Recently, Scottsdale Mental Health and Wellness Institute was selected to participate in a documentary about the impact of COVID-19 on the Arizona business community. The theme of the documentary was about the silver lining in the midst of the worst pandemic we have seen in over 100 years. At first, the idea of there being anything positive in all of this seems almost heretical, but after thinking through it, we have seen beauty come from the ashes in many places.
The stigma of mental healthcare has been a problem. There are many people who need help but because of fear, anxiety, social pressure and lack of resources do not get the care that they need. The one thing that COVID-19 has done is level the playing field. We are ALL suffering. There is not one person in this world that was not impacted by this virus in one form or another. We are all united in this fight. We are all stressed, we are all afraid, and none of us know the answers.
From that, we have seen many examples of positivity. Not only has the community banded together to push back on this virus, but we have all become more open about the challenges we are facing with stress and fear. This has led to an outpouring of demand for mental health services. People who would not have reached out before, are reaching out for the help they need now. Thanks to technology, the federal mandates and changes to insurance company policies, we have been able to meet that need through providing mental health treatment via telemedicine . Our partners in the community have also stepped up. In order for us to continue to deliver these vital services, out partners provided us with the vital personal protection supplies that were needed.
Therefore, although we would never wish for this situation, we know that COVID-19 is here and these changes are here to stay. While sometimes we find ourselves wishing for days past, we are also thankful for the ability to provide the care for those people whom we were not able to reach before.
Stay tuned for our next blog and how we have seen telemedicine completely change the face of health care in the last six months.