By Kim Siebert MacPhail
At the Bedford Youth and Family Services (BYFS) Committee meeting on March 14, BYFS Director Sue Baldauf reported that a mental health screening site connected with the BYFS website has been very successful, drawing “roughly 20 people a month” who answer a checklist of questions about depression, anxiety or alcohol use. A section about eating disorders has also been added recently.
BYFS does not collect or have access to the personal information of anyone who takes the survey; it merely tabulates how many people visit the site to take advantage of the screening.
“This is for individuals,” Baldauf said. “[Depending on the results of the screening] they are [encouraged] to follow up and we provide lists of resources for them. We just get the numbers of how many people accessed the screenings. It’s all through a link with ‘Screening for Mental Health’ in Wellesley—they offer this service for cities and towns. I actually just worked on an article with them for the Massachusetts Municipal Association newsletter so that other cities and towns can find out about it. I think it’s really helpful.”
The main page of the survey has this to say about the screening:
Bedford Youth & Family Services cares about the emotional health of our residents. If you have been feeling sad, blue, stressed, anxious, or generally out of sorts, one of these screenings may help you decide if you should consult with your physician or seek mental health treatment. We invite you to take this free, confidential online screening for mood and anxiety disorders. The screening is provided so that you may find out quickly and easily whether professional consultation would be helpful for you.
Beyond the main page, the survey has four steps: “Select a screening”, “demographics”, “screening”, and “results and recommendations.”
To access the site, visit: www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/BYFS
Loading ...
