CT Mental Health Services Available Through Pandemic

CONNECTICUT — Coronavirus pandemic fatigue and isolation is taking a toll on mental health in Connecticut, but health professionals stressed that mental health resources are available, especially during crises.

“You may be in quarantine, but you’re not alone,” Gov. Ned Lamont said during a roundtable discussion with mental health experts from around the state.

Now is also an important time to tune in to young people who may be mentally distressed, said state Department of Children and Families Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes.

“We talked about this trifecta of the pandemic and economic devastation and racial and social unrest all… converging at the same time, that’s an imperfect storm,” she said.

Behavioral health shows up in teens and young adults differently. Some internalize issues through self-harm or thoughts of suicide, but it can also be expressed externally through an increase in family, community and personal violence, she said.

People in Connecticut can call 211 to be connected with mental health crisis intervention when someone is experiencing trauma, self-harm or thoughts of harming themselves or others. Mobile crisis operates 24/7, 365 days a year. The service is free.

The 211 number can also be used to coordinate alcohol detoxification services and other mental health needs. The expansion of telehealth also means that people can get mental health needs through videoconferencing or over the telephone if they aren't comfortable getting services in-person.

There has been an increase in the number of people abusing alcohol, said Tyler Booth with the Intercommunity federal qualified health center. People can dial 211 and get safe transportation to an alcohol detoxification bed. Intercommunity hasn’t had any instances of coronavirus transportation through its detoxification program or any other programs, Booth said.

Pandemic-related stress has also affected children, especially those who feel isolated from their peers.

“We have noticed during the pandemic that unfortunately we have had kids with a higher tendency to harm themselves or have thoughts about harming others,” said Jennifer Croce, a mobile crisis supervisor with the United Family and Community Services, which provides crisis services to the eastern part of the state. “This is in part due to this isolation and this loss of connection with their peers.”

Call volume for youth in mental health crisis has been on the rise, Croce said. Before the pandemic most calls for intervention came from schools, but now more are coming from parents or children themselves. Many children have shared troubling social media posts with trusted adults who then call 211, Croce said.

There has also been a slight increase in mobile crisis requests coming from adults, said Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon.

State agencies have worked to shelter homeless people in hotels to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. There have been instances of providing mental health services to people in those situations.