In rural Arizona, there is a great need for mental health services, but due to a lack of providers and infrastructure, residents often face long travel distances to access care, which is also limited by lack of transportation. Economic constraints and stigmas around mental health also contribute to underutilization of whatever services are available. Efforts to improve the situation include telehealth initiatives and state-level funding, but substantial gaps remain. Counseling in the Streets is a program developed during the pandemic to address these disparities. In Cochise County, Arizona, where Counseling in the Streets was first piloted, has seen many positive results. In this story we look at how this form of peer counseling has been especially beneficial to teenagers.
Producer: Cáit NíSíomón
Videographer: Danny Sax, Nathan Huffman, Eryka Dellenbach
Editor: Cáit NíSíomón, Eryka Dellenbach, Diana Cadena
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