Community Workers in Cicero say Mental Health Resources Needed to Deal with Effects of the Pandemic
Photo from Youth Crossroads Facebook Page
By Michael Izquierdo
Students at J.Sterling Morton District 201 will continue with remote learning at least until October 30 when the district is expected to issue further guidance.
While students are expected to continue online classes, there are ongoing concerns about how the pandemic and prolonged periods of isolation affect the mental health of students and families, according to community advocates.
“I do not envy school administrators during this time, I think there is really no great option,” said Jackie Wallen, a counselor and Associate Director of Counseling Services at Youth Crossroads.
From a physical health perspective, Wallen says children should be kept home to avoid the risk of contracting the coronavirus; however, from a mental health perspective, people need exercise and socialization. Isolation makes remote learning a difficult task to stay engaged in.
“It's hard to get kids to attend [online classes]. It's hard for teachers to juggle their own families, and their educational or work responsibilities,” said Wallen.
In the early months of the pandemic, Cicero had disproportionately high numbers of COVID-19 cases in the area. As of Sunday, October 18, the town has 5,114 residents who tested positive, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“I think that in clinical terms, we see anxiety rates significantly higher now amongst youth and their parents, their families,” said Wallen. “I know people who are afraid to leave their house...and so, that’s been really difficult.”
Wallen mentioned rising levels of anxiety can be the result of many factors like unemployment, the loss of outdoor activities, people becoming sick due to the coronavirus and even the fear of getting sick.
Back in August, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data from a survey conducted in June that found young adults, along with Black and Latinx people of all ages, report growing levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts due to the life-altering impacts of COVID-19.
The data showed that one in four young adults in the United States responded they had “seriously considered suicide” in the month before they were surveyed; while more than half of “essential workers” said they had experienced one or more adverse mental or behavioral health issues during the pandemic.
"I think younger people right now are less social,” said Michelle Ramirez, a case manager at Family Focus Nuestra Familia. “If you're not talking to other people and are just on your computer all day, then you're just not practicing that. Which will, I think, eventually and inevitably influence the anxiety level.”
Cicero and Berwyn have large populations of Latinx people and essential workers. Latinx people make up 89 percent of the population in Cicero, whereas in Berwyn, Latinx people are 63 percent of the total population, according to Census data.
“We are predominantly Latin[x]. So, just historically, Latin[x] people don't really go into counseling or therapy or it's still a little bit taboo,” said Ramirez. “We're definitely getting better, which is great, but I think, now more than ever, we need to normalize having these conversations.”
Before the pandemic, Youth Crossroads was regularly providing counseling inside the District 201 schools, having services available at the Morton East, West, and Freshman Center buildings. Wallen explained that since counseling was provided inside the schools, students felt more comfortable speaking with a counselor.
However, since transitioning to telehealth counseling through Zoom, accessing these services may be too much for students and families.
“I think that families are just in such a survival mode right now, that a lot of our families are not accessing the services that are available to them. [Counseling] just seems that much more overwhelming,” said Wallen. “And because [students are] not in the schools right now, it might feel a little bit more clinical to access those services.”
Anna Padron Sikora, Vice President of Community Engagement at Pillars Community Health, mentioned that community members weren’t seeking counseling when shelter-in-place orders first went into effect because people felt paralyzed. As the pandemic continues, they’ve seen an increase in demand for mental health services.
“It's kind of like this collective trauma. We're navigating the world through COVID-19, and then we also have all the social injustice that is happening in the community,” Padron Sikora said. “We can't really even properly grieve because, we're still kind of like, What's the next thing we have to take care of?”
Padron Sikora mentioned that parents also have anxieties around the transition back to school in the future, whether that’d be a hybrid of in-person learning model.
“Because I'm assuming that in October if they do decide to go hybrid or in-person, they're still going to have the e-learning option,” said Padron Sikora, “And I think there's a lot of guilt and confusion, in that, every family has different situations that go into that decision making.” District 201 is currently surveying parents about returning back to school.
There are a variety of mental health resources and activities available to the community that can help assist Cicero and Berwyn students and families in need.
At Family Focus Nuestra Familia, Ramirez can connect parents with resources to become more involved in their child’s education and to mental health and counseling services from internal and external agencies. She mentioned that Cicero and Berwyn residents don’t need to have a medical card or coverage to access certain counseling services.
Wallen and Ramirez both want more opportunities to be available for people to access culturally appropriate mental health services, especially in places like Cicero.
“I just really need people to be willing to receive services and tell me that they are open to it and then I can go about making that connection and further assessing their different needs,” said Ramirez.
“I think we’ve thought a lot about the physical implications of COVID-19, but I think the mental health implications are going to be really vast and this younger generation is going to be forever changed by it,” said Wallen.
Local service agencies you can reach out to for more information and mental health services:
Family Focus is a not-for-profit support center that works to assist families in a well-rounded approach, from early childhood education and intervention services to family support services. Ramirez can be reached at her work number at (708) 329-8711, and people can find more information through their website and Facebook page.
Pillars Community Health is a non-profit health organization that provides an array of services to the community, from mental health and social services to medical and dental services. They created a video series entitled “Coronavirus Help: Community Coping Clips,” where Anna Padron Sikora, a licensed clinical social worker, gives tips and coping mechanisms to help the broader community. These videos are offered in English and Spanish, ranging from how to address stress as students return back to school to processing and grieving amid the pandemic.
The organization offers most of its services by telehealth. Community members can call their office’s main number and 24-hour crisis line at 708-PILLARS (708-745-5277), and reach a case manager who can figure out what program is best for the client. Their website can be accessed for more information about their services.
Youth Crossroads is a non-profit, community-based organization providing “counseling, crisis intervention, and school/community-based trauma response” and more programs for youth in Cicero and Berwyn.
On Mondays, Youth Crossroads hands out free activity packets for families to interact with at home. These packets consist of social-emotional, art, and STEM activities, along with a social justice component added to each project. More information about how to get a packet can be found on their Facebook page.
The Cicero Community Collaborative (CCC) is a “coalition of local service providers who are developing a new initiative that will have long-term implications for the improved health, education, and well-being of Cicero children, youth and families,” according to their Facebook page. Their Health and Safety Committee is working on bringing in a pediatrician to conduct a Zoom call on what parents should and shouldn’t be concerned about as it relates to COVID-19. The event is scheduled for October 27, more information can be found at this link. And for the month of October, the CCC will be administering family challenges where families will participate and complete different activities for the chance to enter a raffle to win gift cards. These activities include going on a “Gratefulness Walk,” where families walk around their neighborhood and discuss what they’re grateful for, or having a family cooking night.
Michael Izquierdo is a freelance journalist based in Illinois, focused on reporting about education, health, and local communities.
