The coronavirus is stressful for everyone, but even more so for people struggling with substance use disorders. According to a poll published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the coronavirus is harming the mental health of over half of Americans. This can result in a rise of depression, anxiety, suicide and substance abuse. For those in…
F&CS Editor’s Note: The week before Tulsans were issued the “shelter in place” order, Family & Children’s Services (F&CS) had already deployed remote operations, providing care and treatment for patients with mental illness. In addition, F&CS had supplied crisis and medical staff with personal protective equipment. That same week, Mental Health Weekly interviewed F&CS’s CEO…
On March 28, Mayor G.T. Bynam issued a “shelter in place” order for Tulsans to stop the spread of COVID-19. The week prior, Family & Children’s Services (F&CS) had already transitioned most programs to remote services including telephonic and teletherapy. For F&CS’s Women in Recovery (WIR), an alternative to incarceration program, eliminating face-to-face contact for…
During the COVID-19 crisis, the Family & Children’s Services PACT (Programs for Assertive Community Treatment) team continues to provide lifesaving community/home-based care to the severely mentally ill population. Each day, the team goes above and beyond to deliver medication, food, technology (phones and iPads) and telehealth services. These services are imperative to ensure the stabilization of clients in order to avoid psychiatric hospitalization. Many clients depend on PACT as their lifeline for…
On March 11, the walls of the Family & Children’s Services (F&CS) conference room were lined with sheets of sticky paper filled with plans of action. The F&CS Pandemic Emergency Management Team quickly recognized that traditional face-to-face care would be risky for staff and clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the largest outpatient behavioral health…
