The Samaritan Connection Vol 35 Issue 2 October 2024 - 5

Community As A Core Value
By Erika Snitzer, Masters Candidate Therapist
Counselors often help clients identify their
personal values in therapy, whether it's to aid
them in decision-making, help them develop
interpersonal communication skills, or guide
them in choosing work that feels purposeful
and provides meaning to their lives. This
summer, I had the opportunity to represent the Samaritan
Center by guiding discussions about mental health topics like
this as co-facilitator at the Touchstone Foundation's Rise
Above Summit.
The Samaritan Center was one of Touchstone Foundation's
partners for the Summit, a 3-week summer experience for high
school aged students. A group of 17 high school students from
Lancaster County attended the Rise Above Summit, where
they received education on topics from Race, Equity, and
Inclusion to Teen Psychological First Aid. The students also
had impactful experiences with local artists practicing activities
in the expressive arts.
As a representative of Samaritan Center, I was involved
with co-facilitation throughout the Summit. Specifically,
I helped students learn more about alternative and
complementary treatment modalities and the newest methods
of clinical mental health treatment. I also led students through
an exploration of personal values and discussions about how
our values can guide us to a more meaningful life through our
interpersonal relationships, moral and ethical decision-making,
and educational and occupational direction.
As I reflect on my time at the Rise Above Summit, I think
about my own personal values and those of the Samaritan
Center. While many imagine the professional counselor simply
as an individual working from an office, the role of the clinical
mental health professional encompasses so much more. One
of our roles as counselors is a commitment to provide services
for our community's psychological betterment. One of my core
personal values is that of community. When I chose to pursue
my degree in mental health counseling, I did so with a vision to
increase and improve mental health education and services in
the Lancaster community.
I am grateful to the Samaritan Center and their alignment
with my values, and that Samaritan's partnership with
Touchstone Foundation provided an opportunity to serve my
community in this way.
Thank you, Touchstone Foundation, for your ongoing
partnership with the Samaritan Center!
Addressing Mental Health
for the Older Adult Population
Steve Schedler, Samaritan's Executive Director, was
contemplating ways Samaritan could expand its mission. Then
his elderly father suffered a fall. As he navigated the journey
with his parents and witnessed their struggles, both mentally
and physically, he began to see the lack of resources available
to the older adult population. " I realized we could play a key
role in creating something that might address this older adult
mental health gap more intentionally, " Steve remarks.
In 2023, Samaritan Center and Landis Communities agreed
to launch a partnership for a one-year pilot program with the
hopes of removing barriers and increasing access to mental
health services for older adults. The Center formed a taskforce
to design a program based on research, experience and feedback
from residents and staff. Based on the information gathered,
the core components of the pilot program may include staff
and resident education, one-on-one and group counseling, peer
support, screening, and support groups.
Samaritan is approaching the pilot program from a holistic
perspective, exploring the best way to elevate the conversation
about mental health with this population. " It's okay to talk
about it - and it's okay to get help. We want to normalize the
conversation, " says Steve. Our Older Adult Mental Health
Pilot Program can have a profound impact on individuals and
families in Lancaster County. We now have an opportunity
to raise awareness of this significant and growing issue, while
building and refining a program that can be employed broadly
and sustainably for older adults no matter where they reside in
Lancaster.
5
" It is a true pleasure to be a
part of the Samaritan Center "
" Your acceptance of Medicare
allowed me to work on me! "
The Samaritan Connection Vol 35 Issue 2 October 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Samaritan Connection Vol 35 Issue 2 October 2024
