Friday, April 24, 2020
Behavioral health providers will be playing a crucial role as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt daily life. Some have already found that the isolation stemming from social distancing guidelines is causing an increase in depression and anxiety symptoms, and folks who already had mental health or substance abuse issues before the pandemic are facing more difficulty than ever before.
As their workload suddenly increased, these providers are looking to connect with clients remotely in order to protect public health. Most have phased out their in-person therapy sessions and have moved to online meetings.
The Warm Line, a confidential, non-emergency phone service operated by HOPE Incorporated, has seen an 80 percent increase in calls over the last month and a half. HOPE Incorporated provides peer-driven behavioral health services, and the Warm Line was set up to give general support and reliable resources to those dealing with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Before COVID-19, they received more than 2,500 calls each month.
The phone operators have fielded many calls relating to symptoms of anxiety, depression, and just pure fear of what is happening globally right now.
“It’s definitely increased the need for services,” said Michael Van Story, manager of the Warm Line. “We work with people who have depression and anxiety every day of their lives in a clinical manner. And when you cut them off from their support system or parts of their support system and further isolate them, which is the exact wrong thing to do with depression and anxiety, it only increases that fourfold.”
He said the Warm Line provides an “actively listening ear” that will hear their callers’ issues and concerns without judgment, and will try to relate to them and let them know how they’ve worked through similar situations themselves. Everyone who works at HOPE Incorporated has experienced mental health and/or substance abuse issues firsthand. They can also help with “psycho-social” issues such as being out of work, not being able to buy food or pay rent.
While the Warm Line has regular callers who use their services for ongoing challenges, they’re also starting to hear from new callers who have never experienced these symptoms before.
Van Story added nine additional staff members for the increased demand, and even with three or four people working each shift they’re still fighting to keep up with the calls.
“But that’s OK, that’s what we’re here for and that’s what they need,” he said.
The Warm Line (520) 770-9909 is funded through a grant from Arizona Complete Health and is available for free to residents of Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties from 8 am to 10 pm daily. Callers can remain anonymous if they choose.
Telehealth coverage
When Governor Doug Ducey signed his “Expansion of Telemedicine” executive order on March 25, it required all health insurance providers regulated by the Arizona Department of Insurance to provide coverage for telemedicine services. Insurers are required to reimburse healthcare providers at the same level of payment for a telemedicine visit as they would for a regular in-person visit.
As recently as this week, some federal insurance providers refused to cover telehealth services and could do so since they were outside of the state’s jurisdiction.
Richard Poppy, the owner and executive director of Desert Star Addiction Recovery Center located in northwest Tucson, said they are in-network providers with all major insurance companies including TRICARE, which is managed by the federal government and covers active and retired military members.
TRICARE had refused to reimburse Desert Star for the telehealth services it provided to its policyholders. The center specializes in Intensive Out-Patient and Partial Hospitalization programs for people with mental health and substance abuse disorders.
Poppy said TRICARE’s refusal to cover their clients’ costs was contradictory to the governor’s goal to expand telehealth. Desert Star switched to telehealth six weeks ago in preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic to reach Southern Arizona. They are utilizing online therapy sessions and online support groups to keep their clients connected and engaged in recovery programs during this difficult time.
After contacting U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick’s office as well as Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally for assistance with this issue, Poppy found vindication in a letter from the Defense Health Agency addressed to Health Net, which administers TRICARE insurance, stating that IOPs and other behavioral health programs will now be covered.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created seismic shifts in the availability of all medical services, including behavioral health care services,” said DHA Contracting Officer Frederick M. Kmiecik in the letter. “Many of these programs have either suspended operations or transitioned to online-only services to support State and Regional directives for social distancing. … This is especially important for those patients requiring intensive behavioral health care intervention who may also have comorbid risk factors, readiness needs, or family members who may be at high risk from COVID-19, where the dangers to health or readiness must be balanced with the need for behavioral health care services.”
Before this change in policy, Poppy provided services to six of his clients pro bono. He said now is a crucial time for those with substance abuse issues to be receiving care, and he couldn't deny people services just because their insurance wouldn’t cover it.
"You have probably seen in the paper that alcohol sales are going through the roof," Poppy said. "This is likely to increase a person's drinking and exasperate a drinking problem if they have one. We are hearing about this from loved ones. On the mental health side it is similar, people don't have as much to do and are left to themselves, their thoughts and their feelings. We are hearing about an increase in depression and anxiety. For people who have had past trauma in their life, these old memories may start to pop up along with disturbing thoughts and uncomfortable feelings associated with those events."
He expects telehealth to be a regular part of the field going forward, and hopes insurance companies and state and federal governments will understand the need for such capabilities on a regular basis, even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
Tags: Telehealth , Telemedicine , Warm Line , Hope Incorporated , Desert Star Addiction Recovery Center , Substance Abuse , Mental Health , Governor Doug Ducey , TRICARE , Image
Thursday, April 23, 2020
“A summer camp, or anything that would give her the opportunity to be engaged, be stimulated, play with and have social time with other kids, would be optimal,” said Ortiz, who looks after Olivia, her boyfriend’s daughter.
Ortiz isn’t alone in her desire for programming. Families already struggling to keep their kids happy and motivated without school or afterschool classes may soon face another challenge as they search for a summer camp. No one really knows what parts of the state (if any) will reopen next month.
Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-home order will expire next Thursday, April 30, and Ducey said Wednesday that he’s waiting to make any decisions until next week.
That leaves very little wiggle room for municipalities, nonprofits, and community groups which normally host camps beginning mid-May.
Tags: summer , kids , children , activities , camp , covid19 , Image
Pima County had 1,026 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 249 people statewide, including 70 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 2,970.
Testing still lags in Arizona, so those numbers undercount the number of people infected with the virus, according to health officials. The state is not yet releasing information about how many people who have tested positive have now recovered.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
The House of Representatives is expected to approve the plan tomorrow.
For businesses who already filed their PPP or EID loan applications, the SBA does suggest—via recorded message—contacting the financial lender where the application is filed to find out the status of your loan if the House approves the new relief package.
"Applicants who have already submitted their applications will continue to be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis," according to the SBA's Arizona District Office pre-recorded message.
The White House and Congress reached an agreement on the $480 billion deal Tuesday, with $320 billion going directly to the SBA's PPP program. Another $60 billion will go toward the EID loan program and $60 billion more will go to smaller lenders and community financial institutions. The program will also add another $75 billion for hospitals as well as another $25 billion for COVID-19 testing.
For more information, contact the SBA at 1-800-659-2955 or by email at [email protected]
Pima County had 973 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 229 people statewide, including 68 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 2,846.
Testing still lags in Arizona, so those numbers undercount the number of people infected with the virus, according to health officials. The state is not yet releasing information about how many people who have tested positive have now recovered.
Because COVID-19 symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (and some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials say community spread of the disease is worse than the official numbers suggest. They continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
On Tuesday, April 14, the NASA spacecraft captured the closest-ever images of the asteroid Bennu during a sample collection rehearsal. The images, taken only 200 feet from the asteroid's surface, show the rocky terrain that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft plans to capture a sample of on Aug. 25.
According to UA, the images were recorded over a 10-minute span during sample collection rehearsal. The images show the spacecraft’s sampling arm—called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism—and Bennu's "Nightingale" sample site.
The UA/NASA mission launched on Sept. 8, 2016, and is expected to return to Earth with a sample of the asteroid's surface on Sept. 24, 2023. While OSIRIS-REx is anticipated to be the first U.S. space mission to return samples from an asteroid, the spacecraft will not land on Bennu's surface. Instead, it will use the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism to shoot a jet of nitrogen, dislodging particles from the asteroid. The spacecraft is expected to be able to capture upwards of 60 grams worth of carbonaceous dust and rock ejected from Bennu's surface.
Tags: science , nasa , asteroid , osiris , rex , ua , uarizona , Image
Nearly 600,000 K-12 students in Arizona receive free or reduced-price meals at their schools every day. But when the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools across the state, those children were in danger of going hungry.
In the days after the closures began, many school districts stepped up to provide to-go meals to their students. Now, about a month later, the Arizona Department of Economic Security has received authorization from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service to provide what is called "Pandemic School Meal Replacement Benefits."
The program will give households food benefits equal to one free breakfast and one free lunch for each eligible child. The amount of money provided is calculated based on the number of school days for which a child would have received meals at their school. Eligible families will receive $69 for the month of March, $126 in April and $120 in May for each child, according to a press release from the Governor's Office. Families that have been receiving meals from schools during the closure are still eligible for these benefits.
For other families whose children participated in the free or reduced-price school lunch program but have not already been enrolled for pandemic benefits, DES is working to create a website for them to submit their information for processing.
Gov. Ducey and DES have submitted requests to the Food Nutrition Service that would allow better access to food assistance resources for families who may face obstacles in light of COVID-19 safety precautions.
The requests include allowing SNAP families to make online purchases for grocery items with authorized retailers; waiving interview requirements when determining eligibility for SNAP, unless more information is needed; temporarily suspending work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents participating in SNAP; extending certification periods by 6 months for recipients due to renew benefits in March, April and May; and allowing for verbal validation in place of a signature on SNAP applications when necessary.
Tags: Department of Economic Security , US Department of Agriculture , Food Nutrition Service , SNAP , EBT , Governor Doug Ducey , School Meals , Free Meals , Image
Local First Arizona is hosting a free Virtual Earth Day Arizona Celebration with a special guest appearance from Calexico's Joey Burns of Calexico from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22.
At this online celebration of Earth Day's 50th anniversary, Local First will explore how to build environmental and community resilience against a global pandemic and climate crisis while raising funds for vulnerable Arizona small businesses in the COVID-19 era. This public health crisis highlights how major disasters disproportionately affect those without resources, healthcare, housing, job security and food security. Businesses all across Arizona are rethinking how to do operate.
But the novel coronavirus has also presented an opportunity for businesses to identify where they can be more sustainable. On a macro scale, the shifts needed to curb the effects of climate change are very much possible and beneficial for businesses as they work to rebuild beyond this current crisis.
Local First Arizona's mission has always been focused on supporting strong local economies and communities that are diverse and inclusive and ensure all people can thrive. Now, the Local First sustainability programs are expanding in real time to adapt to the changing world and support businesses to navigate and thrive in uncertain times. Through partnerships and collaboration, these programs provide the tools needed for rebuilding more sustainable and resilient businesses for a healthier world.
Local First Arizona will be expanding its efforts for economic and environmental resilience in
Tucson by launching the Southern Arizona Green Business Leaders Program and growing its
SCALE UP Educational Program. We are hosting a new virtual sustainability series focused on community-supported agriculture, food waste, home energy audits, water conservation and more. Join us to help raise funds for the statewide Small Business Relief Fund, celebrate 50 years of climate action and resilience in Arizona, and highlight green local businesses across the state, including:
• Hotel Congress of Tucson
• Fair Trade Cafe of Phoenix
• Arizona Apparel Foundation of Tempe
• NexVeg of Flagstaff
• Pop-Cycle Shop of Tucson
• Friends of the Verde River of Cottonwood
Mrs. Green will be our MC and we'll have a performance by special musical guest Joey Burns of Calexico.
For more info, visit the LFA website.
Michael Peel is the Southern Arizona director for Local First Arizona.
Pima County had 963 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 208 people statewide, including 65 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 2,738.
Testing still lags in Arizona, so those numbers undercount the number of people infected with the virus, according to health officials. The state is not yet releasing information about how many people who have tested positive have now recovered.
Because COVID-19 symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (and some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials say community spread of the disease is worse than the official numbers suggest. They continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
Far-right protestors spent Sunday and Monday expressing their unhappiness with Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home order that has closed a wide number of “non-essential” businesses, including many retail stores, barbershops, salons, and swap meets. Public parks remain open but amenities such as playgrounds and restrooms are closed.
Under the stay-at-home order, which is set to expire on April 30 unless it is renewed, Arizonans are still able to shop for groceries, medical and household needs, and pet supplies. They can also go work, pick up a take-out meal from a restaurant, travel to take care of a family member, friend or pet, and can still go walking, hiking, biking and golfing, provided that they adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Monday, April 20, 2020
Pima County had seen 941 of the state’s 5,064 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 187 people statewide, including 58 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 2,636.
Testing still lags in Arizona, so those numbers undercount the number of people infected with the virus, according to health officials. The state is not yet releasing information about how many people who have tested positive have now recovered.
Because COVID-19 symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (and some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials say community spread of the disease is far worse than the official numbers suggest. They have urged the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people and advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
Protestors drove cars around the state Capitol yesterday and planned to return today to express their unhappiness with Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home order that has closed a wide number of “non-essential” businesses, including many retail stores, barbershops, salons, and swap meets. Public parks remain open but amenities such as playgrounds and restrooms are closed.
Under the stay-at-home order, which is set to expire on April 30 unless it is renewed, Arizonans are still able to shop for groceries, medical and household needs, and pet supplies. They can also go work, pick up a take-out meal from a restaurant, travel to take care of a family member, friend or pet, and can still go walking, hiking, biking and golfing, provided that they adhere to social distancing guidelines.
