ACMHS Update  April 6, 2020

Moving forward to serve our community

Now that we have worked out some equipment, technical, and training issues, we are excited to offer new options for current and new clients via telehealth!

New Groups to support families Our Family Therapy Team will be offering new groups to help with the stressful situation we find ourselves in.

Tuesdays 3-4 pm: COVID-19 and Anxiety Telehealth Process Group for Parents (beginning April 7) This group is a safe, consistent place for parents to process their worries surrounding COVID-19 and its affect on themselves and their families. We will also learn skills for managing anxiety throughout the series.  Wednesdays 3-4 pm: COVID-19 Stress Management Telehealth Group for Parents (beginning April 8) This group is a combination of psycho-education and skill-building for managing home, work, child, home-schooling and other stressors related to structural changes brought on by COVID-19. Clinician Meghan Magone will be available for brief, solution-focused one-on-one consultation regarding information brought up in the group if needed. Please note : These therapy services can be billed to private insurance or Medicaid. Some insurance companies are waiving co-pays and deductibles for COVID-19 related expenses, including mental health services. Coming Soon: Teen COVID Groups, including : Teen Coping Skills for COVID Maintaining Esteem During Quarantine Maintaining Healthy Relationships During Quarantine Please call 907-762-8667 for more information or to enroll in groups.

New Adult Group: Distress Tolerance Thursdays, 11 am - 12 noon, beginning April 9 This DBT-inspired tele-health group will teach skills to help quickly regulate strong emotional reactions, such as anxiety and anger. The group will also teach mindfulness activities. Open to any current or new adult clients. Call 907-563-1000 for more information!

Accepting New Child and Adult Clients for Individual Teletherapy Maintaining your mental health is more important now than ever. For those with chronic mental health conditions, changes in routines and social isolation may exacerbate symptoms. For others, these same factors may bring underlying concerns to the forefront.  Addressing existing or emerging mental health conditions will help you and your family weather this time, and maybe even come out stronger.

Anchorage: Child & Family Intake: 907-762-8667 Anchorage: Adult Intake: 907-563-1000 Fairbanks: Children & Adults: 907-371-1300

A note about Zoom and security

There has been recent news about security breaches with the use of Zoom technology. We want to reassure our clients and the public that tele-health appointments using Zoom are completely secure. We utilize health-care specific, HIPAA compliant, encrypted Zoom accounts for all appointments and meetings. Sessions are never recorded without a specific signed agreement by the client, and if recorded, files are not stored on the cloud, but on our secure in-house servers. if you have any questions about your privacy/security as a client, please give us a call at 907-563-1000 and ask to speak with our privacy officer.

Update on Programs

Currently, all in-person group services have been suspended . Some groups are instead meeting via telehealth (in addition to the new groups offered above.) Individual client appointments are available via telehealth, or in person for those who who are unable to access technology or have needs that can't be met remotely. The POWER Center drop-in program remains open to serve homeless youth, Monday-Thursdays 1 to 5 pm , with expanded clinical presence on-site to assist with mental health needs. Alaska Seeds of Change continues to operate with reduced staffing to continue growing fresh produce to feed Alaska.

Upcoming Trainings and Events

Mental Health Awareness Month In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, ACMHS and NAMI - Anchorage will be holding a virtual art show "Exploring Mental Health Through Art". The deadline for submissions has been extended through April 15. For information about how to submit a piece, email info@acmhs.com

Advanced Trauma Training Conference The 8th Annual Alaska Advanced Trauma Training Conference is going virtual! The conference, originally scheduled for two days in Anchorage, will be consolidated to one day on June 3. Agenda and Registration details will be posted no later than April 30th - please check our website for details. Stay tuned!

Thank you!

THANK YOU, HOARFROST!

Hoarfrost Distillery Thank you, Hoarfrost Distillery, for providing our Fairbanks staff with locally-made hand sanitizer! Hoarfrost filled 30 bottles of hand sanitizer and invited us back for re-fills. While many services have moved to telehealth, not all of our clients have access to technology, or they have needs that can't be met remotely. Case managers are out in the community working with these clients, and they definitely appreciate having hand sanitizer they can take along with them!

THANK YOU, MICROCOM!

Microcom Lunch Donation Microcom has committed to providing lunch once a week during the hunker down for our staff at Alaska Seeds of Change and youth participant at the POWER Center. Mircocom staff usually volunteer regularly in the greenhouse. With volunteer activities on hold, the Microcom crew came up with this way to continue to show support for our program and youth.

Thank you, Alaska USA! For the second year in a row, Alaska USA has supported our transition age youth programs Alaska Seeds of Change and the POWER Center with a cash contribution. While many youth programs are closed during the Coronavirus shut-down, these programs continue running - to grow essential food in the greenhouse, and to provide essential food and a safe space for some of our community's most vulnerable youth. Thank you, Alaska USA!

Ways to Support ACMHS!

POWER Center needs food! The Power Center is running short of food supplies . We expect there to be greater community need for food and other items as we feel the economic impact of shutdowns.   We are accepting donations of packaged shelf-stable food items at the Power Center, 704 W. 26 th Avenue, Monday-Thursday 1-5 pm. There is a collection bin outside the main doors to drop donations while keeping social distance. THANK YOU!

PFD Deadline extended through April 30! Don't forget to Pick.Click.Give. Donations to ACMHS through Pick.Click.Give, United Way and direct contributions help ACMHS pay for the services insurance doesn't cover. That might be a few "extras" for a client moving into their own housing for the first time, or filling the gap between what Medicaid pays for a medical appointment and what it actually costs to provide that care. P lease consider a contribution to ACMHS when you file for your Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend!

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