By Liz Weeker

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Light summer staff pressed to handle increased need

While the stock market’s down, clientele is up for Mountain View and Los Altos’ Children Health Awareness Council.

The organization, which ministers to the emotional distress of individuals in the community through various counseling programs, has been understaffed during this year’s vacation season, a time when service demand is usually low.

“We’ve been inundated with clients all summer and it hasn’t slowed down,” said Monique Kane, executive director of CHAC. “In the summer we always have less staff and typically that works.”

CHAC operates programs including Crisis Counseling and Village Wellness to help teens and adults with matters that trouble them.

Counselors address issues such as depression, child abuse, economic hardship, domestic abuse, gang participation, communication breakdown and substance abuse.

Kane credits the increase in CHAC’s clientele to the strains of today’s economy. “I think it has a lot to do with the stressful times.”

The organization has dealt with the children and families of workers laid off in the past year. “A person we might work with may be someone who is suicidal and finds themself hitting bottom.”

The insufficient staffing has forced the overflow of clients onto a waiting list.

“We offer them referrals but most prefer to wait,” said Kane. That wait is sometimes one to two weeks. Counselors try to give emergencies preference.

For those whose needs are not met by the end of summer, senior interns at CHAC returning in the fall will be available to take on the cases.

During the academic year, the staff usually swells from about 26 staff members in the summer to as many as 52 in the fall.

Many of CHAC’s interns are masters-level students working to earn enough money and hours to become licensed family therapists.

Kane seemed pleased to note that this year, for the first time, the organization’s clinical supervisor is a licensed social worker.

Next year, CHAC will work in 25 schools in the Los Altos- Mountain View area. Its service for these schools includes on-site drug, alcohol and suicidal assessments.

CHAC staff and interns are also available to speak to students about drugs and alcohol in a classroom setting, at PTA meetings, and for special school projects and provide staff training.

“If funding comes through, we’ll launch upcoming anti-bullying and violence programs,” said Kane.