Methodology for a Mental Health Plan for Health Care Workers

The risk and prevalence of mental health concerns for health care workers has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Frontline health care workers are particularly vulnerable to professional burnout, anxiety, depression, substance use, and trauma. Although health care organizations have responded rapidly to the health and well-being needs of the patients and communities they serve, swiftly adapting to increased patient volumes, new protocols, resource shortages, and other needs as driven by the volatile environment, a similarly agile and robust effort is essential to support the mental and emotional well-being of health care workers. This article outlines the agile methodology used to mobilize a multidisciplinary team at a large academic medical center to amplify mental health support options for its workers and address barriers that prevent them from seeking that help. With the support of the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors and the People and Culture Committee through active executive sponsorship and funding, an internal team strategized and swiftly activated procedures to deal with urgent mental health barriers for frontline workers, despite the compounding challenges caused by the pandemic. This systematic approach to modeling a mental health strategic plan for health care workers featured engaging stakeholder teams through active listening, collective goal setting, and delineated short-term and long-term objectives while leveraging values-aligned and employee-centric principles. After 1 year, employees have increased the use of mental health services by as much as 14%-26%.

Clinician Satisfaction with Rapid Adoption and Implementation of Telehealth Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: To examine clinician perspectives on the acceptability, appropriateness/suitability, and feasibility of video telehealth as a way to deliver mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Mental health clinicians were surveyed with 27 Likert questions, using previously validated measures, on satisfaction and implementation experience with video telehealth visits between March and June 2020. Results: A total of 112 of 193 clinicians completed the survey (58.0%), including psychiatrists, psychologists, trainees (i.e., residents and fellows), advanced practice providers, and licensed mental health counselors. Clinicians reported high levels of acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of video telehealth; they also reported high levels of satisfaction with video telehealth visits. Seventy-nine and a half (79.5%) reported that their patients seemed highly satisfied with video telehealth visits, and 107 (95.5%) of clinicians responded that they would like video telehealth visits to represent at least 25% of their practice in the future. Discussion: Mental health clinicians showed positive attitudes toward the implementation of video telehealth visits, high levels of satisfaction with this care, and indicated strong interest in continuing this modality as a significant portion of clinical practice. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the ability of mental health clinicians to embrace new technology to expand access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate that telemental health is likely to be an integral part of clinic practice in the future.

Substance Use Disorders and Telehealth in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A New Outlook.

During the current coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, many outpatient chemical dependency treatment programs and clinics are decreasing their number of in-person patient contacts. This has widened an already large gap between patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) who need treatment and those who have actually received treatment. For a disorder where group therapy has been the mainstay treatment option for decades, social distancing, shelter in place, and treatment discontinuation have created an urgent need for alternative approaches to addiction treatment. In an attempt to continue some care for patients in need, many medical institutions have transitioned to a virtual environment to promote safe social distancing. Although there is ample evidence to support telemedical interventions, these can be difficult to implement, especially in the SUD population. This article reviews current literature for the use of telehealth interventions in the treatment of SUDs and offers recommendations on safe and effective implementation strategies based on the current literature.