Mobile Hope Clinic brings mental-health therapy to county's underserved communities

Helya Ortiz has always had a passion for helping those who need her help the most.

That’s why nearly a decade ago, the licensed mental therapist founded the nonprofit Center for Trauma Counseling in order to provide affordable mental-health treatment to Palm Beach County residents and communities who may not otherwise have been able to afford or access it.

Since its 2012 founding, Ortiz’s Greenacres-based organization has provided sliding-scale therapy, counseling and support groups to a wide swath of underserved communities and often financially struggling residents.

“Our mission has always been to ensure the immediate availability of cost-effective mental health interventions to serve the most in-need Palm Beach County residents who have been impacted by trauma-related experiences,” she explained. “And our philosophy is that everyone of all ages — be they children, adolescents, adults, the elderly and/or their families — have access to evidence-based mental health treatment from trained mental health professionals.”

To that end, Ortiz — a Florida Atlantic University graduate who earned her master's degree in psychology and mental-health counseling from Nova Southeastern University and specializes in treating emotional trauma — has been able to grow the center to 22 full-time contracted mental-health therapists, all of whom provide their services at discounted rates. Fourteen of the therapists currently fill contract positions with the School District of Palm beach County, providing on-campus services at 14 local schools, and eight therapists work in the center's Greenacres headquarters (6801 Lake Worth Road, Suite 307).

“Since the center’s founding, we have systematically developed programs and community partnerships that allow us to now serve 1,000 residents annually,” Ortiz said.

And in May, the Center for Trauma Counseling launched its latest new service: the Mobile Hope Clinic, a 40-foot passenger bus that’s fully customized to provide on-site mental-health care and counseling services. Funding for the vehicle and customization came in large part through one of Center for Trauma Counseling’s community partners, Impact the Palm Beaches.

“Every facet of our community’s success depends on the health and wellness of its citizens, particularly when it comes to mental health,” said Ortiz. “Unfortunately, lack of access for the impoverished, has always been an enormous barrier for a large percentage of our community’s residents. Our Mobile Health Clinic will break these barriers, allowing for hundreds and perhaps thousands more to access these vital services.”

The Mobile Hope Clinic began in May by traveling to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Delray Beach and Boca Raton, where up to eight club members daily could receive trauma and/or mental-health counseling.

The discounted service fees were paid for by the Jim Moran Foundation and helped make an immediate impact said Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County CEO and President Jaene Miranda.

“One of our main goals this summer is to continue our post-pandemic recovery mission. It’s crucial to help our club members and their families by fostering convenient and affordable access to mental health professionals," Miranda said. "Research by the CDC shows that due to the isolation of the pandemic, mental-health issues are on the rise and need to be addressed. I am thankful for the partnership with the Center for Trauma Counseling so that our clubs can help facilitate this critical program and further help with the recovery process.”

Since its launch, the Mobile Hope Clinic, which is staffed by the center's therapists on a rotating basis, has counseled dozens of youngsters, ranging in age from kindergartners to high-schoolers. As the program evolves, the Mobile Hope Clinic will travel to other locations throughout the county.

One of the notable details about the vehicle is that there's a kids' room specially designed to make pre-adolescents feel comfortable about opening up to counselors and exploring their specific traumas.

To fund its noble mission, Center for Trauma Counseling seeks funding opportunities from various federal, state and local government agencies, as well as a variety of nonprofit foundations and private donors and internal fundraising events.

Among the center’s regular financial supporters are the following organizations:

BallenIsles Charity Foundation The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation The Frank L. Weyenberg Charitable Trust Plangere Foundation The Charles and Joan Hermanowski Family Foundation Walmart & Vanguard Charitable The Huntt LeFrance Fund Lost Tree Foundation

The Center for Trauma Counseling also has several community partnerships with other agencies countywide. These partnerships enable the organization to operate as cost-effectively as possible and serve a larger client population.

The center’s valuable community partners include:

211Treasure Coast Health Care District of Palm Beach County St Mary’s Medical Center JFK Medical Center North The School District of Palm Beach County Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Office Boynton Beach Victims Advocacy Office YWCA – Harmony House Caridad Center The Lord’s Place National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)

To learn more about the Center for Trauma Counseling, its various services and its Mobile Hope Clinic, visit palmbeachmentalhealth.org.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Mobile Hope Clinic brings mental-health therapy to county's underserved communities

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