COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellness Resources
For hospital guidelines and updates on COVID-19, visit URMC's COVID-19 informational page.
Patient & Family Resources
Please visit our Patient and Family Resources page for local and regional community resources.
Coping Advice from Our Experts
We have compiled a list of helpful resources for our patients and their families.
Helping At-Risk Individuals
- In April, Anthony Pisani, PhD, alongside Christine Moutier, MD, Chief Medical Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, hosted an international panel discussion on suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel included experts from four continents, including our very own Yeates Conwell, MD and addressed how organizational and healthcare leaders can keep their eyes on suicide prevention while also attending to other pressing needs and concerns.
- Yeates Conwell, M.D. and Caroline Silva, Ph.D. spoke with WXXI, 13WHAM News, and WROC on the impact of telepsychiatry and future directions for remote appointments.
- Michael Hasselberg, PhD joined Laura Jowly of Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic and Vicki Spurr of NAMI Rochester to talk about the value of telepsychiatry and mental health support offered through virtual platforms in an episode of Connections with Evan Dawson.
- Catherine Cerulli, J.D., Ph.D. published an article in Democrat and Chronicle on the factors contributing to recent surges in family violence and what you can do to help victims during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Eric Caine, M.D. discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide risk in an article by USA TODAY. Reaching out to at-risk individuals and fostering social warmth and cohesion, Dr. Caine suggests, may mitigate the increased stress of unemployment and loneliness of self-isolation.
Supporting Older Adults
Managing the Situation with Your Children
- The URMC Expanded Mental Health team partnered with the Children's Institute and the Society for the Protection and Care of Children (SPCC) to create tips sheets outlining best practices in schools, child care and early learning centers as they reopen their doors.
- Michael Scharf, MD spoke on the Bob Lonsberry Show on WHAM 1180 about the mental health impacts of being away from school on youth.
- In May, several members of Psychiatry- including Hochang Ben Lee, MD, Melissa Heatly, PhD, Aparajita ‘Tuma’ Kuriyan, PhD, Kenya Malcolm, PhD, Linda Alpert-Gillis, PhD, Jim Wallace, MD, and Anthony Pisani, PhD- spoke in a "Virtual Town Hall" focused on strategies for family wellness, resilient parenting, and supporting children during a pandemic.
Community Conversations
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Aparajita “Tuma” Kuriyan, PhD, Linda Alpert-Gillis, PhD, Brianna Daniels, LMHC, Jason McDonald, Parent Representative, and Fabienne Bain, PhD from The Baker Center for Children and Families presented a Community Conversation discussing What to Expect when Looking for and Getting Behavioral Health Services for Children and Teens.
Fighting Isolation
- Kimberly van Orden, Ph.D. discussed the importance of social connection and how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques can be used to promote a sense of belonging and connection.
Managing Legal and Health Needs
- Catherine Cerulli, JD, PhD joined a group of attorneys, doctors and ethicists to discuss and create a one page working document that could help individuals understand what their legal and health needs are to prepare for COVID.