COVID Recovery Iowa offers teens mental health support

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, it is comforting for teenagers to see they are not the only ones struggling with challenges and changes resulting from the pandemic. COVID Recovery Iowa offers a Teen Support group supplying Emotional Support group meetings on a one hour Zoom. They meet once a week free of charge.  

¨We help teens develop their ideas on how to cope and come up with new ways of making connections with others during the pandemic.¨ said Mandy Gesme, the leader of the Child and Family directory for COVID Recovery Iowa. 

If teens need extra mental health services, COVID Recovery Iowa will add them to the ¨triage program¨ in order to refer these teens to individual therapists if needed. From there, the teens mental health concerns can be assesed in better detail, along with developing a treatment plan. 

In regard to dealing with mental health issues during the pandemic, Gesme offered these tips. ¨Join our support group. Teens are sometimes each other’s best resource. It is a safe, fun and a pretty awesome experience to be a part of this diverse support group. It is a form of socialization in a safe environment. It’s a great way to meet new people and see what other teens are doing during the pandemic. Check out our Instagram account. Reach out for help a friend, a trusted adult [or] COVID Recovery Iowa  covidrecoveryiowa.org. If you don’t get your needs met the first time, ask again for help. Be your own best advocate,¨  Gesme said.

COVID Recovery Iowa believes that feelings like anxiety, anger, loneliness, and sense of loss are normal, and offers guidance for Iowans and a ¨listening ear.¨ Counseling sessions can be offered by video, chat or phone aside from Zooms.