The clinic addresses these needs by offering a range of services such as medical care, dental care, medications and mental health. Their goal is to build community by supporting individuals in the workforce. The clinic serves 2,000 patients per year with more than 10,000 visits (Elrod). Students participating in the Shepherds Poverty Alliance program can gain experience at the clinic each summer. Through the Patient Care Internship, students provide clinical support and patient triage under the supervision of licensed healthcare personnel, assisting nurses with daily medical clinics, Thursday evening clinics, Wednesday evening and group medical visits. The goal of the experience is to gain an in-depth understanding of the elements that keep a clinic functioning in poor communities. Additionally, patient care responsibilities such as medical record management, appointment reminder calls, client information database updates, and special projects are part of the daily responsibility. One of the main services of the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic is mental health. This and preventive care could be considered the two essential aspects of the clinic's services. In an article by Vonnie C. McLoyd and Leon Wilson they quote Makosky and Ray stating: “Poverty, especially if it lasts for a long time, is a pervasive rather than limited crisis, characterized by a high contagion of stress factors that destroy and exhaust emotional reserves. " (Appalachia: America's Forgotten). In 2012 the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic found that mental health was among the top five reasons patients reported for appointment, coming in third after hypertension and diabetes. Without services in unable to respond to these community needs, the clinic would not be satisfactory