COVID-19:
This pandemic has created a new “normal”, changing the way everyone lives their lives on a day-to-day basis. People went from celebrating birthdays, graduations, holidays and special events gathered with all of their loved ones, to what is now the new “normal” of social distancing, face masks, e-learning and drive by celebrations. People worldwide are learning to adjust to all of this change, some with more difficulty than others. Mental health conditions are rising all over the world which has led to the leading cause of disability and death (Singh, 2020). This pandemic has created a large increase in suicidal ideations, isolation, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, fear, and stress. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults have reported elevated mental health conditions associated with COVID-19 and younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers and unpaid adults caregivers reported having experienced worse mental health outcomes, increased substance use, and suicidal ideations.
Personal Worries:
COVID-19 not only had me worried for my family and I, but I also worried about the clients I had worked with at my internship during the spring as well as the future clients I would have at my new placement for the fall. Both placements depended primarily on going out into the community, advocating for services, working closely with school staff, partnering up with clients' families, going into client homes, hosting groups, and meeting with clients face to face for therapy. I asked myself over and over again, how will I be able to assist my clients? How will I be able to help them meet their needs when I can’t even see them in person? This was not only a worry I had, but that my placements had as well. Being placed in a clinical setting for my fall internship (Lake County Health Department), I wasn’t quite sure how things were going to be for me as an intern, but I was in for quite a surprise. I quickly learned how hard staff were working to be able to help and assist their clients in any way they could. Behavioral health services didn’t come to an end just because of the pandemic, instead it increased the need for counselors, therapists, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors even more. The National Council for Behavioral Health reports the high demand for behavioral health services, with a 52% increase of behavioral health organizations since the pandemic first started. Behavioral service staff are having to be in the front lines of how the pandemic is impacting our communities, clients, and overall mental state of individuals. Which is how I came to learn and educate myself on Telehealth services, which was one of the ways that my placement has made it possible to continue services for clients and individuals of our community.
Telehealth Services:
“Changes in the way that healthcare is delivered during this pandemic are needed to reduce staff exposure to ill persons, preserve personal protective equipment, and minimize the impact of patients' surges on facilities. Healthcare systems have had to adjust the way they triage, evaluate, and care for patients using methods that do not rely on in-person services” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Telehealth has allowed for staff to continue to meet with clients, while also minimizing the exposure to COVID-19. Telehealth has also allowed for staff to be able to work from home so that they are limiting the staff in the building. Technology is something that continues to be on the rise, and has really been beneficial in so many ways during this pandemic.
Utilizing Zoom, FaceTime, Teams, Skype, and Google Classroom has created a new norm when it comes to seeing our family, friends, teachers, therapists, and staff. These technological approaches have allowed for many clinical staff to still complete assessments, evaluations, and therapy sessions. People worldwide continue to depend on Telehealth communication to be able to do their jobs. In a behavioral health service setting, it has made it possible to help those in our communities build coping skills toward dealing with the impacts COVID-19 has had on their mental health. Behavioral health staff need is at an ultimate rise, which is why we must learn new ways to still be able to provide our services. Telehealth is what has made that possible for clients struggling with mental health and staff assessing/ evaluating it.
I have also been able to see an increase in client attendance when it comes to logging into sessions. Clients that were struggling with transportation in the past, have been able to join sessions as quick as clicking on a Zoom link. Not having to worry about catching a bus early in the morning, having to have parents leave work to drive clients, or not having a car to transport for care is something that Telehealth has had a huge impact on also.
Social Workers Role:
As social work students, advocating for services is now more important than ever. Making sure that we educate communities, clients, parents, and the overall public on what resources/ services they could benefit from is key. COVID-19 impacted people worldwide, so being able to research better ways to continue to make behavioral services possible is what we should strive for. The National Association of Social Workers states, “ Social workers are in a unique position to promote disease prevention efforts, and help address anxiety and other concerns that are arising as a result of this public health crisis”. Making sure that we are finding ways to support our clients, as well as still connecting them with services/ resources that are needed. Educating ourselves on ways to work, engage clients, make assessments, evaluate risk/ crisis through Telehealth is a skill we must continue to develop throughout our studies.
~ Ashley Perez
References:
Singh, O. P. (2020). Covid 19 and access to mental health care -- Need of increased investment. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 62, S328–S329. https://doi-org.dom.idm.oclc.org/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_1140_20
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm
https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Infectious-Diseases/Coronavirus/Telehealth
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts! Your connection to the importance of becoming somewhat savvy in Telehealth after seeing the outcomes of COVID-19 on the general population's mental health is something I think we should all recognize and work towards as future social workers. I currently work as a teacher's aide and was completely worried about what it would be like to teach and work with students over Zoom rather than face to face, we have been completely virtual since the summer semester. However, it has taught me so many lessons on how to better communicate with others via the computer, made me realize the benefits of it for some, and also the way it can hinder the teaching process. It think there are both positives and negatives to using Telehealth, but due to the positives, even after the pandemic slows down or comes to and end, I do not think it is going anywhere. As a result, as future social workers it is important we become fluent in using the different video conferencing platforms, talking to clients on them, and figuring out how to engage without being face to face. Such a great observation, thanks for making me think deeper about this!
Hi Ashley!
ReplyDeleteI agree that our new norm, when it comes to other human interaction is through Zoom, FaceTime, Teams, Skype, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, and other video chat platforms. I also think that the use of these platforms has made healthcare and mental health services more accessible to vulnerable groups since the obstacle of transportation is no longer a worry. However, it rises new obstacles and questions and those are: what about those who are not tech savvy, how can they seek assistance with connecting to TeleHealth? What about those who cannot afford the technical devices or internet that is essential to these video chat platforms? I think that we have seen great innovation surface during these trying times, and that you are correct when you say that Telehealth is a skill we must continue to develop throughout our studies, and I would add, our practice.
Hello Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI truly appreciated all of the points that you made. I could relate to what you were saying about the way in which we celebrate differently due to COVID-19. My extended family would have parties every weekend, however, now we barely see the cousins, uncles, and aunts. I could also understand how COVID-19 increased the need for counselors, therapists, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors. Many people's mental health has been effected by the COVID-19 pandemic; with that being mentioned there is a need for mental health workers more than ever. I am so glad that we have advanced technology. Technology has been key during these difficult times. Lastly, I agree with the point you made about how the need for social work advocacy is urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic. As social workers, we will do a great job at providing these services