May 28, 2020

Our mission is to serve as an advisory liaison between the faith-based
community and the Weld County Commissioners. Established in 2008.

Mental Health During the Current Crisis We are all experiencing a very stressful crisis that can affect our mental health. Help is available! Organizations in our community are providing many supportive resources to help us navigate these uncertain times while protecting our mental health. The Weld County website has a great deal of helpful information; North Range Behavioral Health has added additional supportive services to help people cope during this pandemic; and a group of Colorado therapists is offering free or low-fee therapy to all essential workers. See below for more information about these valuable resources. Managing COVID-19-Related Stress and Anxiety (from weldgov.com) The outbreak of COVID-19 may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How you respond to the outbreak can depend on your background, the things that make you different from other people, and the community you live in. If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others call 911. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. (TTY 1-800-846-8517) is also available. Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can also make your community stronger. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting. Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs. Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy. Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. Call your health care provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row. For more information on reducing the stigma that can be associated with mental health challenges  and more local resources, please visit the Weld County Health Department's Let's Talk web page. For more information about how staying active can help reduce stress and anxiety, please visit the Thriving Weld Outdoor Rx website. Additional resources: CDC: Stress and Coping During COVID-19  CDPHE: Reducing Fear and Taking Care of Yourself North Range Behavioral Health Offers Extra Support North Range Behavioral Health is continuing all services via telehealth and has created the following supportive services to help people during this time: Coffee with a Counselor  – Facebook Live conversations with various clinicians that occur two times per week. (available to the public at no cost) Coffee with a Counselor Graduate Edition – Facebook Live conversations with clinicians specifically targeting graduates and their families. This is a very difficult time for them – missing out on proms, spring sports, graduation, even college visits, etc. This is also two times per week. (available to the public at no cost) North Range Warm Line – This is a warm line created for anyone… ANYONE… who is experiencing anxiety, feeling isolated, going ‘stir crazy,” or any other feeling during this time. (no cost to anyone ever) North Range Cares – Three free sessions of therapy to any person who works for District 6 Schools, JBS Swift, Centennial Healthcare Center, or Fairacres Manor. These four entities have experienced this pandemic in very significant ways and North Range wants to help.  If you need information in Spanish or have questions, contact Kimberly Collins, Administrative Director, at kimberly.collins@northrange.org. Essential Therapy for Essential Workers Coronavirus Online Therapy, a pending nonprofit, is a collective of experienced, licensed private practice therapists across the country that would like to be of service to essential workers at this time. Therapists in all 50 United States, with three here in Colorado, have agreed to offer short-term online therapy at free and reduced costs. Essential workers can connect with a therapist at https://www.coronavirusonlinetherapy.org/.

Community Laundry Packets

This project supports low income families and those experiencing homelessness by providing free laundry vouchers and detergent. We have partnered with the Housing Navigation Center which is part of United Way of Weld County to distribute the vouchers to the Evans Express Laundry where laundry can be taken!  If you would like to donate to this project, you can make check payable to the United Way Weld County specified to “I Heart Humanity” or dropping off individual packets of detergent or regular size detergent and facial wipes at United Way Weld County. This non-profit can be reached at ihearthumanityco@gmail.com or on Facebook and Instagram. By supporting this project, you assist in creating a healthier community while also lifting up someone that just wants to feel good about themselves. Thank you to donors who have helped keep this project going since it started in October 2019.

The availability of COVID-19 testing in Weld County is increasing as Weld County Government will host free community drive-thru testing events in early June. The events, in combination with those led by health care providers and other public and private agencies throughout Weld County, are part of a goal to collectively test 10 percent of the county’s population by July 18.

People who are experiencing symptoms and asymptomatic people who are in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 are eligible for testing. A doctor’s note is not required, and those wanting to be tested must be at least 18 years of age and register by 3 p.m. the day before an event.

Registration opens seven days prior to each event and can be completed by visiting www.weldhealth.org. 

The first four drive-thru events will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following locations:

• June 1 in Fort Lupton at the Southeast County Services Complex, located at 2950 9^th St. Registration is open from May 25 - May 31.
• June 3 in Briggsdale at Briggsdale School, located at 515 Leslie St. Registration is open from May 27- June 2.
• June 5 in Severance at Severance High School, located at 1200 Hidden Valley Pkwy. Registration is open from May 29-June 4.
• June 8 in Firestone at the Southwest County Services Complex, located at 4209 Weld County Road 24 ½. Registration is open from June 1- June 7.
• More dates and locations to follow.

Securing enough test kits for countywide testing has been difficult, but the Weld County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has been persistent in asking the state’s Emergency Operations Center for testing kits since mid-March. These events in June reflect the first time since the beginning of the pandemic Weld County has obtained enough test kits to test the general population.

As stay-at-home orders ease, expanded testing remains critically important. Robust testing, combined with continued contact tracing, allows Weld County Health Department staff to monitor community spread of the virus. Additionally, these events help meet the recommended testing levels in Weld County.

“We know that COVID-19 test availability is important to our residents, and our staff has been working diligently to expand testing opportunities,” Weld County Chair Mike Freeman said. “Now that we have tests for widespread community testing, we look forward to testing those who need it and using that data to gain more knowledge about COVID-19 in our county.”

What the public can expect:

Each drive-thru testing event will follow specific procedures. Participants will follow the steps below once they arrive at a testing site:

1. To be tested, individuals must be at least 18 years old.
2. The participant will enter the entry station checkpoint with their windows rolled up. When instructed, the participant will show staff a photo identification with an email confirmation of their reference ID and appointment time through their closed window at the security gate checkpoint.
3. Once staff confirms the appointment, the participant will be directed to the Admission Station checkpoint and show identification and reference ID to the Admission Coordinator through the driver’s side window. Staff will retrieve requisition, label, specimen bag and testing materials. The Admission Coordinator will verify that the participant’s name and date of birth is correct. If correct, the Admission Coordinator will mark the car window with a sticker showing the participant’s position in the vehicle and attach the specimen bag to the car.
4. The participant is moved to the Sample Collection Bay where a swab is taken and collected. Once the swab is collected, the participant is directed to the exit.
5. Participants will be notified of results by phone within 24 hours.

For more information on these testing events, or to register, go to www.weldhealth.org. Additionally, be sure to follow Weld County’s Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.

Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/WeldFPC