County Residents, On behalf of Montcalm Care Network and The Right Door for Hope, Recovery and Wellness, we are pleased to partner with The Daily News to bring you this informationpacked resource guide aimed at giving hope and providing help. As the designated Community Mental Health Services Programs in each county, together with our staff, we strive to provide behavioral health services that treat the whole person: mind, body and spirit. Our services are rooted in the values of quality, accessible care, healing, wellness and recovery for all. And with a focus on the principles of Person/Family Centered Treatment planning, we ensure every individual served has hope for today, tomorrow and the future. There is no doubt 2020 had been a difficult year. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our
There is no doubt 2020 had been a difficult year. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our essential behavioral health services quickly shifted to telehealth so we could safely support people in our communities without missing a beat. Our staff distributed data tablets, prepaid phones cards, and sought ways to get more homes connected to the internet. We worked harder than ever with our community partners to find new and innovative ways to support people in addressing their mental health needs. And as the community safety net, we remained vigilant in our responsibilities to respond 24/7 to mental health crises; intervening to keep people safe and prevent psychiatric hospitalizations.
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Undoubtedly the pandemic has been a difficult time. We’ve seen this in our own services with
people needing more intensivethe services since the essential behavioral health pandemic Trends since the onset of COVID-19: onset of COVID-19. Unfortunately, has despite forcedthe services quickly shifted Increased needs requiring isolationso andwe hardships isolation and to telehealth could of the pandemic, more intensive mental safely support in health hardships, collectivelypeople our mental agencies have also health services fewer our communities without experienced fewer people coming intopeople services, arebeing using the missing staff of people Fewer people requesting anda abeat. larger Our proportion admitted services our distributed data tablets, to receive mental health to psychiatric hospitals who had not previously mental health prepaid phones cards, services received mental health services. There is a need agencies offer. and sought ways to get and our agencies, along with all mental health at the same more homes connected to Higher proportion of providers in our communities, are ready and psychiatric hospitalizations time, a larger the internet. We worked to help. for those not already proportion harderwaiting than ever with our receiving mental health of people are community partners to we need As community members to actively seek services being admitted find new innovative outand opportunities to support one another in to psychiatric ways to support people in hospitals addressing their mental who had not health needs. And as the of how our lives have previously received mental improved as a result of community safety net, health services. There is we remained vigilant in that help. By sharing our a need and our agencies, our responsibilities to experiences openly and along with all mental respond 24/7 to mental supporting others in times health providers in our health crises; intervening of mental wellness and communities, are ready to keep people safe and mental unwellness, then and waiting to help. prevent psychiatric As community hospitalizations. together we are building a members we need Undoubtedly the healthier community. to actively seek out pandemic has been a We encourage you to opportunities to support difficult time. We’ve seen save this guide, share it one another in making this in our own services with others, and join us mental health a priority. with people needing more in giving help and hope We must allow ourselves intensive services since to all those living in our to accept help when it’s the onset of COVID-19. Unfortunately, even though needed and share stories communities.
SIX STEPS TO BETTER MENTAL HEALTH: • Stay Connected: Keep in touch with family and friends. • Manage Stress: Take time each day to digitally unplug, connect with yourself. • Stay Active: Commit to daily or weekly exercise time. • Eat Healthy: Strive to eat more vegetables, drink more water or limit sugar/caffeine. • Get Quality Sleep: Set a regular bedtime and find ways to wind down each night. • Accept Help: You are not alone. There is always help and there is always hope.
Best wishes, Tammy J. Warner
Kerry Possehn
Executive Director Montcalm Care Network Serving Residents of Montcalm County
Chief Executive Officer The Right Door for Hope, Recovery and Wellness Serving Residents of Ionia County
