Feedback from a clinician conducting screenings on behalf of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services:
- "A young man came and sat down to take the screening. He was extremely outgoing and positive, even as he shared that he had been through a lot recently. He went on to tell us that he had recently lost all of his family, though he did not go into detail, and proudly stated that he had remained clean through it all. He then took the screening on paper, pausing only to ask questions about items he needed clarity around. At the end, we looked at his scores together. His scores showed no recommendations for follow-up on any scale, with the exception of posttraumatic stress disorder. We talked about what this might mean and he acknowledged that he does experience some symptoms indicated on the PTSD scale. He asked me if this outcome meant he could never be in a normal relationship and noted that he has trouble keeping a girlfriend. I offered that it is more likely that the more one knows about themselves, the better able they are to be healthy and in a healthy relationship. He continued that he does talk to a therapist once a week and agreed to take his results with him to follow up more. He came to our screening with a smile, he engaged with curiosity and candor, and he left more aware and informed. I truly believe this young man was helped by the DBHIDS' outreach effort on National Depression Screening Day."
Feedback from providers who partnered with the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services and Screening for Mental Health, Inc. to host screening events:
- “Participants felt empowered and found the screening useful. One woman in her mid-thirties screened positive for depression. After we provided psycho-education she stated always feeling that way without knowing what was going on.”
- “We felt it was a great way to engage with the community and to inform individuals living in our community about our services. Folks who approached our table spoke quite openly about their own and/or family struggles with mental health concerns. Brochures went quickly. Access to care was a theme of the day.”
- “It was very successful if not for the mere fact of the outreach and assisting participants with identifying issues that were, or could have been, cause for concern, as well as being able to provide valuable resources and referrals.”