The Stephens Center has an office in Macon County in the UCHRA building at 607 Hwy. 52 Bypass East in Lafayette, which is geared toward helping new mothers and those who soon will be.
“I’m a family support specialist with the Stephens Center,†said Danielle Graeb. “What we do is work with pregnant mothers, and new mothers through in home visitation services. We visit the mothers weekly. We bring curriculum, activities and resources to help these mothers get on their feet and get ahead in life.â€
Graeb says that the Stephens Center also does assessments on children.
“Our services are for any mother that needs help, not just at-risk mothers,†she said. “It is simple, as if you are expecting or having a baby, you are eligible for our services.â€
The Stephens Center offers its services throughout the Upper Cumberland area.
“We cover 10 counties in all,†said Graeb. “We stay busy but are happy to be helping so many mothers that want our help. Our assessments range from making sure the children meet developmental milestones. We also offer depression screenings for the mothers.â€
According to , approximately one in 10 women will experience postpartum depression after giving birth, with some studies reporting one in seven women. Postpartum depression generally lasts three to six months, however this varies based on several factors. It is estimated that nearly 50% of mothers with postpartum depression are not diagnosed by a health professional, while 80% of women with postpartum depression will achieve a full recovery.
Graeb says that mental health and well-being for new and expecting mothers is very important to the Stephens Center.
“Mental health is a big deal for us,†said Graeb. “We can get mothers additional help through organizations like the Hope Center or Waymakers. We help with assisted housing; we basically try to network and get mothers help in any area they may be needing it. Goal planning is an important part of what we do. It helps mothers to identify what they want in life and how to go about achieving those goals. We offer financial budgeting and financial planning, which is crucial to mothers for sustaining a better way of life in the future. If the mother wants to learn how to do her taxes, we will do that as well. We truly want to see the stigma and chain of hopelessness in mothers disappear.â€
Graeb says that they also have many mothers that don’t know where to turn when living in a bad situation.
“We get a lot of moms that are in really tough situations,†said Graeb. “Most times they are referred to us by another organization. Sometimes a woman finds herself in a pregnancy where the man turns out to not be what she had hoped or thought. We take those women and build them up and empower them to where they have the knowledge, skills and confidence to face life alone and succeed in life. This also helps them have the courage and patience to choose more wisely in the future. Society has become numb to the fact that it is our responsibility to help the next generation.â€
Graeb explains that while they generally help mothers, that their help is also for fathers.
“It isn’t common for men to reach out to us, but we encourage them to,†she said. “We want them to know that it’s OK to ask for help, and we offer all help and access to resources that we offer the mothers. Our goal is to help people and to solidify families with an environment that is healthy and strong.â€
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