Mental Health in a Pandemic

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A Shoulder to Lean On

We’re now almost a year in to the pandemic that stopped life as we knew it in its tracks. As families around the world are feeling the strain, some right here in our own community now have a new shoulder to lean on.

Monique Worrell, a licensed clinical social worker and TAP Head Start’s behavioral health coordinator, recently started a mental health support group for Head Start and Early Head Start parents during these trying times. As she puts it, “Our current challenging times come along with increased stress, financial hardships, and social isolation that can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms and depression.”

Monique hopes that by providing a community of support, as well as a series of workshops focusing on mental health and wellness topics, local families will have the tools they need to better manage the “new normal.” The workshops span an array of topics that many families may currently be struggling with, such as How to Deal with Your Child’s Behavior and Emotional Support for Virtual Learning.

Small Steps Make a Big Difference

While these workshops certainly provide invaluable information, one of the most important things a parent can do for his or her family is to make sure their own mental health is in check. Monique emphasizes basic mental wellness tips that anyone can follow, including:

  • Setting limits on when and for how long you consume news, as well as verifying sources and making sure they are reputable;
  • Following a daily routine, including getting dressed and practicing good hygiene;
  • Taking care of yourself through exercise and mindfulness; and
  • Doing meaningful things in your free time such as reading a book, crafting, organizing your home, or journaling.

Above all, Monique says it’s important to stay connected with others, maintain your social networks, and reach out for help when you need it. Whether it’s an email to friends and family, participating in a virtual support group, or calling a peer support line, sharing how you’re feeling and connecting with others who may share your experiences can go a long way in alleviating the feelings of isolation and anxiety that many are experiencing.

Lastly, you can remain confident that TAP will continue working hard to create communities of support for those who need it most—in the good times and bad.

Support for working parents

Support for Working Parents

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Support for working parents through TAP Adult Education Programs

Sometimes all it takes to change your life is having the right people in your corner. For two young mothers in our Adult Education program those right people were TAP career mentors—and each other.

Our Adult Education program works by removing some of the common barriers parents face when looking for well-paying jobs, including lack of access to job training and high-quality childcare. The program offers paths to industry-recognized job certifications in the high-demand fields of health care, information technology, and manufacturing, as well as access to childcare and other supports, including individualized mentorship.

It takes a village of support

For participants Brianna and Kayla, that mentorship was a game-changer. “Our mentor Ms. Angela is so different. She stands for our work. She’ll pray with you. She cried plenty of times with us. She was like a mother figure, she took in our babies and she took us in as if we were her own. She didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear, she told you what you needed to hear. And a lot of people needed that. I honestly think that our class got through because of Ms. Angela,” said Brianna. Kayla added, “She has always been encouraging. She’s never not been there for us, anything we needed.”

TAP did more than connect Brianna and Kayla to a career mentor—it connected them to each other, helping them to expand the support networks that are crucial to working parents. “We prayed with each other, we cried with each other. We have encouraged each other. We stayed up late studying with each other and stayed up late with each other’s kids. It’s more than just a friendship and a coworking‐type deal,” said Brianna.

Brighter Days Ahead

Having graduated from the program, Brianna and Kayla can now support themselves and their children with jobs that they’re proud of—they even get to work together at the same medical practice. “I can actually now say that I have a career that I enjoy doing,” Kayla explained. “I have two children that need me, so it’s been great to be in the program. Before the program, I didn’t want to go to work because first, I was away from my children, and second, the pay that I was getting, I thought, what am I doing this for? Now I love my job, I really do.”

Learn more about our Adult Education and Employment programs and find out how this program provides support for working parents.