Jefferson Center Mental Health Mission gets help in the form of $4M federal grant

Thinking back to her own struggles with mental health as a teen, Reina Trujillo-Stryzak fights back the emotion that comes with those memories.

"I wanted someone to listen," she said through tears. 

That experience though a catalyst to her career as a peer specialist with the Jefferson Center Mental Health Mission.

"I offer this unique opportunity to chat with someone who gets it and provide those supplemental services to therapy," Trujllo-Stryzak said.

The nonprofit serves roughly 30,000 people of all ages across three counties. They bring mental health support to those in need.

"We have behavioral health providers in about 150 different community-based locations so 45 different schools 35 different medical or specialty care practices," Jefferson Center CEO Kiara Kuenzeler said.

Kuenzeler says their biggest challenge is finding the workforce to grow their reach during a critical time.

"This pandemic that we have been through has dramatically exacerbated the mental health needs," she said.

It's part of what prompted them to apply for a $4 million federal improvement grant.

They were awarded that money and can now use it in a way that fits their mission.

"The model allows for more flexible funding in terms of bringing on members of a care team that can wrap around the more traditional care providers," Kuenzeler said. "So behavioral health providers you think of licensed clinicians are in short demand if we can wrap around them with engagement specialists with outreach specialists with peer specialists who have lived experience with mental health that can connect with people in our community."

It means more opportunity to focus on underserved communities and more people like Trujillo-Stryzak who bring an invaluable qualification to the work they do.

"My history my experiences that I thought were like negative marks on me that I had to hide away or like made me deformed in some ways are actually something that is so beneficial and something that truly gives me power in my life," she said.

You can learn more about the Jefferson Center here. https://www.jcmh.org/