COVID-19’s impact on Vermont’s mental and behavioral health support system has been a double-edged sword. As more Vermonters experience social isolation due to disruption in their normal activities, more are also experiencing severe mental health crises and suicide ideation. At the same time, Vermont’s health system is not robust enough around mental health to handle this new influx, creating a real-back up of patients—particularly young people—in emergency departments waiting to be seen.
Read more about "The VT COVID-19 Response Fund Recovery Initiatives: A Q+A on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention"Share Our Post:
VTDigger.org Looks on "The Bright Side"
As critical as news media is to keeping us informed throughout this global pandemic, the constant updates on new cases, deaths, medical studies, potential treatments, social distancing measures, government infighting, and the like can be overwhelming for just about anyone.
To provide an outlet for relief, VTDigger.org has launched The Bright Side, a series on Vermonters doing good during the coronavirus crisis. It's already filled with stories like the Vermont Folklife Center convening mask-making crafters for virtual conversations; a local nurse rallying local businesses to donate meals for frontline workers; and a UVM physician's assistant's ingenious idea to repurpose unused graduation gowns as personal protective equipment in hospitals experiencing shortages.
See all The Bright Side stories here. To submit a story on someone who's stepping up, email coronavirus@vtdigger.org with subject line "The Bright Side".
