June 2020
Sustaining Telehealth Care Delivery May Require More Than a Pandemic
A Note From Our Chief Innovation Officer, Brandon Ward
Despite communication tools for remote patient/client care being available for decades, the broad health care system has been slow to adopt Telehealth, even with established positive outcomes research. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of Telehealth as a way to continue care while enforcing physical distancing. 

In a matter of weeks, Jefferson Center, like many health care providers, moved the majority of our services remotely. Prior to COVID-19, we had intended to execute a series of pilot projects to verify the effectiveness of using Telehealth and other remote care innovations such as text based care within our community. However, within days of the stay-at-home order being announced in Colorado, we were up and running, offering services from our homes to the homes of our community members.

Thankfully, we were able to make this transition due in no small part to our staff and clients showing an amazing ability to adapt in these challenging times. As it turns out, Telehealth has also become quite popular within our organization. Preliminary survey results show that 83% of our clients report preferring video or phone for their future visits and 88% of our clinical staff report experiencing Telehealth as an effective way of providing care. This is great news, especially since COVID-19 will not be disappearing overnight. 

Beyond the immediate safety role that Telehealth has provided by allowing us to properly provide care while social distancing, our clients tell us that connecting to their provider remotely has been extremely convenient, leading to an increase in appointment show rates across our organization. Even after this pandemic, Jefferson Center would like to continue supporting our goal of providing community access to broader mental health and substance use services. Telehealth plays a big role in doing so.

Certainly this newfound popularity paired with established research on the effectiveness of Telehealth should be enough to see the use of this modality continue long-term. I hear many industry leaders talking about “the new normal” and that healthcare delivery has been changed permanently as a result of this pandemic. I am hopeful this is true; however, the continued use of Telehealth is far from guaranteed. COVID-19, and the emergency expansion of funding to support Telehealth services, meant that providers had the right conditions to quickly change the way care is delivered. 

However, when the need for physical distancing dissipates, insurance providers (including Medicaid/Medicare) do not have to continue broad funding of Telehealth services. If you and your family have found Telehealth to be effective and convenient, please reach out to your health care providers, insurance provider, and legislative representatives and let them know .

COVID-19 required us to adapt quickly. Now, In order to sustain telehealth and other innovative ways of providing care, we have to build sustainable systems that continue to put our community’s needs first.   
Statement from Jefferson Center on George Floyd and Recent Protests

George Floyd’s death has left many people feeling powerless during a time when tensions are already high and communities across the country continue to grapple with the stress, anxiety, and fear caused by navigating the ongoing pandemic. It has also added to a long list of violence and injustice that demonstrate the stress and trauma that people of color who live in our country experience regularly.

While the mental health implications of COVID-19 are still unfolding, the impact that systemic racism has had on the mental health of people of color has been apparent for far too long. Although trauma can affect everyone regardless of race, gender, or status, some communities suffer disproportionately due to longstanding systems of inequity.

As your community mental health center, we have a responsibility to recognize and respond to systematic injustices at all times and particularly during times of violence, trauma, and uncertainty. Complex feelings of sadness, grief, outrage, and trauma are normal and it’s important to remember that your personhood and mental health still matter.

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Here's how you can get involved!
Every June, communities all over the world come together to celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. This month is intended to improve the visibility, acceptance, and legal protections for LGBTQ+ people who have had to work against stigma and inequality.  

Although the coronavirus has had a widespread impact on our ability to gather, it’s not stopping Pride Month this year - the party is moving online! The Denver Virtual Pride Parade will be broadcast live on social media on Sunday, June 21, 2020, and a virtual marketplace will be running June 20-21. Jefferson Center is proud to be a sponsor of the virtual resources marketplace and support the mental health and substance use disorder needs of our LGBTQ+ community. To learn more about how you can get involved or attend Denver Pridefest visit Denver Pride

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), between 30 and 60 percent of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer experience anxiety and depression. That rate is 1.5 to 2.5 times higher than that of their straight or gender-conforming counterparts. Check out some of our recent blog posts to support your own mental health or help someone you know this June.
7 Simple Steps to Help with Anxiety


I f you’re looking for quick ways to manage your symptoms in the moment, as well as long-term strategies to minimize the amount of anxiety you feel, check out these tips. Read more here .
Depression Can Affect Anyone: Here's How You Can Help

Here’s how you can talk with a friend, family member, or coworker about depression and address your own mental health if you need help with overcoming depression.  Read more here .
Mobile Medication Assisted Treatment is Coming Soon!
Substance use disorders are treatable, and Jefferson Center is here to help. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) has proven to be the most effective treatment for opioid addiction, combining medication to stave off the physical symptoms, withdrawal, and cravings, with counseling to help patients address their emotional and behavioral issues associated with addiction.
What is Mobile MAT?
 As an expansion of Jefferson Center’s existing substance use disorder services, the new Mobile MAT program will provide access to MAT for treating opioid use disorders for people who are unable to get to a traditional brick-and-mortar treatment facility. In addition, it will help provide connections to Jefferson Center services including senior services, wellness services and community outreach programs such as suicide prevention trainings and Mental Health First Aid.

Providing access to these services right within the community is fundamental to achieving broader service coverage and meeting the needs of high-risk and underserved populations. Through comprehensive services and medical care options, the MAT program will contribute to improving the health of individuals and the overall health of the community.
Invest In The Future Of Our Community by Becoming a Partner In Hope
As we enter the third month of the pandemic, the mental health implications of social distancing, economic downturn, and vast uncertainty are taking their toll on our community. According to the Census Bureau, more than one-third of Americans have displayed clinical signs of anxiety, depression, or both since the pandemic began.  

In many ways, these numbers only represent the tip of the iceberg. It will undoubtedly take years for the full impact of the coronavirus to reveal itself.

Jefferson Center is committed to providing mental health and substance use disorder care to everyone who needs it, when and where it's needed -- from telehealth appointments, to crisis services, to mobile substance use services.

Our staying power and ability to provide these services is made possible by people like you, and we need your help now more than ever! That’s why we’re inviting you to join our community of monthly donors, Partners in Hope , by scheduling a monthly gift of just $12, $24 or $48 per month. And, if you sign up by June 30, you’ll receive a special thank you gift that recognizes you as a Jefferson Center Partners in Hope donor!

Help us meet these long-term challenges, and ensure that someone in your community has access to the mental health resources they will need tomorrow.
Not ready to become a monthly donor right now? You can still help out by clicking here to give a one-time donation. We’d really appreciate it!
"Safer at Home" and Jefferson Center Services
May saw the transition to “Safer at Home” orders, and we expect to see state and county regulations continue to relax over the next few months. As we navigate this new territory together, we’re placing the health of our clients and staff at the forefront of our operations.

Virtual care will continue to be available, offering you the chance to meet with a therapist or other providers from the convenience of your own home. If you or someone you know would like to talk to someone, call us at 303-425-0300 to make an appointment.

We’ve begun the process of of bringing some services back into the office, including an increase of on-site psychiatric services at our Independence and West Colfax locations, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) services at our Evergreen Office. We're continuing to offer a majority of our services via telephone and telehealth, both Blue Spruce Pharmacy locations have remained open for clients to fill any prescriptions, and our walk-in Crisis Center is open 24/7.

To learn more about remote or in-person appointments or to get the latest news about our services, visit our Coronavirus Updates page.
On-Demand Webinar Series Created With You In Mind
We’ve created a webinar series designed to help you navigate life’s challenges and achieve better mental health. And now, you can watch them any time, on demand!

Facing The Unknown: Building Resiliency During Times Of Uncertainty (watch here)

Tools To Thrive: How To Achieve Better Mental Health (watch here)

Follow us on Facebook or visit our classes and events page to learn more about our upcoming virtual events.

June 11: Taming the Anxious Mind (register here)
Good News This Month
Fun and uplifting stories to brighten your day