Vermont Business Magazine There are many effects of COVID-19 upon our community. Learning to stay at home, keeping loved ones safe, working from home with children home and engaged in distance learning, helping more with schoolwork, working on the front lines, hearing the news cycle report on cases and deaths daily, experiencing an illness or death in the family, and more. The demands on everyone are overwhelming.
A recent tracking poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 45 percent of Americans said that the pandemic has affected their mental health, with 19 percent saying it has had a ‘major impact’. So if you feel COVID-19 is having an impact on your mental health, you are not alone.
For those who need help, our Access & Intake team is ready to respond M-F from 8:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. 802-488-6000. Our team will provide support, and if appropriate, conduct a brief screening, schedule an intake assessment, and offer information about other community resources. In addition, we can arrange for interpreter services at no cost. If you need to wait to receive services, we will provide support. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call First Call for Chittenden County, available 24/7/365, at 802-488-7777. If you experience longer than a 15 minute wait for a call back, please call again.
Our 50+ programs continue to provide support to our community during the COVID-19 crisis. Home and Community Services is actively serving youth and families through telehealth and phone communication and taking new referrals. To access any Home and Community programs please call Access and Intake. Our feedback from families and youth so far, has been positive and the transition to technology has been relatively smooth. Our Street Outreach team, serving downtown Burlington, and Community Outreach teams serving Colchester, Essex, Richmond, Shelburne, South Burlington, Williston, and Winooski have reduced in-person visits but continue providing support through telephone and telehealth. The teams have delivered 600+ meals in collaboration with community partners in past weeks. Eldercare short or long term counseling and support services are available. People can be referred or refer themselves through the Senior Helpline 1-800-642-5119.
For Vermonters with substance use disorders this is a particularly difficult time. Evidence suggests that people with substance use disorders and in recovery are at greater risk during the pandemic due to social distancing, the “stay at home” order, and reduced access to recovery resources. There is also a concern that the drug supply will contain more fentanyl and other harmful substances and that people will use in isolation – all which could potentially result in an uptick in overdoses and relapses. Howard Center and its treatment and recovery services remain available to our community and can be accessed by calling 802-488-6000.
The Chittenden Clinic provides medication assisted treatment for substance use disorder. The clinic has implemented several changes, including take home protocols, to reduce the numbers of people accessing the site daily. Support services are occurring through telephone or telehealth and the clinic remains open every weekday for new clients who are seeking treatment with methadone or buprenorphine. Please call 802-488-6450 for details and to make arrangements.
Safe Recovery is open and providing sterile syringes and Narcan for overdose reversal, safely through our window. Our low barrier buprenorphine program is also accepting new clients. Safe Recovery may be reached at 802-488-6067.
Howard Center’s Office-based Medication Assisted Treatment (Spoke), provides buprenorphine prescriptions in conjunction with individual and group therapy via telehealth, case management and education.
We are all in this together. Please take notice of your own health, and the health and wellbeing of those you care for. Please visit howardcenter.org for more information about our programs and updates, or give us a call at 802-488-6000 (main number). We are closely following the CDC COVID-19 website and the Vermont Department of Health for daily updates and information.
For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit howardcenter.org.
ABOUT HOWARD CENTER: Howard Center has a long and rich history as a trusted provider in the community. With a legacy spanning more than 150 years, we have been providing progressive, compassionate, high-quality care and supports to those in need. Today, we offer an array of exemplary mental health, substance use, and developmental services across the lifespan. As Vermont’s largest social service organization, our 1,600 staff help more than 16,000 people each year in over 60 locations throughout Vermont in collaboration with hundreds of community partners. Howard Center’s 24/7/365 crisis service, First Call for Chittenden County, is available to meet the needs of Chittenden County children, adults, and families in crisis by calling 802-488-7777. www.howardcenter.org. Help is here. A United Way of Northwest Vermont Funded Agency.
Source: Howard Center Burlington, VT— 4.15.2020