Avatar-based suicide-prevention program now available for Minnesota educators
Thanks to funding provided by the Minnesota Legislature, the program is available free of charge to all schools in the state.
Andy Steiner
Andy Steiner is a Twin Cities-based writer and editor. Before becoming a full-time freelancer, she worked as senior editor at Utne Reader and editor of the Minnesota Women’s Press.
Telehealth hubs offer care options for people living on the edge of the virtual world
The idea of the hubs, Dr. Rich Levine explained, is getting care where it is needed to the people who need it.
Andrea Jenkins: ‘Culturally embedded racism impacts every part of your body and mind’
In an extended Q&A, Jenkins talks about her work on the City Council, her hopes for the future and the ways she looks after her own mental health.
Minnesota doctors see worrisome reduction in childhood immunization rates during pandemic
“The message we are trying to get out there is that our offices are safe, that ill and well children are being separated,” said Dr. Sheldon Berkowitz. “We’re taking all the needed precautions: masking, gowning, wearing face shields.”
‘We become their family’: Mission Nursing Home cares for men with nowhere to turn
Mission Nursing Home is a skilled nursing facility in Plymouth for men who have struggled with addiction, alcoholism and mental illness.
Kristi K. Phillips: In small towns, ‘We’re still not comfortable talking about our mental health’
“The stressors of life have had a devastating impact on farmers and farm families,” Philips said. “In rural communities, we’re seeing higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide. It’s a disturbing trend.”
With small grants, Pink Cloud Foundation helps recipients take the next step in recovery
The Pink Cloud Foundation is a Twin Cities-based nonprofit that pays sober deposits for people facing financial hardship.
With COVID Cares phone line, Minnesota mental health professionals offer support in time of crisis
COVID Cares Support Service is a statewide phone line offering free, anonymous support for people experiencing stress and anxiety; it’s staffed by a volunteer team of licensed mental health professionals.
With IGF Kids, Irreducible Grace Foundation hopes to teach children key self-care strategies
The coronavirus altered their plans. The group decided to produce a series of videos demonstrating the key tools that they teach. They called the series, which they posted on YouTube, “Finding the Pause.”
‘I got some hope’: Face It Foundation provides peer support for men battling depression
Face It, founded in 2009, was built on the idea that the support of other men is key to helping men understand and recover from depression and reduce the rate of male suicide.
For some students with learning disabilities, distance learning has been a disappointment
Distance learning can be a particular challenge for students with learning disabilities, especially students with ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, said Martha Moriarty, executive director of Learning Disabilities Association of Minnesota.
When COVID upended her career plans, a local mortician stepped forward to help families deal with death
“My original plan for 2020 was thrown off the rails,” Angela Woosley said. “I realized that the coming year wasn’t going to be anything like what I’d expected.”
Sue Hoyt: Child-protection workers fear for kids’ well-being during COVID lockdown
In a Q&A, Hoyt talks about how societal stressors can take a toll on children’s safety, how a lack of in-person connection reduces child-welfare reports and the role that concerned adults can play in children’s lives.
Retooling to meet COVID-era limitations, Fidgety Fairy Tales releases ‘Chicken Little’ on video
Fidgety Fairy Tales, a traveling children’s acting troupe sponsored by the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health, performs well-loved stories with a mental health twist.
How Hennepin County’s mental-health outreach team is serving clients during COVID-19
A crisis line for adults in mental health distress, Hennepin County’s Community Outreach for Psychiatric Emergencies has been forced to shift to phone-only services due to coronavirus, assessing callers’ mental states in new and different ways.
When COVID forced temporary clubhouse closures, Vail Place went virtual, helping members bridge the digital divide
While the majority of members had cellphones, many didn’t realize that their phones had cameras. And others didn’t have a computer or a laptop at home. This meant that many needed a crash course in online communication.
With a rapid shift to telehealth, Washburn Center is providing mental health services to children and families
At Washburn, COVID-19 meant changing the way they’d been doing things for over a century in a matter of days.
‘Masked Crusaders’ sew upcycled medical-grade masks for front-line medical workers
North Memorial Health Hospital was short on medical-grade masks and were looking for volunteers to construct and donate as many 2,500, using a special pattern and fabric. The Masked Crusaders stepped up.
People Incorporated’s free resilience trainings offer valuable tips for combating COVID-19 stress
While the Training Institute’s classes are usually designed to provide continuing education credits for mental health professionals, this course was created with laypeople in mind.
COVID-19 concerns are causing some Minnesotans to revisit their birth plans
Given fears about possible exposure to COVID-19, expectant mothers around Minnesota are seeking ways to cope with this new anxiety, including limiting prenatal visits; selecting smaller hospitals, or signing up to deliver at independent, midwife-run birth centers.
