During the height of the pandemic, Melissa Rhoads saw a change in her clients at the Community Cupboard of Elizabethtown. "My clients seemed lonely," recalled the director of the food bank. "They wanted to talk more. They were experiencing more sadness and anxiety."

A new screening tool offered through a grant from the Elizabethtown HUB may help people take the first step toward getting the mental health support they need. Jewel David Ministries, a nonprofit that offers counseling in Elizabethtown, was awarded the grant, said Dolores Reidenbach, founder and counselor. Reidenbach had collaborated with Rhoads as well as Laurie Shepler, executive director of Cornerstone Youth Center, and Anne Marie McAlester, executive director of Hope Within Ministries, in the past and brought the organizations together to put the grant to use.

"We're offering a free mental and emotional wellness assessment for anyone in the community," Reidenbach explained. "It takes about 10 minutes to complete." The assessment will be offered on a touchscreen tablet at Community Cupboard of Elizabethtown, 61 E. Washington St.; Hope Within, 4748 E. Harrisburg Pike, Elizabethtown; and Cornerstone Youth Center, 95 S. Wilson Ave., Elizabethtown. It will be available through Monday, Jan. 31.

"Anyone in our community can contact one of the three organizations during the month of January and schedule to complete the assessment," Reidenbach noted. "Once the assessment is complete, they will be contacted at the phone number they provide by a counselor who will share the results of the assessment."

Next, the counselor will offer a list of community counseling resources in case the person wants to pursue counseling. "We are not providing counseling, but a counselor will call them to do a short review of the results of their screening," Reidenbach said, adding that the list will include which insurances are accepted, who offers low-cost and no-cost services and more.

Shepler said the screening provides a good place for people to begin their mental health journey. "People may be looking for support, but they don't even know where to start," she stated. "This will get them started."

McAlester noted that the assessment tool is meant to help people take care of their emotional wellness, which can have a ripple effect on those around them. "I want people to know it's OK to do this assessment. There is no stigma attached to it," she said. "If you need help, it's actually beneficial to everyone in your life who interacts with you if you get the help you need. It benefits everybody when someone takes care of their mental health."

Reidenbach stated that although the assessment is only available for a limited time, if the tool is successful, the organizations hope to offer it again in the future. "We would all agree that many are struggling with distress in the wake of the enduring pandemic," she said. "This is an easy way to get started for anyone who is struggling."

To make an appointment for an assessment, contact Community Cupboard of Elizabethtown at 717-361-8149, Hope Within Ministries at 717-367-9797 or Cornerstone Youth Center at 717-367-0000.