The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 recently signed into law has $3.5 billion in block grants earmarked to help address the mental and behavioral health effects of COVID-19.

Finding demographically and culturally relevant help for communities of color is important. 

This is especially important as COVID-19 has most certainly impacted the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of individuals in this cohort—and if they identify as persons of color, they may feel as if the impact exacts a heavier toll than on their colleagues.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Sometimes, the demands on your time, attention, ability, and nerves can feel like ‘too much.’ However, when you take a breath, stay present, stay focused, prioritize, and take one step at a time, you can accomplish the task and manage the process with more ease.

Health experts and healthcare systems are now beginning to focus on social determinants of health by increasingly adopting upstream rather than downstream approaches for prevention and care in matters of physical health. A similar approach is now needed for mental health.

Health plans and health systems are uniquely positioned to leverage the advantages of caring for the whole person, connecting body, mind, and spirit. With value-based and accountable care, your organization may be managing under-risk contracts, prioritizing resources to avoid penalties, working to reduce costs, and focusing on reducing readmission rates caused by co-morbidities. Adopting holistic practices can help your organization accomplish these goals.

Healthcare providers face numerous chronic stressors, including high and increasing productivity expectations, the pressure of high-stakes decision-making in the face of ambiguity, and witnessing the pain, loss, and suffering of patients and their families. Caregivers often experience distress when they perceive that the treatments they are administering are futile or when they are unable to deliver the quality of care that they believe it is their duty to give. In the context of insufficient support and resources, each of these factors can lead to the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization that is characteristic of burnout.