–submitted by Larry Larrabee
Sarah Henrickson, Clinical Team Manager at Journey Mental Health Center, and Shane Quella, Crisis Response Team Member shared a description of CARES (Community Alternative Response Emergency Services) that is funded by the City of Madison. Because uniformed officers responding to a behavioral crisis can send the wrong message and inadvertently escalate the situation, CARES provides non-threatening support to individuals by listening to them and trying to direct them to various support organizations. It can provide transport to different places and facilities that will give immediate assistance such as shelters and hospitals. Shane described an example of one of his recent interventions.
If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/IQ2p7s0KLdE.
ellow Rotarian Lynn Brady, who is President and CEO of Journey Mental Health Center, shared her insights on “Dealing with Mental Health in the Time of the Coronavirus, a Unique National Emergency!” Brady’s presentation to the club through a virtual meeting platform on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, was an immediate reminder of the significant disruption that all of us are facing in our daily routines. Brady reflected that we are social creatures, and so this required isolation is inevitably going to have an impact. We feel uncertainty about when things will return to normal. In Brady’s work, she says that they are not currently seeing a lot of calls. Rather, people are asking for tips on dealing with stress; how to talk to children about the issue; and how they might reach out in the future to a mental health professional. The mental health professionals that she works with also need a chance to talk through the issues.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 