Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • When church goes online: Battle Creek congregation finds opportunity in pandemic imposed alternative

    In Battle Creek, Michigan, a church has turned to holding online Sunday service during the pandemic, and in doing so, has gained a larger congregation. While there are limitations to attending online services, and some don't feel like "Internet-based connections" are real, around 200 people still attend each online service, including some individuals from overseas.

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  • More Dayton residents have conflict during COVID-19. Mediation comes to the rescue.

    In Dayton, neighbor disputes and other conflicts ended up in mediation far more often in 2020, thanks to the Dayton Mediation Center's online services at a time when local court operations were limited by the pandemic. A 23% increase in cases can be seen as both bad news and good: more conflicts among people frustrated by social distancing, but more willingness to address conflicts constructively through dialogue mediated by trained volunteers. Dayton police, who are often called to intervene in neighborhood and domestic spats, will be trained to refer cases to the free mediation center in 2021.

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  • As Pandemic Threatens Britain's Mental Health, These ‘Fishermen' Fight Back

    The Bearded Fisherman, a mental health charity formed by two men with their own past struggles with mental illness and homelessness, runs a weekly, virtual community support group, takes crisis-intervention calls, and runs the Night Watch suicide-prevention patrol to help people find ways to survive and cope with pandemic-driven unemployment and isolation. In addition to intervening in the moment to prevent a suicide, and providing informal counseling, the group refers people to counseling as England endures Europe's highest COVID-19 death toll and a deep recession.

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  • Grieving Murdered Children During A Pandemic

    The nationwide surge in gun violence during the pandemic has forced support groups for grieving survivors to persevere in their work using different tools and strategies in a process that depends on intimate forms of counseling. In Durham, one "grief circle" associated with the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham still hosts anti-violence vigils after each killing. Its support group for parents and grandparents of victims, led by fellow survivors for maximum effect, shifted to Zoom and telephone calls. Among the beneficiaries of the support: the organizers themselves, whose work gives them purpose.

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  • How Nigerians coped with mental stress during COVID-19 lockdown

    Funding from a professional coaching, therapy, and counseling academy has helped a certified life coach and non-clinical psychotherapist offer free sessions to people in Nigeria who are struggling to cope with setbacks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, which utilizes video calls and WhatsApp messaging, has broadened access for those who may not be able to seek help due to financial constraints.

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  • Global online forum invites people to share their stories and questions about COVID-19

    An online forum focused on providing an outlet for those who are seeking a way "to share their experiences with COVID-19" has gained a global community with participants from five countries engaging in discussions. Although the forum does not require users to identify themselves and could pose a risk for the spread of misinformation, the main purpose of the site is for anecdotal storytelling that helps users feel a sense of connection and companionship.

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  • Seniors Struggle With Isolation In The Pandemic. Here's How Some Organizations Are Trying To Help.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated how seniors are able to come together for companionship, but groups in Illinois are trying to utilize technology to address the problem. While the digital divide is a significant limitation to this approach, some seniors say "they are having new experiences, meeting new people and that their world has actually expanded since COVID-19."

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  • COVID-19: NC rural mental health outreach gets creative

    Mental health agencies in North Carolina have partnered with a mobile phone carrier to provide data-enabled smartphones to individuals who lack access to technology during the pandemic. Because this doesn't provide a solution to all, however, mental health experts are also meeting with patients outside in social distanced settings.

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  • Virtual LGBT+ support group creates a space for youth

    When in-person meetings became impossible during the pandemic, Epicenter's youth-run, drop-in resource center for youth made its LGBTQ+ support group virtual, and attendance went up. The group, called Our Gente, provides a place for youth to support each other. Those trapped at home with families that are unsupportive can still participate online using text chats, rather than having to speak aloud. Youth at the center create their own programming, but work closely with Epicenter's deputy director, who grew up queer, non-binary in a family that at first did not support them.

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  • Community Workers Lend Human Connection To COVID-19 Response

    Community health workers have long been helping people navigate the intersection of health care and social services in the United States, such as in Philadelphia, where one program stands out for its overall design and continuous rigorous evaluation. Studies of the program indicate that those who worked with community health workers improved their overall health compared to those who received standard care. Now, as many cities navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, some officials see an opportunity to expand the workforce to also provide "social, material and psychological support."

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