JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Emergency situations like the one for Jessamine County when schools were on lockdown Wednesday morning spark more conversation about the increasing need for mental health services.
"I check in with my schools, my contacts, my counselors," Daven Mansfield said.
Mansfield is well aware of circumstances surrounding East Jessamine High School and potential impacts of terrorism-induced trauma.
She is the program director at Resolutions Therapy Practice and contracted through schools in Jessamine County providing therapy and counseling.
"We get most of our referrals from Jessamine from East Jessamine because there's a higher need in East Jessamine," Mansfield noted.
Mansfield is emphasizing the need to expand and evaluate mental health services in schools.
"It is very critical. It is probably one of the most critical things right now," Mansfield said.
Mansfield is been working in mental health counseling since 2009. She describes the current climate in schools.
"Kids are being impacted so much more these days, like the amount of referrals I'm getting right now from schools is higher than it was a year ago," Mansfield noted.
Mansfield sums it up, whether it's dealing with a response like the one required by law enforcement Wednesday morning, or the need for daily support.
"For some kids, this is what really gives them an outlet to really express how they're feeling," Mansfield noted.
Mansfield's passion to provide therapists for schools extends to multiple counties. Along with Jessamine County, Resolutions Therapy Practice is working with schools in Fayette and Clark, as well.
