HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — It’s been just over four months since the High Point Public Library welcomed a social worker and a certified peer support specialist to their team.
In this short period of time, they have helped many people. Since late August, They’ve had 120 interactions with people at the library.
The library director says the team was much needed. The library has seen several people coming in who are experiencing a crisis.
“A lot of times, people would come in who simply just needed somebody to talk to who will maybe on having some sort of emotional mental crisis … We’re not trained to do that,” High Point Library Director Mary Sizemore said.
It’s been just over four months since the City of High Point has been contracting with Mental Health Associates of the Triad, which is a nonprofit based in High Point, to place a licensed social worker and a peer support specialist at the library full-time.
“The past couple of months has really just been navigating how we can make the biggest impact and how we could be the most helpful for patrons,” said Emily Paparello, a social worker at the HPPL.