ASHEBORO, NC (WGHP) — Mental health centers and resource groups in Asheboro and parts of Randolph County have begun bracing for a possible surge in calls for help as news of the murder-suicide in Hamlin Street.
On Monday, relatives of Fatima Alston, 68, and Tiona Sesmas, 33, were found dead inside Fatima’s home that afternoon.
Newly released 911 calls detail first-hand witness accounts of Fatima’s husband.
He told operators that while he was in the back of the house, he heard a gunshot. He later said that Sesmas also tried to enter his room and shoot him. However, he was able to escape and go to a neighbor’s house where they called 911.
Family members tell us that Sesmas shot and killed his grandmother and then killed himself. Hours after the shooting, FOX8 was told that Sesmas had suffered from bouts of mental health.
“For this to happen, there had to be a serious mental problem… she did what she did. She’s done. But anyone who needs mental help, please reach out and get help, so none of this happens,” a family member said.
Traditionally, mental health resources are harder to come by in rural communities, however, since the COVID-19 pandemic, practices have begun to fill the gap in those communities.
Litha Charles opened Asheboro Counseling and Wellness in 2020 and has grown her team by a dozen staff members serving some 700 people from across the Triad and beyond.
While her practice has grown, there are challenges that many families face due to their rural locations.
There may be long trips to a place that are not taken often enough or there may be a stigma that has lasted too long in a family or community, which could lead to serious mental health problems that go unchecked.
One difficulty Charles and his team face is a shortage of employees.
There is a waiting list of about a hundred patients who want to be seen by your team.
“In general, we are looking at a waiting list of all practices both in the city and beyond,” said Charles. “When we have someone who calls and needs services quickly, we try to give them a referral and keep track of who has space…a lot of times, they’ll also have a waiting list.”
There are also different levels of care, and in cases where someone needs a higher level of mental health care, access is not always easy to obtain.
“When functioning is most affected,” said Charles. “They are having a hard time working or maybe they are affecting their families in a difficult way or threatening others. So we have to seek superior care. I think it’s a statewide challenge. We struggle to find places for people who need a higher level of care.”
To better serve families, facilities like Asheboro Counseling and Wellness have increased efforts for telehealth visits and moving to group sessions, which can help with staff shortages but also be extremely beneficial to families. people in certain situations.
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