When Staff Burnout Prevents Progress

After nearly two years of facing COVID-19 waves and realities, healthcare workers are facing unprecedented levels of burnout. Providing important support, resources and space for staff can help prevent this and other acute stress responses from turning into longer term behavioral health...

Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Key Piece of the Conversation

The personal impact of being in the helping profession never crossed my mind when I was in graduate school on my way to becoming a social worker. My focus was on gleaning what I could from my professors and building what I hoped would be the most complete set of clinical skills. I was unaware at...

The Social Determinants of Help-Seeking for Young Men of Color

Vibrant Emotional Health provides clinical case management and crisis intervention services to young men of color (YMOC) in The Fellowship Initiative, a college attainment program for YMOC in New York City, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles, funded and operated by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. Our...

Socially Connected, Physically Distanced: How to Be There for Someone Experiencing Suicidal or Emotional Crisis During COVID-19

While everyone is feeling challenged during COVID-19, it can be particularly difficult for those with existing mental health conditions or people who feel particularly lonely or isolated due to COVID-19. “Social distancing” recommendations, concerns about their own health and the health of...

Anticipating Emotional Reactions During the Covid-19 Pandemic: What We Can Learn from Past Disasters

The national Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) was launched by Vibrant Emotional Health and the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2012 to guarantee that everyone in the United States has access to immediate crisis counseling and support throughout any phase...

Aging in Supportive Housing: One Fall Away from Institutionalization

Lucy is a 62-year-old woman who has lived in supportive housing for over a decade. She has been treated for bipolar I disorder and has a history of suicidality. Like many older adults with mental health challenges, Lucy has several chronic health problems which are monitored by her primary care...

Self-Care is Essential to Well-being at Work

By now, “self-care” and “workplace wellness” aren’t novel concepts. It would be difficult not to find myriad references to both in the popular and professional press. Many organizations, including in the private sector, healthcare and government have embraced employee wellness programs,...

When and Where They Need It: Providing Community-Based Services to Families and Youth for Foundational Wellbeing

For community providers serving children and families in New York, there is a contemplative question our work presents to us like an ever-unfolding puzzle – how can we get young people to the services that will support their ability to live their best lives? Many creative strategies have been...

ACES Are High: Transforming Systems of Care from Within

The concept of system transformation in behavioral health is one that has garnered much attention in recent years. In New York State, this often refers to the evolving iterations of Medicaid managed care and value-based payment. This transformation is focused on the “triple aim” of better care,...