Aubrey McEnroe was manning a county fair booth for the University of Iowa’s Telepsychology Training Clinic when a fairgoer approached her, teary-eyed. The individual had sought mental health services in the past with no luck and had just learned about the clinic, where McEnroe, other UI students, staff and faculty work to provide mental health services to rural communities through telehealth. The fairgoer wanted to share how grateful they were.
McEnroe is a doctoral student entering a new role as a graduate assistant in her second year with the Telepsychology Training Clinic. She said it was touching seeing the realization in those she and others spoke to this summer at fairs across the state that they’re not alone in their mental health battles. Growing up in a farming family in Algona, these interactions also hit close to home.
“That was very impactful for me and moving for me, and really reinforced the whole reason behind TPTC,” McEnroe said. Clinic team members spent this summer traveling to county fairs and the Iowa State Fair, getting the word out about the free individual and group counseling programs they offer, as well as career services and workshops. McEnroe said she led the outreach initiative with the mission of destigmatizing mental health services and showing people that these services aren’t a luxury only provided to those with plentiful resources in their areas.
Martin Kivlighan, co-director of the clinic and a professor in the UI College of Educati.