March 31, 2020
Dear Friends,
I hope this email finds you and your loved ones healthy.
As you well know, we’ve been sheltering in place in the Bay Area for two weeks now. The gravity of the situation is beginning to sink in for many people, many of whom are experiencing a range of complicated emotions.
As our former board member, sportscaster Ted Robinson, succinctly shared via Twitter recently:
“As we fight this physical threat, the country must provide needed mental health resources. Mental health will be a very real challenge in this new world. Sincere hope that the experts will be given a platform to address all of us.”
Indeed, the mental health toll of this public health crisis is very real and will likely persist beyond the physical health threat of COVID-19.
Please remember you are not alone in any feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, stress, grief, anger, loneliness, or any other emotions you may be experiencing as a result of our current reality. These are unprecedented times, and the emotional roller coaster you or your loved ones may be feeling is normal and common.
One of our clinicians recently wrote,
“The clients I was most concerned about, the ones with intense anxiety, were handling it better than expected. They all told me they felt they weren’t alone in their anxiety. Where they once felt isolated with intense feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty, they now realize everyone else has the same feelings and ‘we’re in this together.’ I reminded them this is resilience and a coping strategy that we can all learn from.”
I hope you can find your own resilience in knowing you are not alone. We are all in this together. Please look after your mental health and the mental health of your friends and family. I have included many resources at the bottom of this email that may be helpful.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Caminar and our divisions. We appreciate you and wish for you good physical and mental health. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. We can be reached at 1-650-372-4080 or info@caminar.org.
Take good care of yourselves,
Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
