Smith Practices Good Mental Health at The Salvation Army
Rachel Smith grew up loving horses in her hometown of Norfolk, Neb., although as a city girl, she wasn’t able to own or care for her own.
So, when the opportunity arose as a teenager to work in equine therapy with Smile, Inc., which provides therapeutic horseback riding for special needs children and adults, she quickly learned about how humans and horses naturally link.
“It was through the work with this program that I got to see the natural connection between horses and people in need of healing,” she said.
That experience motivated her to pursue a career in social work – the perfect marriage between psychology and sociology.
Now, as a mental health therapist for the past couple of years with The Salvation Army, she gets to use both when working with individuals involved with Army programs as well as from the community.
“I always wanted to do something where I could provide mental health counseling, and I love what I do every day with The Salvation Army,” said Smith, who earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her masters in social work from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
“We know so little about the brain, so we are constantly learning. I love passing on what I know to help others however I can and however they need help.”
In her role as a case manager with The Salvation Army’s Permanent Housing program, Smith sees individuals and also hosts a combined men’s and women’s group therapy session every day.
She also sees clients who are part of The Salvation Army’s Mental Health Respite psychiatric in-patient program and works with trafficking clients from the Women’s Center for Advancement (WCA).
Many of the people she works with come into the program coping with PTSD, trauma, housing instability, anxiety and depression.
During COVID, her work went remote – first to phone conversations and then via Zoom meetings – and in her view, that has strengthened her and her team’s ability to serve more people where they are and when they need help.
“Clients from the community can connect with me now in ways that are convenient to them, and that has been a fantastic improvement to our services,” she said. “Some have limited access to transportation, have health issues that keep them from traveling and other things, so they can still get the help they need from home or wherever they are.”