Stormont Vail staff get stress management training as COVID-19 challenges mental health
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Stormont Vail staff are getting stress management training as the COVID-19 pandemic persists to challenge Kansans’ mental health, especially in the healthcare field.
As much as everyone would like to put the COVID-19 pandemic in the past, Stormont Vail Health says it has impacted each of us with the many challenges it imposed. For some, it said this time has been stressful, overwhelming and created strong emotions. Healthcare workers, in particular, have been front and center it said.
According to Stormont Vail, learning how to deal with stress in healthy ways helps residents become more resilient. It said gaining insight into tools and resources about stress can also help develop insights to prepare for future stressful times.
Brad Chapin, MLP, LCP, Director of Stormont Vail Behavioral Health, said team members have been involved in two programs to help offset the stressful impact of the pandemic.
Stormont Vail said a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction course has been taught by psychiatrist Dr. William Hale, which provides training in mindfulness, meditation and methods of non-reactivity. It said 24 members from several Topeka healthcare organizations, including Stormont Vail Health, are currently enrolled in the 26-hour course. Stormont Vail participants include those from Behavioral Health, Nursing, Learning and Talent Development.
The health network said the cost of the program was underwritten by Bartlett & West and Fidelity State Bank & Trust through gifts made to the Stormont Vail Foundation.
Stormont Vail said it is also providing a Recovery and Resiliency Skills Training program taught by Brad Chapin and Brian Avilla, MRT-PE, Wellpower supervisor. It said two groups have finished the training and a third will start this week. The 2-hour classes meet once a week for six weeks for a 12-hour commitment and are designed for supervisors or middle managers to help support the teams they lead.
The health network said the classes teach resilience and self-regulation skills - physical, emotional and cognitive regulation - measured pre- and post-class. It said plans to continue to offer the class into 2022 are in development.
“Everyone wants a pill or a one-hour course,” Brad said, noting the skills classes take more time to learn. “You don’t go to the gym for an hour and say you’re in shape. We have to continue to remind people of that.”
Stormont Vail said its Behavioral Health Services also offers a professional assistance line for healthcare workers to get quick access to mental health services during the pandemic, both in-person or telehealth are available.
Brad said demand for behavioral health services throughout the community persists at an astronomical level. For outpatient services, he said there continues to be a demand for new appointments while existing patients seek more help due to pandemic-related stressors.
“Our ability to manage this intense threat is about three weeks,” Brad said. “But we are way beyond that. Even people with exceptional resilience are being tested beyond their capacity in that. No one has escaped the challenges that this pandemic brought.”
As of Tuesday, Oct. 19, Stormont Vail said it has 16 COVID-positive inpatients. The percentage of patients who have tested positive for the virus and are unvaccinated within the past month is at 78%.
The health network said from Monday, it has had six COVID discharges and no deaths.
Currently, Stormont Vail said it has 46 COVID-positive patients in its outpatient Enhanced Primary Care program. The percentage of patients that test positive for the virus at its facilities within the past seven days is at 8.5%, of those who test positive, the percent of those unvaccinated is at 67%.
Stormont Vail said it has administered 92,411 COVID vaccinations, including first, second and booster doses.
The health network said it would also like to highlight its Infectious Disease team during International Infection Prevention Week. It said the pandemic has put a spotlight on the team’s role in keeping the community safe and healthy.
“We thank our dedicated team for their work this week and every other week of the year,” said a spokesperson for the hospital.
To access the Stormont Vail Behavioral Health Services professional assistance line for healthcare workers, call 785-270-4646 and use the key phrase “Professional Assistance.”
To sign up for the Recovery and Resiliency Skills Training, email wellpower@stormontvail.org.
Copyright 2021 WIBW. All rights reserved.
