On Sept. 16, in recognition of National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, NYC Health + Hospitals provided an update on staff mental health services, as well as an update on a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) partnership, all focused on identifying and supporting mental health challenges that could present in staff members after the COVID-19-response.

The HERO-NY training program was developed in June 2020 with guidance from DOD. It is a combat stress training program that helps participants to better identify early signs of the lasting emotional and psychological impacts that are common after a traumatic event, such as PTSD. Since its launch, more than 350 front line staff members across the health system have received the training in an effort to mitigate the repercussions of going through the emotional and psychological trauma of the COVID-19 peak.

Guidance from DOD was also incorporated into existing support services and programs that were quickly expanded to all employees during the peak of the pandemic. Led by the system’s Helping Healers Heal (H3) teams, in partnership with the office of behavioral health, the programs aimed to help identify and monitor distress. They also assisted staff with resilience-building and the use of recovery resources and coping support services.

NYC Health + Hospitals said it continues to urge all staff members to seek mental health care to support their wellbeing during the ongoing pandemic. Since the COVID-19 peak in New York City in April, various programs for staff mental wellness have been rolled out, including:

• over 9,000 proactive unit-based wellness rounds, which included mental health experts and peer-support teams engaging with employees who were working in areas heavily affected by COVID-19. Wellness rounds focus on identifying and supporting employees who show symptoms of anxiety, depression, fatigue, and burnout, and connect employees to services if requested – including one-on-one telephonic, in-person debrief, or anonymous counseling;
• more than 2,300 additional Helping Healers Heal debriefs, including group debriefs, one to one peer support sessions, and wellness events. These were open forums facilitated by licensed creative arts therapists, other mental health practitioners, as well as Helping Healers Heal leads and allowed thoughts and feelings to be expressed and shared verbally and nonverbally using the healing powers of creativity and art. They provided frontline staff the opportunity to share their experiences in a safe environment with other staff who were experiencing similar days and stress;
• nearly 200 calls to the public health system’s anonymous behavioral health employee-only hotline, which connected employees in need of support with psychiatrists and psychologists, and which was staffed by NYC Health + Hospitals employee volunteers;
• approximately 63,000 visits to respite/wellness rooms, which allowed staff to take a break and engage in calming activities, such as meditation or crafting. Respite rooms were staffed by licensed mental health professionals standing at the ready to provide support to any staff who needed it.

Charles Barron MD is the deputy chief medical officer and director of the office of behavioral health at NYC Health + Hospitals. “The COVID-19 peak in NYC proved to be the most challenging days of even the most experienced physician’s career, but our health system is committed to providing the critical support needed to ensure everyone’s safety and recovery,” he said. “We will continue to make strategic investments to expand and introduce new programs and support services, create safe spaces and healthy dialogue for our workforce to build resilience and recovery.”

Barron’s comments were echoed by Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried, who is also the assembly health committee chairperson. “Health care workers have spent months on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, facing unprecedented caseloads, working hours, and worries over themselves or loved ones contracting the virus,” Gottfried said. “Their truly heroic work often comes with a cost, and it’s critically important that we ensure access to the mental health services they need to cope with these conditions. I would encourage all health care workers to take advantage of NYC Health + Hospitals’ wide range of mental and behavioral health programs.”

In addition to the work facilitated by the system’s behavioral health experts and DOD partnership, the health system’s “Just-In-Time” training program was extended to non-behavioral health staff who volunteered to be trained in mental health guidance and counseling. The bi-weekly, virtual response training programs were designed to expose all volunteers throughout the health system to the fundamental approaches of effective communication, emotional intelligence, optimal team function, and conflict resolution.

Approximately 100 employees participated in the bi-weekly training programs, which focused on suicide prevention through active surveillance and assessment of emotional wellness.

Any NYC Health + Hospitals staff members who may be experiencing mental health challenges, especially thoughts of suicide, are urged to seek support through any modality offered to all employees throughout the system.

If you or someone you know is in a crisis, including at risk of suicide or self-harm, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Trained counselors are available 24/7.