outpatient appointments at Ochsner, as well as offering monthly appointments at Magnolia.

It is critically important that the state provide mental and emotional support for our teachers and support staff who unselfishly give so much of themselves to ensure that education continues for our students during this unprecedented pandemic.

JOHN BEL EDWARDS, LOUISIANA GOVERNOR