Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

The outbreak of COVID-19 is stressful for many people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.  Watching the news, and especially the uncertainty, can raise concerns. Staying informed is a good idea, but follow reports from trusted sources instead of rumors. Your first resource is always your health care provider.  During this challenging time, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) would like to encourage our community members and staff to take care of themselves and stay attuned to physical, mental, and emotional health needs.  Here are some resources that can help:

The Center for Disease Control (CDC), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance have released a handful of relevant and informative resources as well which can be found below:

• CDC: Mental Health & Coping During Covid-19
• CDC: Stigma and Resilience During Covid-19
• CDC: Helping Children Cope with Emergencies
• SAMHSA: Coronavirus Resource Page
• NAMI: NAMI - COVID-19 Information and Resources
• California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance: Covid-19 Resources for Undocumented Californians.   

Things you can do to support yourself:

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
• Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
• Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
  
• Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
  
• Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.

Staying emotionally connected as a community even if we temporarily become more physically isolated is critical to all our mental health. Online or phone support is available through a variety of free warm lines such as:

• SAMHSA's Disaster Distress Line:  Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
• The Peer-Run Warm Line: Call 1-855-845-7415 for 24/7 CA Peer-Run Warm Line Available for Coronavirus (COVID-19) Support provided by the Mental Health Association of San Francisco
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7): Call 1-800-273-8255 for free and confidential support for you or your loved ones.

Self-Care Resources:

• 3-minute Mindful Breathing Meditation
• Self-care stretches for physical relief and release
• Mindful Breathing for Peace and Well-Being
• 40 self-care affirmations
• Down Dog Yoga app - free through April 1st for public and through July 1st for educators and students
• Additional Mindfulness Resources
• Community Connections in Times of Physical Separation.
• ACEs Aware
• Self Care Tips

Additional resources in Spanish for families:

• Enfrentar el COVID-19: Recursos para padres
• Cómo hablarle a tu hijo sobre COVID-19: Consejos para tranquilizar a los niños
• Pasos para el cuido de sí mismo durante el COVID-19