San Antonio – – Three years ago, the weight of the world seemed to rest on Churchill High School senior Yvette Telles.
“My father passed away on November 28th, right after Thanksgiving, and the house actually flooded on January 1st, so it was New Year's Day. And we were stuck in a hotel for almost six months.” said Telles.
Suffering from anxiety and depression, she needed someone to talk to.
School counselors were overwhelmed, so they were referred to UT Health's Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) online counselors.
From her hotel room, she began speaking weekly with a counselor, whom Tellez calls a real lifeline.
“My dad was my best friend, so he was like my go-to guy. And when I found this person, I thought, 'Where have you been all this time?'” Telles said with a laugh. Ta.
“They were able to help her get over the situation and open up again,” said Telles' mother, Isela Chamberlain.
Chamberlain works at LEE High School and sees first-hand how stressed kids are.
“This can be done at their pace and time and when they need it most,” she said.
Parents like Chamberlain aren't the only ones whose students need help.
“We have 550 students here at Northern Hills. We have one and a half counselors. Me and a counselor who comes in two to three days a week. This is not enough to meet our needs.” Northern Hills Elementary School Counselor Katie Robertson said.
This is true for schools across Texas and even America. Depleted school budgets are causing a mental health crisis.
“It's not just about getting kids happy and returning to class. In some cases, students have ADHD or depression or something more serious. And this is something I can provide for free. ,” Robertson said.
TCHATT increases the likelihood that families will engage their children in more extensive counseling.
“A lot of times when people call and try to look up insurance, they stop. And this is a great way to get all that stuff off their plate and into a system that they can start to understand.” It’s a really good way to do that,” Robertson said.
She sat down at her computer and showed KSAT how TCHATT worked.
“If I talk to the parent and decide it's the right thing for the child, I just log in and start adding information,” Robertson said. “It could be academic issues, it could be anger or violence, it could be anxiety. And very often it is. You can also add documents or call them up.”
You can schedule an appointment in just a few days.
KSAT reviewed a list of local school districts and found that all utilize some form of TCHATT or online counseling services.
These districts include North East ISD, Northside ISD, San Antonio ISD, South San ISD, Harlandale ISD, and Somerset ISD.
Robertson also said children with special needs can receive help with medication or be referred to other therapists. A few years ago, she referred a special needs student to her TCHATT.
“A few years ago, we had a kid who was really struggling. And I said, 'Okay, let me give you a call and see if I can help.' I think my family was also struggling financially. They were able to catch her and help him. And really, the change was incredible,” Robertson said.
Thanks to a series of referrals, Telles was able to receive incredible treatment.
“I did TCHATT online and then actually worked with a child bereavement center,” she said.
Customized counseling allowed her to express her emotions through art and other hands-on therapies.
“I have everything. I've been through everything,” Tellez said with a smile.
Her overall mental health care experience has been so transformative that she is going to college to get a degree in psychology.
She wants to help others find the peace and strength she has found.
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