Panel talks traversing tough times
Mental health policy priorities take center stage on final day
Panelists shared mental health policy priorities, strategies to reduce stigma and personal tips to boost well being during a wide ranging discussion Sunday on staying sane in tough times.
The panel on mental health was part of the 73rd University of Colorado Boulder Conference on World Affairs, which wrapped up Sunday. Recordings of the virtual sessions are available at CU Boulder Youtube.
Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Democrat from Commerce City, talked about a new bill she’s sponsoring that would provide a free mental health screening and, if needed, up to three counseling sessions for ever yone 18 and younger in the state. The bill allocates $9 million from a state coronavirus stimulus package to reimburse providers for the sessions.
Under the bill, the state would create a portal where children sign up to be screened and are connected to providers covered by their insurance network so they could continue to receive ser vices after completing the three free sessions.
“It’s a game changer,” she said.
Getting annual mental health visits covered by insurance the same way annual doctor visits are covered is another of her goals. Two years after the 1918 flu pandemic, she said, insurance companies came up with the idea of annual physicals to prevent illness.
“A hundred years and a global pandemic later, we’re still doing mental health ser vices as only crisis management,” she said. “I want annual mental health visits. If we don’t take care of our minds, we can’t fully take care of our bodies.”
Amy Lopez, a licensed clinical social worker and assistant professor at the University of Colorado’s Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center, said she advised patients to spend time with friends, join a club and “be out in the world” prior to the pandemic
But those were coping skills she could no longer suggest as coronavirus cases increased last spring and people were told to stay away from those they loved to keep them safe.
“Trying to treat anxiety and depression in the midst of a pandemic is kind if like swimming in a bathtub,” she said.
There are still options during a pandemic to improve well being, said Amanda Marin-chollom, assistant professor of psychology at Central Connecticut State University. She suggested staying active, disconnecting from media, getting enough sleep, eating healthy and scheduling weekly phone calls with “that one person who just brings you to life.”
She also talked about disparities in access to mental health ser vices, an area she’s researched. She’s particularly concerned that so few therapists are fluent in a language other than English and are trained in working with people from other cultures.
Affording counseling, even with insurance, is another issue. Lopez noted that “people say all the time, ‘I can come in once a month, because that’s what I can afford.’ “
Not living close to a psychologist or psychiatrist can be another barrier, with people in rural areas often required to drive for hours to see a therapist. Panelists said continuing telehealth appointments after the pandemic is one way to address that issue.
Lopez added that about 75% of patients sur veyed at the Depression Center indicated they want to continue with virtual appointments instead of switching back to in-person visits.
In response to a question on how to help a friend who is struggling, Lopez said it’s important to continue to love them, talk to them and be willing to be brave and ask if they’re thinking about hurting themselves. Michaelson Jenet also encouraged people to take a mental health first aid class, directing those interested to mentalhealth firstaid.org.
“The more we talk about it, the less stigmatized it is,” she said.