Follow the yellow-brick... home for mental health services

BENSON, ARIZ. (KGUN) — The Sunshine House in Benson is a place for residents to seek mental health advice and resources. Rural areas often have long distances between communities, making it difficult for residents to travel to mental health services.

Rural residents in the USA experience significant disparities in mental health outcomes even though the prevalence of mental illness in rural and metropolitan areas is similar, the National Library of Medicine reports.

Carolyn Fiolek-Winson is an independent-licensed therapy working at the Sunshine House. She used to work in Tucson but came to Benson because she saw a need. "I'm a helper," she explains, "I'm able to offer people who maybe don't have the right insurance, things like that, the care they need."

She doesn't take insurance as a form of payment; her rate is $75.00 an hour instead.

Athena Kehoe

Fiolek-Winson also explains how crucial it is for people to have access to services in close proximity to where they reside. “Say somebody died in your family and you just need somebody to talk to. How do you hold that in for an hour? Our emotional and physical health are connected," she said.

Barb Jochum works with Easter Seals, a nonprofit, and is a Senior Director of the Eastern Region. She explained that Sunshine House offers more than just one-on-one therapy; there are also case managers and peer support available.

"There are lots of different things we can add to different groups for youth, parents, and adults. So, implementing some of those pieces," Jochum said.

The Sunshine House is located at 416 W Union St, Benson, AZ 85602.

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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.

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