ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Nearly 30 million people across the U.S lack access to affordable, comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment, according to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
News 13 spoke with Jewish Family Services (JWS), an organization in South Asheville, about how they’re working to make mental health services more accessible.
Michael Barnett, JFS’s executive director, explained how they are a social service organization that provides assistance to people of all faiths. During May, JFS focuses on encouraging people to seek counseling. They offer both in-person and telehealth counseling. Barnett said Jewish Family Services accepts Medicare and offers grants that help offset costs.
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On May 1, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein proclaimed May as Mental Health Awareness Month, saying that nearly 1.5 million North Carolinians struggle with mental health issues.
Here in the mountains, Melissa Wolfe, JFS’s clinical director, said that from 2012 to 2024, they’ve seen a 39% increase in poor mental health throughout western North Carolina.
With demand already on the rise, Barnett said Helene added to that increase.
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Wolfe said the hope is to provide services to as many people as possible and to be known as a community service that people can rely on.
“Mental health is important. First, you have to say, ‘I have a need. I need to speak to someone,’ and then we want to remove those barriers,” Barnett said.
To learn more about the services Jewish Family Services offers, visit their website here.