Columbia University Medical Center, Human Resources: Mental Health Resources: 

Human Resources Mental Health Resources 

CopeNYP  

• Provides quick and free access to confidential and supportive virtual counseling.

• Available 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

• During a session, you can expect a trained mental health clinician from the Departments of Psychiatry of Weill Cornell Medicine or Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons to provide compassionate support aimed at alleviating distress and identifying effective coping skills to help you manage current stressors.

• Access via NYP’s OnDemand portal using service key: CopeNYP. Download the NYP OnDemand app from the App Store OR start a visit from your computer: https://nypondemandvisits.org/. If you are having any difficulty with NYP OnDemand or prefer to schedule an appointment with a counselor, please email empcounselinghelp@med.cornell.edu. 

Healthy Mind Provided by ComPsych GuidanceResources® 

• Available to all employees, their family members, and members of their households.

• Complimentary, confidential counseling and online support, resources, and information for virtually any issue you face, whether at work or at home. Healthy Mind can assist with grief and loss, life transitions, stress, depression, and more.

• To speak with a counselor 24/7, call: 844-860-0365 (TDD: 800-697-0353).

The Pastoral Care and Education Department at NYP

• Offers confidential support to staff, patients and their families.

• Multi-faith chaplains are trained in providing emotional, existential, spiritual and/or religious support.

• NYP/CUIMC Pastoral Care Office - 212-305-5817; NYP/WCM Pastoral Care Office -  212-746-6971

Occupational Psychiatry via Workforce Health & Safety clinics

• Available at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center.

• All hospital employees, House Staff and Fellows are eligible for occupational psychiatry services.

• Strict confidentiality is maintained for all services. 

• NYP/WC: Mary DeSantis 212-746-4370; NYP/CU: Lesley Kondratowicz 212-305-0861

•  Columbia Psychiatry offers both virtual groups (Zoom or Webex) and 1:1 calls for peer support. Goals: engage in practical coping skills, provide support/guidance, and focus on enhancing resilience. These groups/calls are not clinical sessions. The access number is 646-774-5366. 

* Description of the services has been provided by the NYP/CUIMC/WC. For more information about these and other virtual health services, childcare, emotional wellbeing, mental health, and physical wellbeing resources may be found by visiting the Employee Support Resources for COVID-19 Infonet page - https://infonet.nyp.org/EPI/Pages/covid19TeamSupport.aspx

• ACN presentation outlining services and self-help strategies can be found here: ACN_Presentation_4-29-2020.pdf

NYC Well 

• Offers a range of options to address mental health needs including: text, call, chat. Assists with setting up connections to care.

• Access here: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/

Psychology Today

• Find Therapist search option allows to look for a therapist in your geographic location and provides information about provider's training, qualifications, payment options, specialties and contact options .

• Access here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us 

American Psychological Association  (APA) - Psychologist Locator

• Find a clinical psychologist in your area using the APA's search engine 

•  Access here: https://locator.apa.org/?_ga=2.127841284.885201553.1588780624-884274857.1530412406

EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program- New York City Trauma Recovery Network

Pro bono EMDR therapy to first responders and medical professionals. 

6 -10 confidential pro bono sessions  All services will be provided remotely during this quarantine period of this crisis.

For services or referrals please apply via website at www.NYCTRN.org (use Request Services) or call (212) 949-0381 (Linda Kocieniewski, LCSW).  

• EMDR is evidence-supported trauma intervention. To learn more, please visit: https://www.emdria.org/news-and-announcements/new-what-is-emdr-therapy-video/

• To find EMDR therapist, please visit EMRDIA.ORG

 Helpful article!: How to Choose a Psychologist by APA

There is an App for That!

 While apps can offer valuable support and help to build skills, these are not equivalent to professional evaluation and treatment and should not be used or recommended as such.

Anxiety/Depression/Stress/Anger

COVID coach - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/COVID_coach_app.asp 

7 Cups - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/7-cups/

Happify - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/happify/

MindShift - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/mindshift/ 

AIMS for Anger Management- https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/aims_app.asp 

Mood Coach - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/moodcoach_app.asp

Moving Forward - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/movingforward_app.asp

Meditation/Mindfullness/Yoga

Insight Timer - https://insighttimer.com/meditation-app 

Headspace - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/headspace/

Smiling Mind - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/smiling-mind/

Stop, Breathe, and Think - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/stop-breathe-think/

Mindfullness Coach - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/mindfulcoach_app.asp

DownDog yoga - : https://www.downdogapp.com/ 

PTSD

PTSD Coach - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/ptsdcoach_app.asp 

PTSD Family Coach - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/familycoach_app.asp

Substance Use

I Am Sober - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/i-am-sober/

SoberGrid - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/sobergrid/

Pain

Manage My Pain - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/manage-my-pain/

Ouchie - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/apps/ouchie/

Sleep 

CBT-I Coach - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/cbticoach_app_public.asp - this app is a treatment companion, designed to use alongside psychotherapy

Parenting

Parenting2Go - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/parenting2go_app.asp

Videos (Mostly Cartoons!)

• Fight/Flight/Freeze response explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJhcn7Q0-LU&t=43s 

• Stress and Mind explained:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZTc8_FwHGM&t=65s

• Empathy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woEtYFz3U7Y

• Depression:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paKns6UyKj8 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM8rg_pi-JE

• Thinking Patterns That Lead to Distress:                     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK5-NwAxWNM&t=80s 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woEtYFz3U7Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVwW_ljHrO4&t=19s

• How Love Turns Pain Into Purpose: Psychological Flexibility. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Approach - S. Hayes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o79_gmO5ppg     

• PTSD: What is it? Treatment Options Explained. PTSD and the Brain. Medications for PTSD:  https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/video/index.asp       

Supporting Our Minds & Bodies in the Context of COVID-19

We are all feeling the stress of uncertainty in this time. Like all emotions, stress and fear are part of what make us human. Feeling worried, anxious or nervous is part of everyday life. In the wake of our global COVID-19 pandemic, it is normal to experience an intensified series of emotions.

In times like these, it can be helpful to consider the tools at our disposal for calming our emotions. I hope that the tools below will be of value to you as you move through your experience of these unprecedented times.

Ways to Influence Our Emotions

Emotions like anxiety and fear often have multiple components and so it is important to address at several levels. Please take a few minutes to look over each area below. Here is a list of a variety of methods for addressing emotions from the comfort of your home. The suggestions are based on the latest findings from medical research and from thousands of people who have faced challenging times and found these treatments to dramatically help them.

1. MIND BODY APPROACHES

Mind Body Approaches are vital for treating anxiety because they allow you to unhook the anxious thoughts your mind is generating from your body's response system. The connection between your mind and body is very important to address and should be part of everyone's treatment plan. Some approaches include:

Guided Meditations: The following links to sites offering guided meditations and breathing practices designed to counteract the effects of stress and anxiety that many people are experiencing related to the Coronavirus. You may need to cut and paste into your browser. 

• Ten Percent Happier: Podcasts and guided meditations - free for healthcare workers, write care@tenpercent.com - Https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide 

• Being resilient during Coronavirus: "A Meditation for Feeling as Safe as you Reasonably Can" by Rick Hansen - https://www.rickhanson.net/being-resilient-during-coronavirus/

•  Guided meditation for times of pandemic: "Calling on your Awakened Heart" by Tara Brach- https://www.tarabrach.com/meditation-times-of-pandemic/

•  Guided meditations: "Compassion in the Time of Coronavirus: by Jack Kornfield - https://jackkornfield.com/compassion-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/

•  UC Berkeley's Greater Good Guide to Wellbeing During the Coronavirus - Https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/greater_good_guide_to_well_being_during_coronavirus

•  Kaiser Permanente's 10 Minute Walking Meditation - https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/mental-health/tools-resources/mind-body-wellness/walking-meditation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation: A technique you can use to learn to relax the muscles in your body which tense up with anxiety responses. Learn about them through Kaiser classes and online resources such as www.webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/musclerelaxation.html

Breathing Exercises: Find a breathing exercise that works for you and practice it often so you can use it whenever you need to. A popular one is the 4-7-8 breath. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Practice this a few times to get the feel of it. Inhale to a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of 7 and exhale slowly to a count of eight. Repeat this cycle 4-8 times. Deep breathing helps reduce anxious feelings. https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/breathing-exercises-4-7-8-breath/

Gratitude Practice: Especially in times of crisis, it can be helpful to pause for reflection on the things we are grateful for. This can be as simple a starting your day with a list of three things you are grateful for or you can use a guided exercise to take you through this practice.

https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/mental-health/tools-resources/stress-management/gratitude-practice

Journaling: Taking a few minutes a day to put your thoughts onto paper can help to release pent up emotions that may build during times of stress. A variety of approaches exist, these include gratitude practice (see above), self-reflection, dream documentation, one-sentence journaling and bullet journaling, just to name a few. Play around with these approaches to reflection and see what fits best for you.

2. HEALTHY EATING HABITS

A healthy diet is important to provide your body what it needs to have the proper building blocks to build healthy tissues and correctly functioning chemical messengers. Grocery stores are well stocked with fresh vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals. Consider taking time by yourself or with a loved one to create a plant-based meal.

Mindful Eating: Eating mindfully means being totally aware of what and how you eat — from how your food tastes to how it makes you feel, physically and emotionally. When you eat while multitasking (at your computer, on the phone, in front of the TV) your brain is busy with tasks other than eating. Without even realizing it, you'll eat more food and enjoy it less — and that's a recipe for weight gain. To slow down and avoid overeating, try to pay close attention to each bite.

·         What does your food smell like?

·         What does it feel like in your mouth? Moist, crunchy, soft, chewy?

·         Is it hot or cold?

·         What are the different flavors? Spicy, sour, sweet?

·         Does it remind you of other food experiences?

Caffeine & Alcohol: Many people find that caffeine and alcohol can bring out or worsen feelings of anxiety. It helps to cut back or completely remove these substances from your diet. Try it for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference. If you have been having caffeine regularly you may have a headache for a few days after stopping but this will clear up. If you are consuming more than two servings of alcohol daily, please speak with your doctor first before eliminating alcohol from your diet.

Glycemic Index: Particularly in times of stress, when we are more prone to eating "comfort foods", we should be mindful of how the sugar and carbohydrates we eat effect on our moods. Some people find that their anxiety is connected to their sugar intake. This might be a perfect opportunity, to try cutting back on these foods and monitor for any resulting changes in mood. You may consider experimenting replacing high sugar and high carbohydrate foods with a serving of vegetables.

3. EXERCISE

There is very good research showing that exercise, particularly cardiovascular activity can help with anxiety. The more you move, the easier it is to reduce anxiety. Think of anxiety as an energy building up in your body. Your body needs to release it and if it doesn't have positive ways of doing it, such as exercise, it will find negative ways, such as increasing muscle tension or creating racing thoughts. During these times, it can be difficult to find ways to stay active. Below are some ideas for how to stay active at home. Please contact your doctor if you have questions regarding how you can safely exercise at home.

Cardiovascular activity: Go for a walk or a jog in your neighborhood. Consider dancing to your favorite music or doing a set of jumping jacks. Maybe you have a hula hoop or a jump rope around, take these out for a spin!

Core strengthening: You may also consider working on core strengthening exercises to improve your balance, posture and overall physical strength. Here is one example of a series of core strengthening exercises: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/multimedia/core-strength/sls-20076575

Yoga: Yoga is a mind and body practice that involves movement, breathing exercises, and a focus on thoughts and feelings as they happen (mindfulness). It began in ancient India as a spiritual practice, based on the idea that the mind and body are one. Today, more people practice yoga for overall health, including flexibility, stress relief, and physical fitness. You may find virtual yoga instruction through an online search (for example: Https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene).

Tai Chi & Qi Gong: Tai chi and qi gong are traditional Chinese movement exercises. They are based on two ideas:

• Energy, called qi or chi, flows through the body along "energy pathways" called meridians. If the flow of chi is blocked or unbalanced at any point on a pathway, it is thought that you may become ill. You do tai chi and qi gong to increase energy (chi or qi) flow and improve health through gentle, graceful, repeated movements.

• Nature, including the body, consists of opposing forces called yin and yang. Good health results when these forces are in balance. You do tai chi and qi gong movements in an attempt to help restore the body's balance of yin and yang.

• You may find virtual tai chi instruction online or you can access the specific instructional material below:

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/tai-chi/art-20045184

• https://www.livestrong.com/article/216706-free-tai-chi-exercises-for-seniors/

4. CALMING ENVIRONMENTS

Of course, anxiety is due to more than problems experienced in the past. Many people have very stressful lives happening in the present and contributing to anxious feelings. How you respond to stress and your ability to handle stressful situations will contribute to your anxiety level. Here are effective ways you can help decrease anxiety provoked by your environment and increase your resilience to life's stresses.

Sleep: A healthy sleep-wake cycle is important to your nervous system functioning smoothly. If you have problems with sleep let your physician know so they can help you learn how to get in a healthy rhythm.

Media: Many people find it helpful to carefully choose what information they are getting from the television, books or radio as these can be sources of anxiety. Consider taking breaks from media when you are able.

Healing Environments: Spend time creating spaces in your home or garden that feel good to you. Increasing time in nature is also relaxing for many people.    

Resident Education in Sleep Techniques (REST) Program (includes many excellent patient and learnerresources: videos, handouts)

REST Program: 12 Week Sleep Techniques