KANSAS CITY, Mo — Leadership at a local day care center is leading the way in prioritizing mental health.
The Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center is now offering free counseling to its employees and parents. Executive Director, Deborah Mann, says many of her employees were carrying personal trauma, and she wanted to be the first person in their lives to offer them help without a financial barrier.
“How are we going to impact change in children's lives and families’ lives if we don’t even first deal with our own trauma?” Mann said. “It's prevalent in our community, and we’re less likely to get help. But, I'm hoping that with this effort that we’re doing, that we can change that.”
Mann has seen what long-term trauma can do. She saw it first growing up in her urban-core community and then again when she lost her own daughter.
“Six years later, I'm still struggling with that," Mann said. "I realized, ‘Okay I need counseling. I need to be able to process this’.”
Mann made it her mission to address the deeply rooted pains of her neighbors, as struggles like hers are not unique to many people living in the Prospect corridor.
She recalls growing up in her community being told to sweep problems under the rug, to not share them and to not let people know you are hurting. To create a positive domino effect, Mann is starting with her closest circle: her employees.
“I just told them, we’re going to hire a counselor," Mann said. "If you have a particular one that you like that you want to use, we will pay for that. We just want you to get the help."
Executive Assistant, Cynthia Graham, feels like the company morale has lifted since the opportunity to seek counseling came along.
Graham said counseling has helped her process what she has been through and gave her the tools and guidance to change the trajectory of her situation towards healing.
“I think she noticed that it would be helpful for me before I did,” Graham said. “I don’t think that I would've considered it, or probably could’ve even managed it financially, to do it on my own. So it was extremely important.”
A grant has been approved in the last month to help cover the cost of everyone’s counseling, but Mann is willing to pay out of pocket if it means empowering her people to seek help.
The daycare already brings in counselors to help their toddlers foster positive mental health practices, but it has recently expanded the free counseling opportunity to parents as well.
“If we can bridge the gap from school to home and help families as well, then we have a whole community that’s healing,” Mann said. “I'm hoping it becomes a chain reaction throughout the whole city.”
