Teacher salary. Teacher mental health needs. These two things don't align financially. Spent a summer researching what actually exists between "expensive therapy" and "suffer alone." More options than I expected. Sharing because maybe it helps someone else. Free stuff: Warmlines (not crisis lines, just someone to talk to) NAMI support groups, online and in-person 7 Cups chat (quality varies but it's free) Library books on CBT and DBT, surprisingly helpful Cheaper stuff: Community mental health centers, sliding scale based on income Open Path Collective, therapists at $30-80 if you qualify University training clinics, $20-50 with supervised grad students Peer support services, one-on-one with trained people who have lived experience What I actually use: Monthly therapy at community clinic: $35 Peer support calls between sessions: ~$50/month NAMI group twice monthly: free Total: Under $100/month for real, human support. It's not perfect. I'd love weekly therapy with a specialist. But this is sustainable on my salary and it's genuinely helping.
affordable mental health resources I found after refusing to pay $175/hour
byu/scarletpig94 inFrugal
Posted by scarletpig94
4 Comments
1. Thank you for your service.
2. Your work is so hard.
3. I am proud of you for taking these steps.
4. I hope you are proud of yourself too.
Does your health insurance not cover any sort of mental health care? I’m not a teacher but my brother worked in public schools briefly and I know he had access to counseling and mental health medications. My insurance treats counseling like a normal office visit copay or if I use certain telehealth options it is copay free. Some employers also offer limited benefits via Employee Assistance Plans.
You’ve drawn together a good list. I hope it helps some.
Thank you for this. Most of the time when people relay a story of stress, anxiety, depression, etc, they’re told to see a therapist. But this is out of reach for many people.
I just want to add that there are many other free support groups as well: Sharewell, HeyPeers, Depression Anonymous, Emotions Anonymous, The Tribe, Smart Recovery (if addictions to anything are part of the problem), etc.
There are also apps. For instance, for PTSD, the VA has a great one. Others use various methods for meditation and stress management.
There are also a lot of meditation, guided imagery, sleep talkdown and inspirational stories on YouTube. TED talks have been of help to me, too.
In the USA if you are a military veteran who served in a combat zone, you can go to a Vet Center and get mental health support for as long as you need it. For me that will be for the rest of my life. Not just for people who served in a combat zone, several other qualifiers– drone operators, Coast Guard drug patrols, military sexual trauma, and a few other I can’t remember. Call and ask and they will tell you. It saved my life.