Health, Mental Health & Substance Abuse Resources:
Taking Care of Yourself and Others
The recent weeks have been an unprecedented time for our country, for businesses, and for employees. The uncertainty surrounding the tourism and hospitality industries is adding stress and impacting mental and physical well-being on top of the regular stressors of jobs in these industries. Job losses, no matter which side you're on, take a mental toll. Financial, safety, and other worries add to the burden owners, managers, and front-line employees are feeling. Here are some resources that you can use yourself and share with staff. During this time of crisis, we have also experienced communities pulling together for support, help, and relief. Know that VRLTA is here to support YOU, our members, and others.
Common Signs of Distress May Include:
- Feelings of numbness, disbelief, anxiety or fear.
- Changes in appetite, energy, and activity levels.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Difficulty sleeping or nightmares and upsetting thoughts and images.
- Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes.
- Worsening of chronic health problems.
- Anger or short-temper.
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
Ways to Take Care of Yourself:
Useful Resources on Stress Management
- The CDC's page with suggestions on how to manage stress, signs of issues, and more.
- Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks, a publication from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- The CDC's suggested ways to take care of your emotional health
- Taking care of your behavioral health fact sheet - tips for quarantine and isolation
- Active Minds offers mental health resources, including webinars, for young adults, parents, remote workers and more
- 12 Tips For Stress Management In The Hospitality Industry
If You or Someone You Know Needs Help
- SAMHSA's Disaster Distress Helpline, 800 985 5990, a 24/7/365 helpline to provide immediate crisis counseling (services provided in English, Spanish, and for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline 800 799 7233
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 800 273 TALK
- Help Starts Here - find a therapist or social worker
- Alcoholics Anonymous Virginia
- Ben's Friends - Ben’s Friends is the food and beverage industry support group offering hope, fellowship, and a path forward to professionals who struggle with substance abuse and addiction. Daily Zoom meetings available - find a meeting here.
- Sanvello Health, Inc., a leading provider of digital and tele-mental health solutions to individuals, businesses and payers, is offering free premium access to its digital care delivery platform. Sanvello Health is part of UnitedHealth Group. To activate free premium access, anyone can download Sanvello for free from the App Store or Google Play and create an account to begin using the strategies, tools, and peer support.
- UnitedHealth Group is also offering free emotional support for all, any time at 866-342-6892. This 24/7 Optum Help Line is staffed by professionally trained mental health experts. It is free of charge and open to anyone.
- Mentalhealth.gov - here's a FAQ page on mental health coverage
- Virginia mental/behavioral health information
- Veterans Crisis Line - run by the Department of Veterans Affairs
Some Articles You May Find Useful:
- 8 Ways to Find Free or Low-Cost Mental Health Services
- Finding and paying for mental health services
- 4 Ways to Support Your Mental Health While Unemployed
- A public radio story on the move for insurance companies to cover mental health services via telehealth
- A CNN opinion piece from former Ohio Governor John Kasich - America's mental health Covid-19 recovery needs to start now - includes links to videos about taking care of your mental health and handling the isolating effect of the virus
- Some strategies from the Mayo Clinic
- From Barbers to Bankers: How to Find Mental Health Advocates in Your Community - from University of Southern California's School of Social Work
United Healthcare Mental Health Resources
- Sanvello: Offers Free Premium Access to Help People Cope with Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 - https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/newsroom/2020/2020-03-20-sanvello-premium-access-covid-19.html. Sanvello Health, Inc., a leading provider of digital and tele-mental health solutions to individuals, businesses and payers, today announced free premium access to its digital care delivery platform. This offer, available globally, makes Sanvello’s clinically validated techniques, coping tools and peer support free to anyone impacted by COVID-19 immediately for the duration of the crisis.
- Optum: Free emotional support for all: Call our emotional support line any time at 866-342-6892. This 24/7 Optum Help Line is staffed by professionally trained mental health experts. It is free of charge and open to anyone.
- Active Minds – additional mental health resources: We recognize for many, these drastic changes are causing a social disconnect that can have serious implications on mental health. At Active Minds we are making adjustments to meet the needs of our community - wherever they may be - by providing mental health awareness and education tools relevant to the current pandemic situation.
- RESOURCE HUB: Actionable Tools for Creating Community in a Time of Social Distancing
- BLOG: Coping and Staying Emotionally Well During COVID-19 Social Distancing