Ms. Wendy Beales, Supervisor, Family Services Durham, provided a presentation entitled Re-opening: What can we expect and how do we respond from a mental health perspective?
Ms. Beales reviewed the impact on personal wellbeing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and provided the following points:
Impacts on our wellbeing:
- sense of loss connected to basic survival (access to food, job, and shelter)
- increased social inequities
- grieving process changes
- loss of activities for enjoyment (coping strategies)
- increased loneliness
- exhaustion (juggling home responsibilities with work, moral fatigue, decision-making)
- nervous system in overdrive (remain in a reactive state, increased anxiety)
Behaviours During Interactions with Others
- angry outbursts, irritability, impatience
- difficulty communicating, panic and anxiety
- difficulty concentrating
- people questioning and challenging while determining how safe they feel
How to Respond/De-escalate the Situation
- remain calm, use active listening (ask what, where, who, how?)
- use non-confrontational body language and a 'soft gaze'
- be reassuring and acknowledge their concerns, as well as explaining the need to follow protocols
- provide information, be empathetic, provide options where possible
- while assisting someone with panic, provide a space away from others when it is safe to do so
- be mindful of your own safety and when help is required
ABC Formula (Canadian Training Institute)
- clearly identify the behaviour that must stop “please lower your voice so I can hear you better”
- tell why the behaviour must change (“I want to be able to hear your concerns and discuss options”)
- give options - you must give at least three options and the last (usually a consequence) needs to be one the staff are able to enforce
Importance of Pacing & Fostering Resilience
- people may feel they have less resilience to cope with change
- factors to promote resiliency are Purpose, Flexibility, Adaptability, Connection to others, Wellness, and Hope
- make mental health a priority
Dealing with Loss
- ending, losing, and letting go (e.g. shock, denial, grief, anger, resistance, doubt, stress)
- neutral zone (e.g. indecision, anxiety, fear, confusion, sense of chaos)
- new beginnings (renewed purpose, creativeness, increased cooperation)
Ms. Beales advised of the importance of self compassion as well as compassion for others in an effort to reduce stress. She provided a list of mental health resources which would be posted to the Township's website.
Resolution: 4-8
Moved by: Councillor Jubb
That the rules of procedure with respect to the length of the presentation be waived.
CARRIED
Committee members discussed and deliberated the information provided by the presenter and thanked Ms. Beales for this important update.