{"id":2456634,"date":"2020-04-01T22:24:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T04:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/mental-health-providers-evolve-their-support-during-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2020-04-01T22:24:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-02T04:24:00","slug":"mental-health-providers-evolve-their-support-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/mental-health-providers-evolve-their-support-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental health providers evolve their support during COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Since Mind Springs Health clinician Katie Hundertmark started responding to mental health-related emergency calls with area law enforcement agencies last summer, she\u2019s aimed to connect with a broader scope of locals in need and to help change the way mental health challenges are both viewed and approached community-wide.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Months later amid the COVID-19 crisis, Hundertmark said that mission hasn\u2019t waivered though it is being carried out a little differently.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cCOVID-19 is presenting certain unique challenges to our operations as well as to the operations of our community partners,\u201d Hundertmark said of PACT and Mind Springs Health. \u201cSo far we\u2019ve been able to rise to the occasion and we\u2019re really thinking outside of the box in order to keep our operations running smoothly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Hundertmark is the sole co-responder, or licensed mental health clinician with the Pitkin Area Co-Responder Team (PACT). The relatively new county program kicked off last June and allows mental health professionals like Hundertmark to assist and respond with Aspen, Pitkin County and Snowmass law enforcement to calls where mental health challenges may exist, <a id=\"N0x2dfa130N0x2e494d0:N0x2dfa130N0x2ba35b0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/breaking-down-stigmas-and-stereotypes-snowmass-aspen-public-safety-officials-work-to-better-address-mental-health-within-their-departments-communities-at-large\/\">as previously reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/at-banner-paypal.jpg)\" class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/donate\/?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=news%20article&amp;utm_campaign=donation\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Since the impacts of and response to the COVID-19 crisis ramped up in the Roaring Fork Valley earlier this month, Hundertmark said the PACT program has taken a more virtual approach, with her often responding to the scene of mental health-related emergency calls through FaceTime versus riding along in-person.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Over the past few weeks, Hundertmark said she hasn\u2019t noticed any serious or significant negative mental health trends related to the coronavirus pandemic yet. But she did say she is continuing to reach out to more at-risk locals and clients, encouraging them to focus on what they can control and to maintain as much connection with others as possible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Hundertmark also said as the \u201cstay at home\u201d order and social distancing requirements continue, a surge in mental health challenges could arise, but she feels confident in the ability of Mind Springs Health, the PACT program and other area providers to respond.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cUltimately there is a lot of stress and anxiety. There\u2019s been a lot of loss so I feel like there\u2019s a lot of grieving happening,\u201d Hundertmark said. \u201cBut if we\u2019re able to identify the things that we have the ability to change or manage, such as taking care of our basic needs, it naturally promotes more feelings of safety and security.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">CONTINUING TO SERVE<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">From a law enforcement perspective, Aspen, Pitkin County and Snowmass officials haven\u2019t seen a huge spike in mental health calls in general or related to COVID-19 specifically.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">However, law enforcement officials did say their day-to-day interactions with locals often include talk of the varying stressors and anxieties people are experiencing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and even expressed that some of the arrests and citations made may be related to this negative mental health aspect of the crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI would not say we\u2019ve seen an increase, it\u2019s been as steady as it usually is,\u201d said Jesse Steindler, patrol captain for the Pitkin County Sheriff\u2019s Office. \u201cBut we do hear a lot about people\u2019s anxiety. Not because they call us about it but in the sense that coronavirus is on everybody\u2019s mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For Pitkin County Sheriff\u2019s Office deputies, the goal is to continue to support the county community, maintain a strong presence even though in-person contact is more limited and overall call volume has dropped, and look out for each other during this uncertain and often stressful time, Steindler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For Aspen and Snowmass police, the goals are similar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">According to Linda Consuegra, assistant Aspen police chief, calls levels have stayed consistent across the board and officers are continuing to make a lot of referrals to PACT. The department\u2019s health and human services officer, Braulio Jerez, connects with Hundertmark multiple times a day and keeps a close eye on calls for service related to mental health, Consuegra said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">From what she\u2019s seen, the COVID-19 crisis has brought on a host of different stressors related to things like finances and physical health that Aspen police do their best to help with, mainly by connecting locals with the proper resources.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say we\u2019ve seen a rise in mental health calls, just some more calls consistent with what\u2019s going on right now,\u201d Consuegra said. \u201cOur goal is to be patient, give space and see how we can help people who might just need to talk about how they\u2019re feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A MORE ALL-ENCOMPASSING APPROACH<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Like local law enforcement agencies, valley mental health providers also haven\u2019t noticed a huge spike in mental health crises related to the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">However, providers are ensuring they\u2019re prepared for a potential surge and are continuing to shift the way they support the entire valley community during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure locals have the mental coping strategies they may need.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe\u2019re constantly listening and looking at how we can take the pulse of the community to better understand what the needs are,\u201d said Christina King, founder of Aspen Strong and a licensed professional counselor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">King said Aspen Strong is serving as the community outreach lead for the county\u2019s mental health coordination team <a id=\"N0x2dfa130N0x2e49530:N0x2dfa130N0x2ba40f0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/covid-19-tests-coveted-for-most-severe-cases-across-pitkin-county\/\">formed in response to the COVID-19 crisis.<\/a> The team also includes the Aspen Hope Center, Mind Springs Health and public health officials from Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">While the team\u2019s initiatives and collaborative programming will continue to evolve, King said as of now Aspen Hope Center is leading the support for first responders, public health departments and health care workers; Mind Springs Health is leading support for the general public; and the whole team is working with other mental health providers to start targeted support groups for essential workers to ensure all locals have access to the mental wellness strategies they may need based on what they\u2019re going through. (For more information on local COVID-19-related mental health initiatives, visit aspenstrong.org\/resources\/covid-19\/).<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">At the larger community level, Mind Springs Health has hosted a weekly <a id=\"N0x2dfa130N0x2e49590:N0x2dfa130N0x2ba42a0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mindspringshealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Peace-During-The-Pandemic-Calendar2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201cPeace in the Pandemic\u201d Facebook live series<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> and launched a support line for all 10 counties it serves to answer any mental wellness questions associated with the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cMind Springs Health is a community mental health center, so while we have individual clients the whole community is really our client,\u201d said Jackie Skramstad, clinical operations manager for Mind Springs. \u201cWe want people to know about the valuable resources out there that anyone can easily access.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Moving forward, Skramstad and Hundertmark said valley mental health providers will continue to adapt their services to best meet the needs of the community at large. But the women also feel this COVID-19 crisis and the ways providers like Mind Springs Health are tweaking their services because of it could also positively impact the community once life goes back to normal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI think because we are collaborating with all of our partners, working really closely together to develop resources, we\u2019re naturally going forward going to be better equipped for future challenges or this challenge if it continues,\u201d Hundertmark said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cConnection is a big part of it\u2026 This is something that\u2019s affecting every member of this community and this is a global issue so I think focusing on that shared experience has the potential to really bring the community together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\"><a href=\"mailto:mvincent@aspentimes.com\">mvincent@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/mental-health-providers-evolve-their-support-during-covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since Mind Springs Health clinician Katie Hundertmark started responding to mental health-related emergency calls with area law enforcement agencies last summer, she\u2019s aimed to connect with a broader scope of locals in need and to help change the way mental health challenges are both viewed and approached community-wide. Months later amid the COVID-19 crisis, Hundertmark [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2456634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 06:41:31","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2456634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456634\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2456634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2456634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2456634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}