Easterseals Florida launches mental health clinic in Sorrento

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and WESH 2 News is dedicating the whole week to education and erasing the stigma surrounding mental wellness.On Monday, we focused on people whose disabilities often overshadow their mental health. We traveled to the woods in Sorrento, where campers from Easterseals Florida Camp Challenge gather to enjoy a safe space for individuals with disabilities.The campers range from ages 6 and up. The oldest is in his 70s.Dr. Maggie Denk, the camp’s director, says Camp Challenge is where dreams come true.”People talk about Disney being the happiest place on Earth when we talk about Orlando; it’s not. It can be the second happiest place, the happiest place on Earth is right here,” she said.Denk began her journey at Camp Challenge as a lifeguard 25 years ago and fell in love with the environment. Ten years later, she became a licensed mental health counselor, seeking to combine her passion for mental health with her dedication to people with developmental disabilities. Earlier this year, her dream became a reality with the establishment of a specialized mental health clinic through Easterseals Florida for adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities.”We are now able to provide counseling to adolescents and adults that have intellectual disabilities in a specialized mental health clinic that focuses on their mental health and well-being but also attends to their developmental and intellectual needs,” Denk said.The mental health clinic, separate from Camp Challenge, shares a similar mission to help individuals navigate everyday challenges while building essential skills in a supportive environment. “Therapies like occupational therapy, speech therapy, even music therapy, art therapy, equestrian therapy can be fairly accessible to them. But those therapies, while they may help mental health and well-being, do not specifically focus on it,” she said.Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that more than 1 in 4 adults in the United States live with some type of disability. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, many experience traumatic stress, depression and anxiety. Denk pointed out that these struggles may sometimes be unrelated to their disability but are often overlooked.”The more inquiries we got, the more we saw mental health impacting our clients and campers, the more it became almost this natural progression to start being able to include mental health as something that Easterseals Florida provided,” Denk said.As the mental health clinic grows in Sorrento, Denk is planning to expand it by bringing in more counselors, extending services to other cities in Central Florida and educating people outside of Easterseals to get involved. “Everyone at Easterseals Florida believes so strongly in mental wellness, mental health, and providing that to all people,” Denk said.Click to learn more, schedule an appointment or download the referral form.Appointments are available in the afternoon and evening. Joins WESH 2 News this Friday, May 16, from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.Mental health counselors and advocates will be at WESH 2 answering calls for help.

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