Nearly 84 percent of adults in the United States are feeling at least one emotion associated with prolonged stress such as anxiety, sadness, and anger, according to the “Stress in America: January 2021 Stress Snapshot” survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association.
While feeling some stress is a normal reaction, many people are overwhelmed as a result of a difficult year dominated by illness, loss of life, isolation, work and school disruptions, lost wages, and more. Perhaps now more than ever, the Counseling and Wellness Services provided by Catholic Charities Diocese of Metuchen (CCDOM) are a critical resource for thousands of local families and individuals.
“People have been struggling with the uncertainty of the pandemic and the changes that have occurred as a result of feeling disconnected from family and friends, dealing with the pressures of trying to educate kids in the home, as well as financial instability and food insecurity Our counselors are there to support people through all these stressors as well as chronic mental health issues,” said Marci Booth, LCSW, associate executive director at CCDOM.
To help, CCDOM, which receives financial support from the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, provides short-term, outpatient counseling and treatment to individuals, families, and couples experiencing marriage difficulties, depression, anxiety, the loss of a loved one, parenting difficulties, child behavior problems, and other common life stressors. Substance Use Disorder Services are offered in the Somerset County and Middlesex County locations. If clients wish to bring their faith into their sessions, clinicians can assist through prayer, meditation, and other means.
“All told, we provided 39,000 hours of counseling services in 2020,” Booth said.
LuAnn Dias, LCSW, CCDOM service area director for Somerset County, said one reason why CCDOM saw an uptick in requests for services is that the group responded quickly to the pandemic. “Especially from May through September, a lot of our services were the only game in town that were accepting new referrals,” Dias said. “Many other local providers were setting up their telehealth processes and stopped accepting new referrals because they just didn't have the ability to manage the technology. We decided we couldn't do that. We wanted to serve everybody that was in need.”
Many of these sessions have been life-changing for patients, said clinician Carla Mueller, who works in the Somerset and Hunterdon facilities. For instance, after doing couple therapy, Mueller says a husband and wife she helped through a rocky period learned how to better communicate with each other and saved their marriage.
“I have other patients experiencing high levels of anxiety,” Mueller noted, “and I use motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy to help them. They learn great coping skills. I even had a patient dealing with substance abuse that made tremendous progress in six weeks with these methods.”
CCDOM makes it easy for members of the community to receive services for outpatient programs, regardless of their affiliation with the Church. “Our out-patient services are self-referral,” Booth said. “If you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, or another issue, call the number in the county in which you live to start the process of receiving services.”
Individuals should call and (732) 324-8200 in Middlesex County; (908) 782-7905 in Hunterdon County; (908) 722-1881 in Somerset County; and (908) 454-2074 in Warren County.
CCDOM not only offers in-person appointments, but also telehealth, which has truly been a blessing for some patients, Booth said. “Telehealth makes the services more accessible for some people. It’s more convenient to add therapy to an already busy day, so we definitely saw an uptick in appointments and a decrease in no-shows and cancellations.”
CCDOM accepts major insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare. For those that don't have insurance, the organization charges a sliding scale based on income.