The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, in partnership with the Ben Hill County Board of Education, Mercer University’s College of Professional Advancement and Global Partnership for Telehealth, on Oct. 27 provided the first virtual counseling session for Ben Hill Elementary School students through the new Pediatric Mental Health Initiative.

The initiative delivers virtual counseling services to students and their families and provides mental health screening tools and suicide prevention training to educators, community members and students. The collaborative efforts of these organizations designed the Pediatric Mental Health Initiative to address a key issue in Ben Hill County where there are currently no licensed mental health providers.

The Ben Hill County School System, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, recognized a significant gap in community resources and the strain on students' mental health. When approached by the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center to explore a partnership offering virtual counseling to alleviate these issues, system leaders felt this would be an invaluable resource to their students.

“I truly know in my heart that this is going to be life-changing event in the life of this child and a stepping stone in helping more and more students in Ben Hill County,” said Wanda Kimbrell, special education and pupil services director of Ben Hill County School System, after witnessing the first telehealth counseling session. “To be part of such a meaningful project is a blessing, and one that I am highly thankful for and so happy to be a part of. The entire team worked so hard to make this a reality, and we finally saw the fruits of that work. I have found myself looking ahead to when the next sessions will occur and we set more students on the path to mental health wellness.”

The counseling sessions are conducted by graduate students under the direct supervision of licensed clinical professionals in the College of Professional Advancement with technical support from Global Partnership for Telehealth. The sessions greatly benefit the graduate students, as well, as the initiative provides meaningful practicum and internship experiences for these clinicians by allowing faculty and students to work with underserved populations in rural Georgia and gain experience in telehealth.

“I have watched with great interest and admiration as the rural health initiative has moved forward to improve access to medical care for the underserved in our state. Our dream has been to find some way to increase access to outstanding mental health care for this same population,” said Priscilla Danheiser, Ph.D., dean of the College of Professional Advancement. “Our pilot program is the first step in realizing that dream and such a wonderful opportunity for Mercer’s extraordinary graduate students in clinical mental health counseling, school counseling and clinical rehabilitation counseling. We are proud of this collaborative work with the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center.”

“The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center is committed to developing sustainable solutions that improve access and quality health care in rural, underserved counties across Georgia,” added Jean Sumner, M.D., dean of Mercer University School of Medicine. “This is an excellent example of what can be accomplished with community involvement and partnership from the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center.”

Ben Hill Elementary School is currently piloting the program with plans for full implementation in four Ben Hill County schools in the spring of 2022.

The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, Mercer’s College of Professional Advancement and Global Partnership for Telehealth are interested in working with other communities with mental health service disparities to replicate this program. Inquiries about the Pediatric Mental Health Initiative can be made to the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center by calling (478) 301-4700.