CCEVA, Barry Robinson Center concerned about post-pandemic long-term effects
This year has been a struggle for many, and perhaps for no one more than children and adolescents, for whom one year can seem like two.
Or three.
“At that age, when they are isolated from their friends, when the highlight of their day is just doing schoolwork, it’s difficult,” said Kelle Watson, director of mental health services at Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia. “Especially if it begins to feel as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel.”
There’s been loneliness. Monotony. Struggles with online learning. Anxiety and missed milestones.
And for some children, especially those living in poverty, school can be a lifeline of security and care. A lifeline that’s been severed for much of the past year.
“The pandemic has hit hard,” said Chris Tan, CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia. “It’s affected peer relationships, the ability to connect. And it’s important to remember that children don’t always have the coping mechanisms that adults have in place.”
“We’ve seen an increase in the need for outpatient mental health care since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Rob McCartney, CEO of the Barry Robinson Center. “It’s been a stressful time for everyone, but particularly for the kids.”
For the past year, McCartney said, CCEVA and the Barry Robinson Center have been working to meet the growing need for mental health care for the children of eastern Virginia — and will continue working to resolve longterm effects of the pandemic, even as the tide might be turning.
Two teams, one mission
Founded in 1932, CCEVA provides counseling for children and adults, including marriage and family counseling. Help is provided on a sliding fee scale, making certain that care is attainable for all. It serves people of all faiths and backgrounds, with more than 85% of its clients living at or below the poverty line.
The Barry Robinson Center opened in 1933. With a 32-acre wooded campus in Norfolk, the center offers a residential treatment program for children and adolescents experiencing mental health issues, as well as outpatient services, including substance abuse counseling and a foster care program.
The two Catholic institutions have often worked side-by-side in serving the families of Hampton Roads.
“We have a long history of mutual respect for one another,” Tan said. “I have documents of the two organizations working together even as far back as the ’30s.”
This May, the two are teaming up once more, taking their campaign for health and healing to the golf course in an effort to raise money for children’s outpatient mental health services as they sponsor the third annual Catholic Cup Golf Tournament at Heron Ridge Golf Club in Virginia Beach.
Last year, the tournament raised $23,000, providing 658 hours of counseling and care for children in need. This year, their goal is to raise $50,000, a little more than double that amount.
“I’m not sure if we are going to get there, but we’re getting close,” McCartney said. “Everybody is excited to compete with one another. We are hoping that the real winner will be the kids who are in need.”
Critical need
In addition to offering support in field offices throughout eastern Virginia from Norfolk to the Eastern Shore, CCEVA provides seven Hampton Roads Catholic Schools — five on the Southside and two on the Peninsula — with student counseling services.
Since students returned to school last August, school counselors have seen a marked increase in students coming into their offices looking for help, Watson said.
“We’ve seen an increase in suicidal ideation, anxiety, cutting and depression,” she said, adding that counselors work with parents to find the best course for each child, referring students to outpatient services when appropriate.
She added that counselors have also reported that more students have simply been staying behind after group presentations, hoping to talk — not just about the pandemic, but about other concerns as well.
“There is a definite need for students to talk about all that is happening, in the world and in their lives,” she said. “It’s important to be honest with the children, but also to reassure them. The world may seem like a scary place right now, but it’s going to get better.”
Finding comfort
Sister Emily Faubion, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and spiritual life coordinator at the Barry Robinson Center, said that before she came to Virginia, she served as a teacher in the inner-city schools of Philadelphia for 20 years, an experience that brought home to her just how many kids rely on school not only for academics and the chance to socialize, but even for basic needs.
“For a lot of young people, it’s been far more than just being away from their friends. For many, school is a safe haven. It’s a safe zone. It’s where they are warm, where they are fed. Many students haven’t had that this year,” she said.
And then, too, there are the struggles that many children face beyond those worsened by the pandemic — difficulties that haven’t come to a halt even though it sometimes seems that much of the world has.
“The young people I work with have had their year interrupted already, just by being away from home,” she said.
Sister Faubion meets with students in discussion groups and helps them to organize Sunday prayer services. The students plan and lead the services, sharing their testimonies and musical talent to make the gatherings a special and reflective time.
“They struggle with many of the questions all young people struggle with,” she said. “‘Why are we here?’ ‘What is our purpose?’”
“I feel fortunate that I can serve in this role,” Sister Faubion said. “I’m not their teacher. I’m not their therapist. It’s nice just to be a companion. To be someone they can talk to, to walk with them on their journey.”
Watson said that she and the counselors of CCEVA also feel that it’s been a privilege to support the children of eastern Virginia — in both school counseling and outpatient program — during trying times.
“We consider it an honor to be an important part of their healing, safety and overall well-being. We have been serving in this capacity for decades and hope to continue to do so for decades to come,” she said.
Watson added that she was proud of CCEVA’s school counselors for going back to school last August, even when so much was still uncertain.
“In every case, they’ve been able to find a resolution to the situation,” she said. “Every one of the stories had a happy ending.”
Editor’s note: For details about the Catholic Cup Golf Tournament call 757-456-2366 or email [email protected].