Exploring the Struggles of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the Mental Health Crisis

By Sabriya Dobbins, Founder of Project Passport

“Change is possible for people if they put in the work,” says Lethea (Le) Pittman, mental health social worker at Access Family Services of Elizabethtown, NC. Initially working in areas of foster care, social services, and child welfare, Le found that her true passion was serving those facing mental health issues in the community. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), she works with people facing issues like depression, childhood trauma, psychosis, and substance abuse. Two of her target therapeutic techniques are Solution-Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, however she explains that each client has their own unique therapy needs.

Le on the left at a social work dinner with her clinical supervisor.

Over her 11 years working with clients, she has found that some of the major things people face are shame for their feelings of depression and lack of support.

“Often times people have no one in their corner,” she shares.

 She sees herself as a sort of chameleon, adjusting to each of the situations that her clients face. One reason Le believes people end up in crisis situations is because of the stigma in seeking help earlier on. People often worry about having a counselor impede in on their lives and often times insurances, like Medicaid, won’t pay for counseling. Things just begin to fester, and the client feels even more defeated.  Being a mental health counselor, Le is no stranger to the importance of self-care. She sees a life coach often to help her find balance. She explains,  

“You don’t want to pour from an empty cup.”

According to Le, we are at a “stand still” as a society when it comes to mental health. We are failing to start with the schools to make sure young children are doing okay. We are not allowing mental health to be financially accessible and we truly need people in social work or in mental health fields to advocate from the top of the political ladder in order to bring change.

When exploring the disparities in mental health support, she has noticed the lack in minority outreach to the system due to distrust and fear of sharing their situations. She hopes to see more LCSWs go into minority communities to help bridge the gaps since everyone needs mental health support. She herself has started pro bono counseling work for these communities and has even brought in a clinical social worker to speak at her local church. When asked about the importance of mental health she explains,

“It is just as important as going to the primary care doctor. When you feel like your mind is clustered with a lot of thoughts and you are not feeling like yourself, you need to check in. If not, it builds. It’s like yeast in a jar…you leave it and it builds.”

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Project Passport is a mental empowerment retreat and event company created to help women connect with one another and gain the tools to improve their lives in the best way possible. Each retreat experience has a unique theme with carefully designed activities to help participants grow and experience transformation. We are making mental wellness the norm, one retreat at a time. Learn more at project-passport.com.