Grant funds mental health training for Indiana librarians
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A new initiative is training Indiana's librarians in how to better deal with mental health — both their own and their patrons'.
Why it matters: As the social safety net has shrunk, libraries have taken on a greater role in our communities.
- And that means librarians are frontline workers, interacting with larger populations of patrons that are unhoused, suffering from mental health crises or struggling with addiction, says Todd Grooten, co-chair of the Indiana Library Federation's mental health committee.
Driving the news: Mental Health America of Indiana (MHAI) received a $50,000 grant from Molina Healthcare to pay for online, small-group training sessions and support groups, starting in the next few months.
What they're saying: "We're hoping to teach librarians skills, resources and ways to engage with folks that may come into their library who are in a mental health crisis," Stephanie Anderson, MHAI's chief operating officer, tells Axios.
- The goal isn't to turn librarians into therapists or clinicians, Anderson said, but to give them the tools to connect patrons with the services they may need.
Zoom in: The support groups will teach librarians how to care for their own mental health.
- A recent survey of more than 200 Hoosier librarians found that more than 70% had experienced secondary trauma themselves or seen coworkers experience it.
- Grooten says his colleagues have been asking for help for a while now.
By the numbers: That same survey found more than 80% of respondents encounter patrons with mental health issues in the libraries.
- More than 60% responded that they encounter homelessness, substance abuse issues and aggressive behavior.
- Most libraries don't have a plan in place to deal with patrons experiencing a mental health crisis and most librarians said they don't feel well informed on resources available to such individuals.
That's where the MHAI training sessions come in.
- "I do think it's our responsibility to be able to help them in the manner they need help," Grooten says of patrons experiencing crises.