Wellroot expands mental health services for Georgia foster youth

Wellroot Family Services has expanded its behavioral healthcare services to provide mental health support for more children and families in Georgia.

The nonprofit provides foster care, family resiliency counseling, transitional and independent living for young adults, family housing and kinship care.

“We know that when a child is in a trauma-informed environment, and believes that they’re safe, believes that there’s someone listening to them, believes there’s something they can talk to — It’s basically a vaccine for future trauma,” Christina Lennon, chief strategy and innovation officer at Wellroot Family Services, told Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Wellroot Family Services is now a Core 2 Medicaid provider, which allows them to provide critical mental health support to clients.

The nonprofit recently opened a new property in DeKalb County to help foster kids transition to adult life by giving them resources and a place to live.

Allison Ashe is the president and CEO of Wellroot. She told 11Alive that it’s up to the community to support these young people with the Division of Family and Children Services facing an $85 million deficit.

“Young people who have experienced the foster care system are much more likely to experience homelessness, they’re much more likely to experience incarceration or teen pregnancy,” Ashe said. “If the state doesn’t provide the resources for those types of programs, then young people sort of fall off a cliff once they turn 18 years old.”

The new housing opened in the Oakhurst neighborhood, and the program helps young people learn how to live independently.

“They’re taught life skills on everything from budgeting and finance to how to do their laundry to how to cook,” Ashe said. “They’re supported in finishing high school, getting into college, and they’re also provided critical mental health and counseling.”