PATASKALA, Ohio — PBJ Connections is a nonprofit group devoted to bringing behavioral well being remedy to its guests via horses, counseling and nature.
“The entire feeling of feeling remoted, children had been actually combating on-line faculty,” says Holly Jedlicka, co-founder of PBJ Connections.
Jedlicka, knowledgeable therapist, co-founded Pataskala-based PBJ Connections in 2006.
The nonprofit group’s mission is to offer behavioral well being remedy to kids, adults, and households.
Jedlicka stated the pandemic has uncovered how deeply psychological well being points have an effect on folks.
“We have now seen not solely this enormous enhance in psychological well being and trauma for a lot of completely different causes, however then the pandemic added to that like a sandwich. So individuals who already had a variety of nervousness and melancholy noticed these signs go up phenomenally,” Jedlicka stated.
Deputy Director Erica Lewis stated PBJ Connections has additionally expanded providers to incorporate veterans and seniors and added telehealth to the combination.
“(They) nonetheless have entry to therapists whereas retaining their bodily our bodies protected,” Lewis stated. “Telehealth additionally supplies extra choices for individuals who have boundaries like transportation or limitations via their insurance coverage.”
Jedlicka emphasizes the significance of human connection and the rediscovery of the nice outside.
“There’s a variety of science behind why being round different giant regulated animals is de facto useful for us as people to be regulated, which is one thing we wrestle to do on our personal once we’re cooped up in our personal properties,” Jedlicka stated.
For shopper psychological well being entry, one other want has arisen.
“We’re listening to this want for monetary help in the case of entry to psychological well being. So our program was actually constructed on a enterprise mannequin that helps help scholarship recipients who want extra help,” says Lewis.
Jedlicka stated that PBJ Connections serves greater than 250 folks a yr and is rising…so their mission is way from over.
She credit her workers and 7 different therapists for the continued success of the group.
“Individuals are available in from outdoors and say, wow, that is such a giant, welcoming, open place. We do not have workers that come and go, come and keep for a protracted, very long time,” she stated. “We’re very pleased with that.”
PBJ Connections is at 9800 Jug Avenue Northwest in Pataskala.
